Post by Liquiduz on Jan 21, 2006 14:10:01 GMT -5
news.gaminghorizon.com/media...35340.3198.html
Earlier this month, gamer named Mitchell S. with the online screenname "Kuja105" who posts on a few online videogame forums (including GameFaqs.com and MetalGearSolid.org) committed suicide. On January 2 he posted a message in both forums detailing his intent to end his own life, citing overwhelming complications with school and finances.
A very brief period of initial disbelief was followed by a barrage of replies from fellow forum members pleading that he not take his life, trying to talk him out of it.
For days, no word was heard from Mitchell. Fearing the worst, members and administration from metalgearsolid.org began searching for contact information, spending hours on the phone trying to get in touch with him. Finally on January 4, Ryan K., an administrator at metalgearsolid.org, got him on the phone and spent hours desperately trying to talk him out of it.
Sadly, Mitchell soon ended his own life by consuming antifreeze and painkillers.
Later, members from the site contacted Mitchell's family to find out the grave news. They reported it to their online community, and posted a tribute to their passed friend on the front page of metalgearsolid.org.
This is where the story turns.
The story was picked up by AFP, an international newswire service and has been carried by Yahoo!, CNN, and more. The story reported by AFP is almost completely erroneous to a sad and morbid degree.
The story authored by the AFP writer stated:
" ...[T]he gamer switched on his web cam and swallowed a large amount of motor antifreeze and pills [...]
Other forum members thought the man nicknamed "Kudjo" was joking even though he rambled for six hours about the effects of the substances and disappeared from view several times."
This is untrue. Firstly, his nickname was Kuja, not Kudjo; but more seriously, Mitchell did not broadcast himself over the internet via a webcam. No forum members thinking he was joking, no rambling for six hours. This is a complete fabrication.
The article also claims that the site was Bulgarian, which it isn't. The company that designed the website is based on Bulgaria, but it is hosted and maintained in the US.
The story also claims "After he failed to appear at regular meeting spots, gamers went to his home and learnt he died in hospital on January 7." There were no "regular meeting spots", and gamers never went to his home - they contacted his family over the phone.
Because of the allegations that the suicide was prompted by and broadcast by metalgearsolid.org, it has been pulled offline by the web host at the request of an unspecified Government agency.
"Our organization is being smeared," Ryan K, an administrator from MetalGearSolid.org told Gaming Horizon. "Truthfully, we are all saddened over this loss and offer our sincerest condolences towards his family. We do not, however, appreciate having our reputation slammed across the internet by news organizations that have clearly failed in their journalistic duties. We would greatly appreciate it if they would solve this matter."
[update: We've just learned that Boyan Georgiev, the man quoted in the AFP story as a "forum administrator" doesn't even work for metalgearsolid.org; he is a web designer that works at the same design studio as the designer of metalgearsolid.org.]
It is terrible that this gamer has ended his life, but this kind of misreporting does nothing but make things worse. Gamers do not appreciate being cast as unstable or the type of person who would taunt a fellow human being who obviously was in the middle of some serious trauma. This dedicated group of friends tried so hard to save this young man's life and they're made out to be cruel savages by the media. We at Gaming Horizon are very saddened by this death, and offer our prayers and condolences to the boy's family and loved ones.
A request to the AFP to correct these errors has been filed by metalgearsolid.org administration, and no reply has yet been heard.
[Update: If you'd like to contact the AFP newswire about their story, you can do so via this form and selecting the "Contact news department" option for the first drop-down.]
-Aaron Dunlap
[POSTED: 01/18/06]
The topic where he posted his intentions of killing himself was on Gamestop.com.
www.gamespot.com/ps3/adventure/metalgearsolid4/show_msgs.php?topic_id=25874663&pid=926596
... which has obviously been deleted now.
I just hope Jack Thompson doesnt appear and say "MGS games make people commit suicide!"
EDIT: Heh, it was just a matter of time.
To no real suprise, Jack Thompson has said his piece. Before you read on I severely suggest that you do ten minutes of breathing exercises and listen to whale noises. This guy's statement will make you claw your own face to death otherwise.
Edit: This'll be a long post as he's made 2 statements, one pretty much directly at www.metalgearsolid.org. However MGS.org have replied to his bullcrap in a dignified manner.
Yesterday Dennis McCauley reported, by starting this thread, the suicide of an American "hardcore gamer" who alerted his fellow gamers that he was dying. My posts in this regard upset many of you. So, I should like to sincerely apologize for the following:
1. Noting that this is not the first time Metal Gear Solid has figured in a suicide. See my op-ed in the Washington Times at www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20040701-085600-3597r.htm. The Wellsboro boy committed suicide in the bathroom when his attempted "Columbine" went awry. His father correctly blamed the game.
