14-yr-old has seizure after 5 hrs of True Crime: NYC

Two (logical) questions (which hopefully get answered before the anti-game bashers get on board):

A) Why was she playing this game if she was too young for it? This part does not look good for us gamers.

B) Why did she ignore the instructions and warnings? Personally, I've had nothing remotely close to a photosensitive seizure, but I know my dad started getting headaches and was feeling nauseated when I tried to teach him to play halo (bad experience...my 57 year old dad != gamer).

I seriously don't believe this was a "regular" 14 year old girl. She must have some pre-existing condition that made her prone to seizures.

What about that Korean guy that played in an internet caf?or 50 hours straight until he died at the end of it? http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4137782.stm

Games are addictive, but personally I get bored after about 3 hours at the most!

Her parents should be ashamed of themselves... letting a 14y/o play a game like that is a sin. Buy her some fuckin Barbie dolls whydoncha?!?!

how is this news? how is this even noteworthy?

all games have had seizure warnings for years - the nintendo DS even has one every time the system boots up.

the fact that one kid had a non-fatal seizure while playing a game is not noteworthy - millions of people have seizures every year (not all due to videogames or anything)

see, M rated games do have a negative effect on minors.

maybe Jack Thompson is really onto something.

stoopid parents..

"how is this news? how is this even noteworthy?

all games have had seizure warnings for years - the nintendo DS even has one every time the system boots up."

Alex, this is the first time (in a long time?) that I've heard about game-induced seizures occurring in the media -- and this was from a smaller local media outlet at that. It's surprising when it happens, though it probably happens a lot more than we hear about it online.

The DS warning at boot-up is actually kind of annoying now that I've seen it several dozen times, almost like the FBI warning at the beginning of commercially-produced DVDs. I wish there were an option to skip it now that I've been exposed to it so often.

Well its the parents fault for letting her play an M rated game.

That game sucks anyway.

Tbh, I'd have a damn seizure if I played True Crime for ten minutes. Well, I'd definately want to commit suicide anyway.

anyone can have seazures, anytime anymoment.so stop acussing video games. im pissed off at stupid ignorant people. FUCK!!!

Dan, you can skip the DS warning screen if you alter the firmware with EZPass, FlashPass, or any of those other alternative firmwares out there. I don't think it's worth the risk for that purpose, but just thought you should know.

"though it was not disclosed whether he was actually old enough to fit the ESRB’s age-based recommendations for the M-rated title"

The ESRB solves nothing. And it's good cause it gets me a copy of the Warriors. Honestly, I don't see how the rating of the game matters. Their just trying to make M rated games seem worse than they already seem to be.

She was not a normal girl -- she's one that's prone to light-induced seizures... but the parents didn't know that condition existed until the game induced it.

Better that it happen in the safety of her home than at an all-night rave, though, doncha think?

So now she only plays for 2 hours at a time? lets see, If I OD'd on heroin, should I quit or do I just need to cut down on the amount I'm using. The idiocy of people never ceases to amaze me.

14 is nothing... I see parents buy PSPs and GTA:LCS for their 8 and 6-year-olds, and no amount of warning from me will change their minds. They seem to think that since it's "just a video game" that the swearing, sexual themes, drug use, excessive violence, and organized crime storyline is OK for a kid barely out of diapers.

I love the GTA games, but it's parents like those that ruin it for adults like me. So yeah, 14 is young to be playing a True Crime game, but it's not the youngest I've seen.

And of course, I see plenty of 9-year-olds getting Sony PSPs this year, and they are getting an unrestricted web browser on that. I'd say being able to surf porn is a lot worse than playing an M-rated game, but nobody seems to be responding to Sony getting the PSP's web browser into the hands of kids. Most parents don't even know it's there.

I cant wait till Jack Thompson get ahold of this......

On a different note, maybe this is an early warning of a bigger problem. Maybe this symptom will help a doctor diagnose a bigger problem. If treated right, maybe this event will save her from having a seizure in a more dangerous situation down the road.

You are dame right I'm on it!!! I am gonna blow this up like the Hindenburg on steriods and kill the entire video game industry.

"Well its the parents fault for letting her play an M rated game."
What? It could have been an E rated game and it would have done the same thing to her.

I'm so sick of this story. People have seizures every day from video games. Some because they are pre-disposed and for some its a one time freak thing. It could happen to any of us. Sooo, why is everyone all up in arms? Why is this news? The more we freak out when something happens to a child while playing a video game, the more politicians will attack us. Is just getting rediculous.