Achilles Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 I suspect that this might end up in Kavar's. US software behemoth Microsoft has doubled a cash reward for information on the whereabouts of a Canadian boy who ran away from home after his father took away his Xbox game console, it said Tuesday. Brandon Crisp, 15, took off on his bicycle from his Barrie, Ontario home on October 13 -- Canada's Thanksgiving holiday -- and rode east along an old rail line. He has not been seen since. His father told local media he had removed Brandon's Xbox, built by Microsoft, after noticing changes in behavior since Brandon started playing "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare" online. The boy started skipping school, stealing money and ignoring his studies, his father said. A local newspaper, the family's Internet service provider and Child Find offered a 25,000-dollar (19,500-dollar US) reward for information leading to his return. Microsoft topped it up with another 25,000 dollars, the company said Tuesday in an email to AFP, "hoping for his swift return." "Like everyone, we are deeply worried about the disappearance of Brandon Crisp," the company said. Exhaustive searches have not turned up a single clue beyond the boy's bicycle, found last week with a flat tire. Police are said to be examining who Brandon played with online. "Law enforcement has contacted Microsoft about this matter and we are cooperating fully with them," said Microsoft. On Sunday, 1,600 volunteer searchers packed up their reflective vests and ended their efforts to find him, while police stopped their air and water search. In an interview with the daily Globe and Mail, the boy's father, Steve Crisp, said he had not known how important the gaming system was to his son and how he would react when it was taken away Experts commented that gamers may form bonds with fellow online players. "This had become his identity, and I didn't realize how in-depth this was until I took his Xbox away," Steve Crisp told the Globe and Mail. "That's like cutting his legs off." "This is such an issue that hits every parent out there, with video games that are starting to control our kids' lives," he said. "I just took away his identity, so I can understand why he got so mad and took off. Before, I couldn't understand why he was taking off for taking his game away." Now, Brandon's father says he just wants his son to come home. I know what my feelings are on this but I wonder what other people think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Da_man Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Wow...just wow. My little brother gets anxious when doesn't get his 12+hours of gaming a day, but that is just funky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayden Kered Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 It's the dad's fault, his son gets the system and plays it a lot. The dad probably never disciplined him to take breaks or to not play so much. And then punishes him by taking away what is precious to him. His son would not have started to 'change' if his gaming time was reasonably controlled and monitored. This reminds me of another story, where an adult male got too deeply involved into an MMO, and took his own life when his 'buddy' killed his character for his gold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Det. Bart Lasiter Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 It's the dad's fault, his son gets the system and plays it a lot.it's the kid's fault too for sucking so badly and i hope he never reproduces Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayden Kered Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 ^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rogue Nine Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 It's kind of pathetic, really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corinthian Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Humanity should never be allowed to leave Earth. Stupidity this bad is contagious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astor Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 I've been following this story for a while over on Game Politics - Gamer Missing Stories There's links to all the news that GP has on the case, including that Barrie P.D. have now called off the search after two weeks' exhaustive searching, as Achilles' post mentions. I think there's fault on both sides - but I do think the father is perhaps demonizing video games a little too much - they can't be the only reason why such behaviour has come about. It might be contributory factor, but I don't think that the evil 'vidja gamez' are fully responsible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayden Kered Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Well if the kid ran away from home, then there was probably more going on in the home other than "daddy took my Xbox". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimartin Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 I’d really like someone to explain why this child runaway epidemic has been around longer than video games if video games are the cause of this problem. The quoted material does not give enough information to make any kind of rational judgment, but if at the end Steve Crisp is correct that, “This had become his identity and I didn’t realize how in-depth this was until I took his Xbox way,” isn’t that a sign of a bigger issue. Couldn’t it have been just as easily drugs, alcohol, friends, sex, sports, music… that robbed his son of his identity? Would his son just as likely ran away if his father forbid him from seeing a friend or told him he could no longer be on the team if either had became his identity? I don’t see the problem being video games; I see the video games as a symptom of a larger issue. I’m not blaming the parent in this case, because I do not know the facts, but I do believe it would go a long way in helping with the problem if parents and family showed an interest in children’s lives before there was a problem. By listen to the music and playing the game with the child we would know if the content was inappropriate before the problem arose. That would be a little more intelligent than waiting till after little Johnny ran off from the farm and then blaming the big bad video game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salzella Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Oh dear, one isolated incident, containing a kid who's clearly a few sandwiches short of a picnic, and the hand-wringing, why-oh-why, video-games-are-to-blame-for-all-evil brigade are out in force >.< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Jones Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 I blame violins in media and games anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynk Former Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Back in the day, if you were a kid and you ran away from home, your parents would hunt you down and shoot you to teach you a lesson. The problem isn't videogames, the problem is that parents don't shoot their kids anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabretooth Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 They want him dead or alive? *packs gear* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astor Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 The problem is too many parents use Computers, TV and games consoles to act as surrogates - they're just too busy having their own lives to be concerned with something as unimportant as their child. And then, they wonder why the child acts out when their 'surrogate' is taken away from them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rogue15 Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 They want him dead or alive? *packs gear* lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Sitherino Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 I bet the kid had an amphetamine addiction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrrtoken Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 I bet the kid had an amphetamine addiction.Probably, but I'm guessing along the lines of acid. Who wouldn't want to be trippin' on KotOR? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Sitherino Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Nah, he's riding a bike. He's gotta be tweaking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrrtoken Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Nah, he's riding a bike. He's gotta be tweaking.Oh yes, that's right. They always do that. Those damned blue collar tweekers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Litofsky Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Stupid. Running away because your dad took your Xbox? *shakes head sadly* At any rate, I'm more annoyed that Microsoft is attempting to cover their own butts by offering an additional reward (at least, that how it comes off). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haroth Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 When I read this, all that came to mind was "Oh no, lets blame our shortcomings and inability to bond with my son on video games." I'm sure there was some other significant catalyst that caused him to run away. If he really is that upset about losing the Xbox, there's probably deeper issues than just CoD4 having an effect on him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Sitherino Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 At least they aren't offering his XBOX as the reward, I'd lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haroth Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 At least they aren't offering his XBOX as the reward, I'd lol. The irony. xD! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rev7 Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Kid needs to grow up. You don't always get what you want Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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