2. I should further like to apologize for pointing out to pixelantes that obsessive play of such games feeds depression, and that the "gaming community," especially those in the industry that design these games to be addictive, are partly responsible for his demise. I apologize ahead of time for contacting his parents and telling them they should get a lawyer and sue the makers and distributors of Metal Gear Solid. I won't be that lawyer, but I'll help them find one.
3. I apologize for having to yet again change my email address in response to the great video game defenders of "freedom of expression" who inundated me with criminal threats, extortion, obscene emails, criminally harassing phone calls, and other stuff I had best not specifiy. Oh, and John at 916-765-1812, I guess you missed the fact that the last punk who did this wound up in jail in Houston. Nice going, ace. Ever hear of "caller ID?" So, yes, I apologize for once again proving by your vigilantism what hypocrites drive the "gaming community." You people, along with Dennis McCauley, are so clueless that you actually conducted here, at this site, a "pixelante t-shirt contest," not even grasping the fact that a pixelante is one half rung above a bludgeoning skinhead, or cracker if you prefer that term.
4. Finally, I most sincerely wish to apologize for pointing out now that the European press got the facts in this story correct and Dennis McCauley did not. The gamers who had his phone number, his roommate who acted too late--all of them could have and should have gotten the police over there immediately, not "persuade him to call the police." The guy was committing suicide for Heaven's sake! You call the police immediatley, give them the phone number, and they can then instantly get in gear (metal gear, if you prefer) and get over there. Gamers are so out of it, they can't figure even that out.
Dennis McCauley concludes his crocodile tears, let's congratulate ourselves for being such a loving "gamer community" with his bathos-filled "May you find peace, gamer friend." Dennis, and the rest of you, pay attention: You find peace in Jesus Christ, not in GTA or Metal Gear Solid, or 25 to Life. You find it only in Him. The gate is narrow. Further, he was much more than a "gamer." In fact, his gamer status helped kill him, along with those who sucked him into the culture of death that games foment. And Dennis, he was NOT your "friend." You never knew him. You and the gaming community don't want to know him. Because if you know him, which is necessary to be a "friend," you will find that his real friends helped construct for him a world, a death style, that helped take him away to eternity.
I have sat with families touched by such tragedy. I understand it. You all couldn't care less. For that, I sincerely apologize, and for saying this yet again: Put down the controllers and get a life.
-Jack Thompson
Jack Thompson Dribbling Faeces Part 2:
"Your "gamer friend" will find peace through the Lord, Jesus Christ, but sadly it's too late for that.
There is a void in every heart. You can fill it up with the things of God, or the things not of God. This unfortunate soul chose to fill it up with combat games. The playing of these video games is masturbatory activity, meaning senseless self-stimulation. If you gamers could use a dictionary you would know that that term is not necessarily a sexual one.
The real tragedy here extends beyond the life and death of this one fellow. There are literally millions of young people and young adults whose despair is deepend by turning to the things of this world and then finding them meaningless.
All of you gamers need to put down the controllers and get a life. The utter inanity of the vast majority of postings here shows how vapid "gaming" really is.
You are one of the cheerleaders for this wasting of time and the wasting of lives. Do you feel any remorse for having contributed to this "culture of death?" Of course not. Hey, let's all play MORE games, and ignore all the really productive things to do with our lives.
Let's pretend to be shocked that a gamer might descend into deeper depression, as his gamer "buds," knowing he was killing himself, couldn't figure out how to call 911 themselves for him. That would have involved leaving their computers I guess.
Sad. Sad for all of you."
A respectful reply fro MetalGearSolid.org:
"Once again, Mr. Thompson, you've proven that your ignorance knows no bounds. We're not going to participate in this war you wish to wage against us -- we're bigger than that. We're bigger than you.
This is a case where our tragedy is greater than the sum of our transgressions. The fact that you want to exploit the loss that both we and his family have suffered to forward your own selfish, religiously driven ambitions speaks volumes about the integrity (or lack, thereof) of your character, and it only serves to strengthen our resolve.
You can continue to try and discredit us and insult us, though no true man of God would do such a thing. We pity you and your ignorance, and only hope that someday you can come to terms with and mature away from your biggotry. As Metal Gear Solid fans, we have learned to believe in the best of individuals. We've learned to show charity. We've become better people, and through the loss of our friend, we've become a closer-knit community.
