Gran Turismo-Killer Game

It's true that people sometimes end up dead because of video games. We've heard of students shooting in schools because of too much Counter Strike and we've heard of people trying to get in the shoes of the characters in Grand

Theft Auto, Manhunt or Carmaggedon. Today we bring you the story of an unusual mishap that led to the death of 79-year-old Phylis Williams and apparently happened because of Gran Turismo.

The old timer was run over by 19-year-old Christopher Hayden who, prior to the accident, had played Gran Turismo on an in-car LCD monitor. The jury ruled out the charge of "causing death by dangerous driving" but did find it plausible that playing the racing game right before the accident may have encouraged Hayden to step on the pedal a little more than he should have.

Then of course, The Times didn't hesitate in placing Sony's racing sim on the Killer-Game list which I personally find a little exaggerated. Why? There are plenty of racing games out there that make you feel like you own the streets, Need For Speed, or Grand Theft Auto, but Gran Turismo just doesn't fit in that category of racing games. It doesn't involve any car stealing, ramming, police chasing or any actions that are illegal in day to day life, it's just you, your fellow racers and the clock. Still, that doesn't mean it rules out what the court found plausible.

Having played the game right before getting behind the wheel might have left Hayden with the impression that he was still racing against the clock. Even though the 19-year-old didn't have any reason to go faster, his subconscious could have still been playing the game thus resulting in his speeding up the vehicle. The theory is more than plausible but Gran Turismo is just a killer title, not a killer-game.

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