This reminds me of Sundays in Denver, when Crecente and I (mostly Crecente) would routinely confront an often hysterical editor raving about some sensational report from another news outlet, and then we'd have to go sift bullshit from reality. So, in the wake of yesterday's shooting in Florida, which authorities linked to an argument over a PSP, we have some other craziness out there:

• Up in Ohio, a guy confesses to his roommate that he killed a guy and invokes the Xbox 360 defense. According to the defendant, the victim was trying to steal his Xbox 360. An Ohio TV station reports on a transcript of the 911 call. It doesn't sound like it was a burglar, either, more likely that they knew each other and got in an argument. Anyway, one is dead, the other faces murder charges and potentially the death penalty. Why can't people pick something prosaic, like a stamp collection, when trying to cop out of a homicide?

• In the UK, a 40-man homicide unit is looking for the person or persons responsible for the grisly knifing deaths of two French exchange students. The Mirror — so, consider the source — says "the two may have been butchered for a pair of games consoles," as two PSPs (and not just PSPs, but "black PSPs" because they're so uncommon) were taken from the scene. I think the fact the victims were stabbed more than 250 times speaks more to a motive for the crime than the theft of £260 worth of electronics.
Brutal Murdered Pair May Have Been Killed for Playstation [The Mirror]
911 Call Released in Fatal Springfield Shooting [WHIO-TV, via GamePolitics ]

Fla Supreme Court Hears Xbox Killers' Appeal

The three man convicted of slaughtering six people in 2004 with baseball bats in a Florida home because of an Xbox should have been tried separately, a lawyer told the Florida Supreme Court on Monday.

Jerone Hunter and Troy Victorino were both sentenced to death by electric chair or lethal injection in 2006, the third man received a life sentence without parole.

Hunter's attorney argued earlier this week that his client should be spared from execution because he was acting under the "domination" of Victorino, that he had no prior criminal record and suffers from schizophrenia.

The supreme court will make their decision at a later date, but I'd like to think that this is just the last desperate attempt of a vicious killer to escape his just punishment and that the court will be quick in crushing this man's last hopes.

For those of you who don't recall the case, Victorino was angry because one of the victims took his Xbox and clothing from her grandparents vacant home, where he had been squatting, so he crept into her home and bludgeoned her and five others to death with baseball bats as they lay sleeping in bed.

Supreme Court hears death sentence appeal in Xbox slayings [AP]

More on the GTA-Drunk Driving Foofaraw

Cop Called Out On Blaming Violent Games

It's pretty standard now to hear people close to law enforcement, be they lawyers or police officers, blame much of the violent crime committed by youth on violent video games. Apparently, gamers and game journalists aren't the only ones to notice this, as a reporter for the Naples Daily News questioned when one police officer attributed the reason for a violent crime to a game.

Captain Tim Guerrette of the Collier County, Florida Sheriff's Office, apparently referred extensively to video games and their influence during a conference, where Daily News reporter Victoria Macchi was in attendance. In her article, she refers to what Guerrette said, but also notes some of her own research:

Settlement Reached In PS3 Police Shooting

"I am profoundly sorry," Causey said against a backdrop of the United States and North Carolina flags. "I cannot begin to imagine the immense sorrow the Strickland family must continue to feel, but they will forever be in my thoughts and prayers. It is my hope that the Strickland family will accept this apology and know that it is offered with compassion and sincerity."

Al Lowe Says Google Hurts Adventure Games

For those who grew up in the early days of PC adventure gaming, Al Lowe needs no introduction. To those whom need such an introduction, Crecente is coming by your house later to use his feared hair whip fatality. Anyway, here's what the point and click adventure god had to say about developing adventure games in the modern gaming world:

No, not futile, but not mainstream either.

Police Fail To Retrieve Stolen Gil

If someone breaks into your house and steals your game console, you call the police, but what if someone breaks into Vana'diel and steals all your gil? When a 'friend' of former Blaine Wisconsin resident Geoff Luurs got hold of his username and password and then wiped his mage Sot's character clean, he went to the local authorities for justice. After determining his items were worth $3800 by looking them up on popular virtual goods vendor IGE, he went to the Blaine authorities with his complaint. They immediately went to the alleged perpetrator's house and shot him dead.

No, of course they didn't. Explaining that virtual goods have no real monetary value, they refused to do anything. This completely makes sense to me. What doesn't is the reaction garnered from educators across the country.

El Paso Police Nab Fugitives With 360s

Rule of thumb here people. If you are on the run from the law for a crime you did or did not commit, you don't win video game consoles. Even if you do, you don't. A lot of fugitives from justice learned this lesson the hard way in early November, when police in El Paso Texas staged a roundup using an Xbox 360 and a television as bait. The fugitives in question were informed that they had won a fabulous video game prize, and when they arrived to pick it up they were arrested on the spot. The operation led to 115 arrests, 129 cleared warrants, and the collection of $25,686 in unpaid traffic fines. Not one Xbox 360 was given away. Once again, if you are on the lam, you win nothing. Don't try to collect a prize, show up for the game show you suddenly get invited to, or follow that piece of candy being mysteriously drug along the ground by a string towards a waiting paddy wagon. It can only end in tears.

115 fugitives, lured by gifts, arrested in El Paso sting [El Paso Times via GameRush Entertainment]

Video Game Stabbing Update

The two had been playing a sports video game when an argument erupted over who would play the next game, according to Lansdowne Police Chief Daniel J. Kortan Jr. "It was a dispute over the use of a video game," he said.

Teen Killed By Brother Over Video Game

"I don't believe the actual game itself was the cause of it. I don't believe they were acting out in any way or mimicking anything in a video game. I believe it was actual use of the game and whose turn it was," said Lansdowne Police Chief Daniel Kortan.

The Denver PD Racial Bias Game

UK Police to Sony: Launch Earlier, We're Afraid of the Dark

If the launches do go ahead, we have to negate the issues as far as we can, but we can't remove the risk factors for people coming to or going away from the store.

London Cops Busy With PSPs, Notsomuch Policing

EB Clerk Murdered

CNN Employee Nearly Mauled By Angry Shoppers Over Wii

Former Deputy Charged in PS3 Shooting

Police Jump PS3 Line

PSP = Terrorism