We forgive you, Jack, and we hope that God will do the same for you."
Jacky Boy has yet to reply.
Earlier this month, gamer named Mitchell S. with the online screenname "Kuja105" who posts on a few online videogame forums (including GameFaqs.com and MetalGearSolid.org) committed suicide. On January 2 he posted a message in both forums detailing his intent to end his own life, citing overwhelming complications with school and finances.
A very brief period of initial disbelief was followed by a barrage of replies from fellow forum members pleading that he not take his life, trying to talk him out of it.
For days, no word was heard from Mitchell. Fearing the worst, members and administration from metalgearsolid.org began searching for contact information, spending hours on the phone trying to get in touch with him. Finally on January 4, Ryan K., an administrator at metalgearsolid.org, got him on the phone and spent hours desperately trying to talk him out of it.
Sadly, Mitchell soon ended his own life by consuming antifreeze and painkillers.
Later, members from the site contacted Mitchell's family to find out the grave news. They reported it to their online community, and posted a tribute to their passed friend on the front page of metalgearsolid.org.
This is where the story turns.
The story was picked up by AFP, an international newswire service and has been carried by Yahoo!, CNN, and more. The story reported by AFP is almost completely erroneous to a sad and morbid degree.
The story authored by the AFP writer stated:
" ...[T]he gamer switched on his web cam and swallowed a large amount of motor antifreeze and pills [...]
Other forum members thought the man nicknamed "Kudjo" was joking even though he rambled for six hours about the effects of the substances and disappeared from view several times."
This is untrue. Firstly, his nickname was Kuja, not Kudjo; but more seriously, Mitchell did not broadcast himself over the internet via a webcam. No forum members thinking he was joking, no rambling for six hours. This is a complete fabrication.
The article also claims that the site was Bulgarian, which it isn't. The company that designed the website is based on Bulgaria, but it is hosted and maintained in the US.
The story also claims "After he failed to appear at regular meeting spots, gamers went to his home and learnt he died in hospital on January 7." There were no "regular meeting spots", and gamers never went to his home - they contacted his family over the phone.
Because of the allegations that the suicide was prompted by and broadcast by metalgearsolid.org, it has been pulled offline by the web host at the request of an unspecified Government agency.
"Our organization is being smeared," Ryan K, an administrator from MetalGearSolid.org told Gaming Horizon. "Truthfully, we are all saddened over this loss and offer our sincerest condolences towards his family. We do not, however, appreciate having our reputation slammed across the internet by news organizations that have clearly failed in their journalistic duties. We would greatly appreciate it if they would solve this matter."
[update: We've just learned that Boyan Georgiev, the man quoted in the AFP story as a "forum administrator" doesn't even work for metalgearsolid.org; he is a web designer that works at the same design studio as the designer of metalgearsolid.org.]
It is terrible that this gamer has ended his life, but this kind of misreporting does nothing but make things worse. Gamers do not appreciate being cast as unstable or the type of person who would taunt a fellow human being who obviously was in the middle of some serious trauma. This dedicated group of friends tried so hard to save this young man's life and they're made out to be cruel savages by the media. We at Gaming Horizon are very saddened by this death, and offer our prayers and condolences to the boy's family and loved ones.
A request to the AFP to correct these errors has been filed by metalgearsolid.org administration, and no reply has yet been heard.
[Update: If you'd like to contact the AFP newswire about their story, you can do so via this form and selecting the "Contact news department" option for the first drop-down.]
-Aaron Dunlap
[POSTED: 01/18/06]
The topic where he posted his intentions of killing himself was on Gamestop.com.
www.gamespot.com/ps3/adventure/metalgearsolid4/show_msgs.php?topic_id=25874663&pid=926596
... which has obviously been deleted now.
I just hope Jack Thompson doesnt appear and say "MGS games make people commit suicide!"
EDIT: Heh, it was just a matter of time.
To no real suprise, Jack Thompson has said his piece. Before you read on I severely suggest that you do ten minutes of breathing exercises and listen to whale noises. This guy's statement will make you claw your own face to death otherwise.
Edit: This'll be a long post as he's made 2 statements, one pretty much directly at www.metalgearsolid.org. However MGS.org have replied to his bullcrap in a dignified manner.
Yesterday Dennis McCauley reported, by starting this thread, the suicide of an American "hardcore gamer" who alerted his fellow gamers that he was dying. My posts in this regard upset many of you. So, I should like to sincerely apologize for the following:
1. Noting that this is not the first time Metal Gear Solid has figured in a suicide. See my op-ed in the Washington Times at www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20040701-085600-3597r.htm. The Wellsboro boy committed suicide in the bathroom when his attempted "Columbine" went awry. His father correctly blamed the game.
