
According to earlier reports, Brandon told his parents he would run away if his system was not returned and, in an effort to "call his bluff," his father helped the teen pack his belongings. Brandon's parents now fear that he has been "lured by gamers" through the Xbox Live gaming service, "It could be organized crime or someone involved in Internet gambling. Pedophiles can stalk kids through these games," Brandon's father told The Star.
While it's easy to argue how Xbox Live is being misrepresented in this situation the fact remains that Brandon, who purchased Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare -- an M Rated title intended for gamers 17 and above -- with his own Christmas money, is still missing and his family is completely distraught. We hope for his safe return home.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
10-24-2008 @ 9:23AM
offday said...
So his dad packed his own bag for him to run away, but now it's the Xbox's fault.
It'd be a nice change to see some parents say, "Ok we screwed as up parents." Instead of always blaming those horrible, horrible games.
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10-24-2008 @ 10:27AM
vahdyx said...
reminds me of a family guys episode, peter said the exact same thing. He said something like, "being good parents by controlling your kids so they aren't subjected to the shows they hate, instead of blaming the shows themselves"
That's not a quote word for word, but, yeah.
Anyway that photo looks so fake! They look like bad parents anyway, they look like they're faking! Look at his expression, and look at the mother! she looks like a crack addict!
10-24-2008 @ 11:38AM
ryan said...
"I'm running away from home I hate you!"
"Oh yeah, here's your bags, I packed em for ya last night! And another thing, meet Henry, he'll be your pedophile captor for the evening! I hope you two have a good life!" *door slams*
10-24-2008 @ 1:23PM
Doug said...
Xav, nice dropping meat like this into the piranha tank. Watch the water swirl...
Can't wait until you guys are parents... I know you'll all be wonderful, with the understanding you're showing here.
10-24-2008 @ 1:48PM
offday said...
Well I know for a fact that I won't hand my kid a packed bag, and laugh as he walks out the door. I also know that while playing video games non stop is never a good thing, I'll probably let my kid play video games over his freaking Thanksgiving break.
Based on those 2 things, I can already tell you that I'm going to be a better parent than these two. And also a better parent than you are/will be, because you obviously agree with this sort of parenting.
10-24-2008 @ 1:55PM
Doug said...
You're just too angry, offday... why are you?
10-24-2008 @ 2:03PM
ryan said...
I may be reading offday's comments wrong...but he doesn't come off (no pun intended) as angry to me. Should I be worried I'll be a bad parent too? *shrugs*
10-24-2008 @ 3:30PM
Xepherys said...
I have to agree with offday. I am a parent. I have a 13 y/o and a 2 y/o. My older son plays video games, with and without me. I don't allow him to do nothing but play, however I don't "limit" his playtime with any certainty. My youngest will be in the same boat. Also, the cliche pack the bags for your kid is just lame. Maybe the kid at 15 was smart enough to see what douchebags his parents are. Sure, 15 is young, but there are people out there to take him in and not play with his butthole.
10-24-2008 @ 3:48PM
Courtney said...
@Doug
I'm a parent of a teenager and I don't have the slightest problem with the comments above you. I don't think making snarky comments on a gaming blog really reflect how sensitive someone would be as a parent.
Really, I would suspect that gamer parents probably monitor the time and content of their kids gaming better than non-gaming parents.
10-24-2008 @ 9:28AM
Pudge said...
I don't feel bad for him at all. They made it too easy for the kid to go through with his plan. If the kid realizes how silly running away from home is while he's packing, he wont go.
I also like how the dad thinks that the mafia contacted his son through Xbox Live. I hope the kid comes to his senses, but the parents have no one to blame but themselves.
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10-24-2008 @ 9:31AM
private.burke said...
I wish their were government services out there that conducted investigations when children run away. Maybe Canada has them. These parents are blaming a community of voices for the dissaperence of their children when clearly the pushed their kid too hard in the wrong ways. If the father has the audacity to admit he packed for his kid he clearly doesn't understand the message he's sending his kid: "I don't care what you think. Your only going to listen to me. And I'll mock you instead of help you when your in need."
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10-24-2008 @ 9:34AM
offday said...
Look at his dad's face. You know he doesn't believe all that Xbox Live Organized crime crap. Man up, and admit you made a mistake and stop blaming something that had nothing to do with it. Go on tv and let your son know you messed up, and he'll probably come home. He's probably down the street at a friend's house watching this whole thing unfold.
