Three Killed Over Role-Playing Game (merged)

[Darmanicus]

Yahoo News - Mangling the mangled news since 199x.

We dont know the whole story. Thus, we cannot draw any conclusions.

That's SOOO true.

 

[IronWolf]

Yahoo News - Mangling the mangled news since 199x.

We dont know the whole story. Thus, we cannot draw any conclusions.

So true... Ever hear the news do a story on a topic you happen to be somewhat of an authority on. So many mistakes and inaccuracies that it makes you wonder how you could take anything the news says at face value.

Also for those interested, there is a thread going in off-topic about this same event from several days ago:

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=132155

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

What's sad about it is that three people died, and that their reasoning simply reinforces a negative image upon our hobby and culture.

They were voluntarily taking themselves out of the gene pool, and it sounds like a good decision on their part, frankly.

If it hadn't been RPGs, it'd have been Ozzy Osbourne albums, Martha Stewart Living or something else. It's them, not the trigger, that's responsible.

 

[francisca]

Old news: http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=132155

 

[Orius]

If it hadn't been RPGs, it'd have been Ozzy Osbourne albums, Martha Stewart Living or something else.

You sayin' Martha Stewart ain't evil?

 

[Neo]

May not have helped the image of Role playing much but it has certainly benefitted the gene pool..

some strange, strange people out there...

 

[TheAuldGrump]

That's it. I am taking up scrapbooking instead.

Really.

Honest.

What, don't you trust me?

Hey, would I kid about something like that?

Well, okay, maybe I'll still play once in a while...

The Auld Grump

 

[Romnipotent]

This is why parents don't want their kids LARPing without adult supervision.

I dont want anyone larping at all. If you have to get up and a leave a table with a battlemat and donuts then you better just be needing to pee.

 

[Klaus]

For those willing to brave Babelfish, here's one of the better (but not much) written articles on the Guarapari case: http://noticias.terra.com.br/brasil/interna/0,,OI532260-EI306,00.html

As for the 2001 Ouro Preto killing, the victim, Aline, was found dead in a cemetary, in a position that indicated a sacrifice. When her cousin was caught (she was with Aline, and is a suspect), she named the other participants. With one of them were found V:tM books. The police thumbed the books and found an illustration with a passing resemblance of the position the body was found (local RPGers who have V:tM books think it was the Guide to the Sabba). So the police goes "a-HA!" and the media circus begins.

What every news service fails to relate is that Aline and her cousin (who were on a trip) left the boarding house to go to a rave (where, no doubt, drugs and alcohol were readily available). Also, Aline never played RPGs in her life (according to her mother).

For almost a decade, V:tM was the most extensively published (and played) RPG in Brazil (AD&D 2e was absent after a brief stint in 92, and Gurps had few supplements, although it was the first to arrive here). The dress-code of the gamers (gothic or all-black, full of crosses and other symbols), coupled with the fact that RPGers in Brazil tend to fall in the 13-19 range of age, built a very fertile ground for the "RPGs corrupt the kids!" mentality.

Even though, in the past 10 years, only 2 killings have been linked to RPGs. In the same timespan, 4 killings were perpetrated by owners of Yorkshire dogs. So a Yorkshire dog is twice as likely to corrupt you than a RPG! BEWARE THE DOGS!

 

[Kae'Yoss]

If this turns out to be true, I only have three words:

DARWIN AWARD NOMINATION

I thought exactly the same. Either that or the worst excuse for a crime ever. I'm sending this to newsoftheweird right away.

The thing I really don't get is that his parents were being involved. No matter whether the killers made this up or he actually agreed, they had no part in this.