Ontario police turn to Xbox Live to find missing CoD4 player
by Griffin McElroy 
{ Oct 26th 2008 at 2:00PM }
Following the suspicions of Crisp's parents, the cyber crimes unit of the Ontario Police are now turning to an unlikely source for leads -- Brandon's Xbox Live friends list. Fearing that one of his clanmates might have something to do with his disappearance, police asked Microsoft to breach their own privacy protocols to reveal the personal information of Xbox Live subscribers that frequently associated with Crisp. Regardless of what you may think of Microsoft's actions, we're sure we all share the hope that Brandon will return home quickly and safely.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Limezor @ Oct 26th 2008 2:04PM
Damn, hope the kid's alright!
Dale Massey @ Oct 26th 2008 2:54PM
Should've just let him keep his Xbox.
Tiptup300 @ Oct 26th 2008 3:07PM
I believe what they did was right. If the kid freaks out just for losing a game system for a bit, somethings wrong.
Sheppy (of the Fidlious Clan of Wong) @ Oct 26th 2008 3:16PM
Kid was feeling isolated and shit on constantly and retreated to the online world where he gained some respect. Classic internet addiction syndrome. One of the last things you do with this condition is suddenly take that away. Especially in teenage years where children are having a hard enough time fitting in.
Was something wrong with the kid? Yeah. But addiction of this matter doesn't spring up. SOMETHING has to be forcing him into that fantasy world.
why not the LS2LS7? @ Oct 26th 2008 4:02PM
Sheppy, do you have some other source of info that we don't or did you just create and entire psychological profile and condemn society from about 80 words of news?
Penguin Warlord @ Oct 26th 2008 4:36PM
When the kid comes home;
And now to Ollie Williams with the Blacky Weather Forecast:
HE GON GET IT.
Thank you Ollie.
Replica23 @ Oct 26th 2008 4:54PM
"Kid was feeling isolated and shit on constantly"
More or less that is what causes most runaways. It's not unrealistic to suggest one or both of his parents are either mentally abusive or controlling in some manner. Whether they realize it or not. It's just sad it's been played like he took off because of a game console. Does anyone actually buy that?
Ando @ Oct 26th 2008 5:13PM
"It's just sad it's been played like he took off because of a game console. Does anyone actually buy that?"
Yes, actually. Kids are insane, I thought we realized that by now.
I hope the kid's found soon, and then grounded forever. I mean, I don't want to find out he's dead or anything, but (assuming he DID) taking off for a game console is just sad.
Al2x @ Oct 26th 2008 6:34PM
No Credit for the story?
Anyways...Dumb, spoiled kid.
SneezyPorcupine @ Oct 27th 2008 1:50AM
Okay, I don't know about u guys, but when I was 15, I had some sense of the world around me.
I mean, not to be an ass, but everyone is talking about this kid in the news and everything like he is so innocent but lets face it, 15 year olds are not that innocent. What is that? First year of high-school? Which makes it even sadder to throw a fit like that at that age, granted, the parents pretty much told the kid to leave; so he did, they got their wish.
Again, not to sound like an ass, but I find it hard to believe that he got caught up in some internet pedophilia scenario... at 15, I would have the sense to tell someone like that to fuck off me!
Questworld @ Oct 27th 2008 3:14AM
No offense Replica23, but your remark is reminiscent of an almost typical "gamer" reaction of "it's not the game or gamer, it's everyone else that's at fault." The theory isn't necessarily wrong, but I find it irksome on how often "it's the parents' fault" gets thrown around almost at a "knee-jerk" speed.
Sheppy (of the Fidlious Clan of Wong) @ Oct 27th 2008 8:17AM
@why not the LS2LS7?
You're absolutely right. I have access to some secret information that you are NOT privy to. Okay, I'll share. www.google.com Welcome to the internet. Also I have personal experience as well as read many books on the subject. All in all, I've read nearly 2500 pages on the topic of internet and gaming addictions as well non chemical addictions.
Allow me to explain how this stuff works. ANYTIME a child becomes obsessed with one activity, that's a warning sign. It isn't him wanting to be good at it but rather something that he finds appealing about that world which the real world doesn't provide. Often times, this is because of social awkwardness or mental and physical abuse. In adults, it's often due to financial concerns or social concerns. Something is unbalancing that individual and forcing them to retreat.