2. I should further like to apologize for pointing out to pixelantes that obsessive play of such games feeds depression, and that the "gaming community," especially those in the industry that design these games to be addictive, are partly responsible for his demise. I apologize ahead of time for contacting his parents and telling them they should get a lawyer and sue the makers and distributors of Metal Gear Solid. I won't be that lawyer, but I'll help them find one.
3. I apologize for having to yet again change my email address in response to the great video game defenders of "freedom of expression" who inundated me with criminal threats, extortion, obscene emails, criminally harassing phone calls, and other stuff I had best not specifiy. Oh, and John at 916-765-1812, I guess you missed the fact that the last punk who did this wound up in jail in Houston. Nice going, ace. Ever hear of "caller ID?" So, yes, I apologize for once again proving by your vigilantism what hypocrites drive the "gaming community." You people, along with Dennis McCauley, are so clueless that you actually conducted here, at this site, a "pixelante t-shirt contest," not even grasping the fact that a pixelante is one half rung above a bludgeoning skinhead, or cracker if you prefer that term.
4. Finally, I most sincerely wish to apologize for pointing out now that the European press got the facts in this story correct and Dennis McCauley did not. The gamers who had his phone number, his roommate who acted too late--all of them could have and should have gotten the police over there immediately, not "persuade him to call the police." The guy was committing suicide for Heaven's sake! You call the police immediatley, give them the phone number, and they can then instantly get in gear (metal gear, if you prefer) and get over there. Gamers are so out of it, they can't figure even that out.
Dennis McCauley concludes his crocodile tears, let's congratulate ourselves for being such a loving "gamer community" with his bathos-filled "May you find peace, gamer friend." Dennis, and the rest of you, pay attention: You find peace in Jesus Christ, not in GTA or Metal Gear Solid, or 25 to Life. You find it only in Him. The gate is narrow. Further, he was much more than a "gamer." In fact, his gamer status helped kill him, along with those who sucked him into the culture of death that games foment. And Dennis, he was NOT your "friend." You never knew him. You and the gaming community don't want to know him. Because if you know him, which is necessary to be a "friend," you will find that his real friends helped construct for him a world, a death style, that helped take him away to eternity.
I have sat with families touched by such tragedy. I understand it. You all couldn't care less. For that, I sincerely apologize, and for saying this yet again: Put down the controllers and get a life.
-Jack Thompson
Jack Thompson Dribbling Faeces Part 2:
"Your "gamer friend" will find peace through the Lord, Jesus Christ, but sadly it's too late for that.
There is a void in every heart. You can fill it up with the things of God, or the things not of God. This unfortunate soul chose to fill it up with combat games. The playing of these video games is masturbatory activity, meaning senseless self-stimulation. If you gamers could use a dictionary you would know that that term is not necessarily a sexual one.
The real tragedy here extends beyond the life and death of this one fellow. There are literally millions of young people and young adults whose despair is deepend by turning to the things of this world and then finding them meaningless.
All of you gamers need to put down the controllers and get a life. The utter inanity of the vast majority of postings here shows how vapid "gaming" really is.
You are one of the cheerleaders for this wasting of time and the wasting of lives. Do you feel any remorse for having contributed to this "culture of death?" Of course not. Hey, let's all play MORE games, and ignore all the really productive things to do with our lives.
Let's pretend to be shocked that a gamer might descend into deeper depression, as his gamer "buds," knowing he was killing himself, couldn't figure out how to call 911 themselves for him. That would have involved leaving their computers I guess.
Sad. Sad for all of you."
A respectful reply fro MetalGearSolid.org:
"Once again, Mr. Thompson, you've proven that your ignorance knows no bounds. We're not going to participate in this war you wish to wage against us -- we're bigger than that. We're bigger than you.
This is a case where our tragedy is greater than the sum of our transgressions. The fact that you want to exploit the loss that both we and his family have suffered to forward your own selfish, religiously driven ambitions speaks volumes about the integrity (or lack, thereof) of your character, and it only serves to strengthen our resolve.
You can continue to try and discredit us and insult us, though no true man of God would do such a thing. We pity you and your ignorance, and only hope that someday you can come to terms with and mature away from your biggotry. As Metal Gear Solid fans, we have learned to believe in the best of individuals. We've learned to show charity. We've become better people, and through the loss of our friend, we've become a closer-knit community.
We forgive you, Jack, and we hope that God will do the same for you."
Jacky Boy has yet to reply.
