Computer games didn’t cause American Presidents to kill

Around twice a year, some group will call for an end to computer games on the basis that they cause violence and the industry rallies to deny the claim. Today's the day. KitGuru plays Angry Pigs at full volume to build up a bit of latent aggression. You know. Just in case it makes us feel like getting on a tube train and umbrellering commuters to death.

Diane Franklin is a Republican congresswoman who believes that hardcore computer games should carry a special tax to help the federal government fight against mass shootings. We checked, and she does not seem to have proposed a special tax on the guns or bullets that are used to kill children in mass shootings. Strange.

Her call was followed up by a chap who professes a green agenda, Ralph Nader, but who's certain that EA et al are ‘virtual child molesters'.

Interesting.

Vice President Biden launched a multi-million dollar investigation into the links between ‘stuff we do in society' and the ‘urge to randomly kill strangers' and concluded that there was no scientific evidence linking computer games to shootings.

Wow. Who'd a thunk it.

Ever keen to ‘apply the science', KitGuru did a quick scan on US sites on ‘The Top Murders of All Time' and came up with this list:-

1. Lizzie Borden
2. Ed Gein
3. Ted Bundy
4. Charles Manson
5. Mary Bell
6. Black Dahlia
7. Albert DeSalvo
8. Myra Hindley
9. Ian Brady
10. Andrea Yates

In typical self-centred fashion, the author of the list seems to have missed out The Roman Empire, Genghis Kahn, Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein.

From what we can tell – none of these people ever engaged in Saints Row or other exciting games.

The CEO of EA, John Riccitiello, has been chatting about the complete lack of evidence linking games to murder. Specifically, he decided to cover the topic on a conference call with bank analysts. He correctly put it down to a “perception issue”.

On the subject of perception, if you'd like to see NRA (gun-loving National Rifle Association) members heckling the grieving father of a 6 year old boy as he pleads for tighter controls on assault weapons, try this link.

Back to the headline?  OK. Our research has shown that of the 4 Presidents that were involved in the killing of people themselves (outside of war), a staggering NONE of them were avid EA fans. Surprising, given that when Washington killed, he led a group of Indians into the fray and watched while they tore the scalps from their victims after.

But no computer games were involved.

Shocking.

How did people kill and wage war without electronic assistance for 2 million years?

.

KitGuru says: Having completed an intensive hour long study, we have concluded – conclusively – that there is far more danger of someone being a murderer if they have come in contact with some form of gun. In our list of the Top 10 Murderers or the famous ‘killers from history', we're sure that NONE of them ever used a computer game – let alone an EA product.

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