In essence, problems don't spring up from nowhere. There is always a source or cause. So why do I know this? Because as a kid, I had the same problem thus my fascination and reading up on the problem. My mother and father were always fighting and my sister was mentally and physically abusive to me. Rather than DEAL with that shit, holy crap... here's Landstalker and I'm finding an ancient gold horde. Or I'm traveling to the moon on an airship in FFIV.
When reality sucks, people retreat from it. Sometimes it's the vices (tv, games, internet), and sometimes it's the hard stuff (alcohol, pot, meth). Nobody forms an addiction while in a happy and loving family situation. Nobody. 300+ years of psychology science teaches us this.
So for the kid to react this dramatically, SOMETHING was seriously fucking wrong with his home or school situation. After all, who wants to be the "worthless son" or "going nowhere kid" when online, in Call of Duty 4, he's part of a winning Clan that relies on him? Escapism is the root of addicton, WHAT was he escaping from?
halo 3 sucks. @ Oct 26th 2008 2:04PM
EDIT: Awful and off-topic.
Tim @ Oct 26th 2008 2:06PM
Moving along...
theturtle363 @ Oct 26th 2008 2:10PM
what?
OMGOMG @ Oct 26th 2008 2:30PM
Yeah, how dare MS try and help find a missing child!
Fuck you, you tool. I hope you practice what you preach in your post.
eldee @ Oct 26th 2008 2:49PM
calm down.. jesus. it's not like he was kidnapped. the little bitch threw a hissy fit and walked out of his house.. he's probably living in his friend's closet while he 'teaches his parents a lesson'.
Penguin Warlord @ Oct 26th 2008 4:34PM
I've never seen a comment so white and going by your name I assume that you're just a grumbly troll.
Spirit @ Oct 26th 2008 8:39PM
What's up with your frequent mentioning of the Fergie sex tape anyway?
Mamba @ Oct 26th 2008 10:18PM
good post
Duke @ Oct 27th 2008 10:46AM
That was one of the dumbest comments yet on Joystiq.
theturtle363 @ Oct 26th 2008 2:09PM
this was on kotaku yesterday, and the writer who posted it said something like he hoped the people he played XBL with didn't have any porn. I have no idea what he meant by that. Is porn illegal now or something? It didn't make a lot of sense to me because it wasn't like he was saying they had kiddie porn or anything.
Bowser the Baptist @ Oct 26th 2008 2:13PM
I laughed so hard.
Jacksons @ Oct 26th 2008 2:14PM
Maybe they were talking about the shared photos in Halo 3? I don't know.
theturtle363 @ Oct 26th 2008 2:16PM
yeah I have no idea either. My uncle used to have playboys in his bathroom and he had 2 sons, does that make him a felon? WTF
Romyion @ Oct 26th 2008 3:25PM
I read it too. He meant that whoever the police question doesn't have porn because they may have either raped, molested, killed, or a combo of the three to little Brian.
theturtle363 @ Oct 26th 2008 5:31PM
so if they have porn they must have murdered him? WTF? I don't know if it's the kotaku guy who's crazy or the police
Kirby1612 @ Oct 26th 2008 2:10PM
Now, I hope the kid is alright
I hope he's reading all these articles and watching the news on some friends TV.
But seriously, these parents are beyond stupid.
If they only took the time to understand what he's playing and who he's playing with. Not to mention his dad mocking him and packing his bags.
No wonder the kid ran away when your parents make fun of you like that.
Juno @ Oct 26th 2008 2:25PM
I think you're jumping the gun blaming the parents. First of all, they were paying attention to his online habits, actually that's what caused the situation.
People who are quick to blame parents are no better then those quick to blame video games.
Everything aside, I hope he makes it home safe. Thankfully we can all agree upon that.
WRE @ Oct 26th 2008 3:24PM
Not true, Juno. Parents are usually the problem. If you discipline your child when they're 4, you don't have to so much when they're 13. But most parents are just lazy and inconsistent because they're too selfish and caught up in their private lives, something that good parents have no expectation of.
Nate @ Oct 26th 2008 3:34PM
You cannot say that discipline is what makes the difference. Plus you have no idea how this kid was disciplined. His parents may be great parents, but this owns kid psychology. Just because you discipline a child when it is young, does not mean that the child will not grow up to be a problem child.
WRE @ Oct 26th 2008 3:42PM
Maybe, Nate, but great parents usually don't go throwing video games and mob bosses under the bus after they've tormented their child into running away. In any event, I know a lot of parents, and many of them will be greatly surprised when their kid knocks some girl up at 13 or does a line of cocaine off of some dude's boner. But I won't.
zuburi @ Oct 26th 2008 4:36PM
Wanna know why you won this argument? The cocaine off a boner line.
Reality @ Oct 26th 2008 4:51PM
And of course you are calling his parents stupid based on how many years of parenting did you say that you had. Your probably just a snotty, spoiled kids who doesn't like rules. It's not his parents fault - ultimately your are responsible for your own actions. Eventually you kids will figure that out when their is noone there to bail you out - like your parents.....
WRE @ Oct 26th 2008 6:39PM
Reality,
Normally I resist the urge go off on people, but your entire argument was one of the dumbest fucking things I've ever read. And no, I'm not just talking about the moronic spelling and grammatical errors.
So, because I argue that most parents fail to discipline their children, you deduce that I'm a snotty kid who doesn't like rules? Brilliant! Truly, you are the Sherlock Holmes of the internet!
And I never said anything against people being responsible for their own decisions. However, if you don't discipline your kids they'll - wait for it - probably make terrible decisions!
And finally, how many years of parenting experience do you have? Seriously. I've only got a whole 3 days, but I have 26 years of not being an idiot under my belt; experience I doubt you can match.
Seph X @ Oct 27th 2008 12:33AM
To Juno:
The parents started the problem by getting a 15 year old kid a 17+ game.
SpekOpz @ Oct 26th 2008 2:12PM
Little kids making gamers look stupid.
Roto13 @ Oct 26th 2008 2:25PM
Gamers make gamers look stupid. This little kid is just making little kids look stupid.
Gun Barrier @ Oct 26th 2008 8:32PM
and this little kid is a gamer. Do the math.
Roto13 @ Oct 26th 2008 9:52PM
*whoosh*
Misfit Toy @ Oct 26th 2008 2:14PM
I hope the kid is alright. But why do we always have to play the blame game towards entertainment media when things go wrong.
Bowser the Baptist @ Oct 26th 2008 2:20PM
Nobody blamed your precious games.
Sheppy (of the Fidlious Clan of Wong) @ Oct 26th 2008 3:04PM
Actually, follow the news, Bowser. They were blaming the video games since day 1. Hell, they are still blaming the games.
Fact of the matter is, these parents are pointing fingers everywhere except themselves is is actually the exact opposite of what real parents do when their kids run away.
Something about this entire mess screams Joan-Bennet Rhamses to me.
finnith @ Oct 26th 2008 2:15PM
Although it's sad that something like this has occurred, hopefully he will be found with Microsoft's help.
Jeremy White @ Oct 26th 2008 2:26PM
hell, for $25,000 i would drive to ontario to look for him.
Mr Khan @ Oct 26th 2008 2:36PM
I know how that sort of thing can go, as (up through age 17) i had quite a bit of a temper problem regarding games myself.
It's easy to just let the rage carry you off to do something crazy, though i never did that. It's a lot harder to put it all into perspective than you might think
deaftly @ Oct 26th 2008 2:36PM
anyone wanna split 25 grand and kidnap me?
Bowser the Baptist @ Oct 26th 2008 2:39PM
Only if I can set you on fire first.
Raikage (Mr. ESC? Mr. ESC? MR. ESSSSSSCCCCCC!) @ Oct 26th 2008 3:26PM
OHHHHHH YEEEAAAAAAHHHH
I can't believe I'm the first to say that... You sadden me Joystiqerz
Anticrawl @ Oct 26th 2008 2:39PM
Not to be cruel but what was the kid doing playing COD4? I hope the kid gets home safe and his parents take more interest in the type of online community this M rated game has. Clearly he was not mature enough for it.
(All of the above was typed on a Blackberry Storm wood)