10-25-2008 @ 4:11PM
Shawn Ryan said...
Yep...his folks made a bad parenting mistake and, guess what, they aren't the first and they won't be the last! A lot of folks make them but they don't have to suffer the consequences these people do. I guess iot is easy to judge when you have nothing invested and nothing to lose. His father didn't display "audacity"...his father displayed honesty and courage in admitting his failure. Last I saw, there wasn't a manual for raising a kid. I am shocked at how "gamers" are eager to blame the parents and don't express concern for Brandon or the family. I am curious, if the worst happens and he was abducted by a pedophile, will you "gamers" feel as brash? Care to, for a second, try and place yourself in Brandon's or the parents shoes? It should be easy...you have shown a certain adeptness at living in a fantasy world. Get out and get some REAL excercise....
10-27-2008 @ 12:21AM
padthelad said...
Hey Shawn Ryan, when was the last time you looked cuz a quick search of Amazon shows hundreds of parenting books for sale.
The "child" in question is only months away from being legal to marry have kids and work full time and these morons are treating him like a ten year old.
They dont have "courage" because they are using games and communication networks as a scape goat for their own mess of a family.
10-27-2008 @ 4:43PM
private.burke said...
This is a good opinion piece from the guys over at TechDirt. The following is a copy and paste from their site:
Teenagers have a long history of running away after getting into arguments with their family, but throw in the fact that the argument was over a video game and suddenly you've got a big press story in which the press can slam video games as being evil. As you may or may not be aware, there's a story up in Canada concerning 15-year-old Brandon Crisp who ran away from home after an argument with his parents concerning how much time he was spending playing video games. Rather than suggesting that it may have been the argument that drove him from home, his parents are blaming the evils of video gaming, with his father saying:
"I'm worried he has met someone online through this game. It could be organized crime or someone involved in Internet gambling. Pedophiles can stalk kids through these games."
His mother apparently believes that he was taken by another video game player. So the press is having a field day, with the Toronto Globe & Mail running an editorial slamming pretty much everything to do with video games as being secretly addictive, and even claiming that video games are worse than drug or alcohol addiction, because parents and teachers encourage kids to play video games.
The problem is more insidious in some ways than drugs or alcohol because society approves of the basic activity. Parents don't bring home a case of beer or a vial of cocaine for their children but they do buy the computers that their children use. Schools demand that students use computers for their homework assignments.
Perhaps it's not surprising, though it is depressing, in this day and age that a newspaper opinion writer seems to simply lump all computer use together and automatically assumes that "video game addiction" must be the cause of the problem here, when that's not at all confirmed in any way. To support the opinion piece, the Globe quotes the guy who's been pushing to get video game addiction declared an official addiction, not noting that, as the guy who popularized it, he would stand to have his practice benefit greatly from getting to treat all those so-called "addicts." And, more importantly, the Globe article, which mentions the guy's crusade, ignores the fact that he was shot down by the American Medical Association which noted there is "nothing to suggest" that video game addiction "is a complex physiological disease state."
But why let any of that get in the way of a good opinion piece?
10-24-2008 @ 9:39AM
Orionzdrm said...
Look I would run away if my Wife took my Call of Duty.
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10-24-2008 @ 9:42AM
Mark said...
It really gets me that they let him play COD4 in the first place. If the parents would pay attention and listen to some of the crap that people say and talk about over live the kid wouldn't be playing that game.
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10-24-2008 @ 9:43AM
Dev said...
As a parent, I feel 2 things for this family:
1. Sympathy - Loss of a child has to be the worst feeling ever...
2. No Sympathy - YOU should have watched your child more. YOU should have taken more of an interest in what your child is doing. YOU should have established boundaries and rules with your child. We all make bad decsions while growing up and it's YOUR job to help your child through them and teach them that their actions or poor choices have consequences. YOU failed your child and now he's paying the consequences.
These people give parents a bad name.
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10-24-2008 @ 10:19AM
Fafhrdd said...
Dev as a parent I COMPLETELY agree with you.
It's the parents job to watch, teach, and set rules for their children. If they allowed him a game rated M and allowed him to play 15 hours a day and then pack his bags... then what else do you think is going to happen?
10-24-2008 @ 9:43AM
Kizzle said...
Nice to see so far we have nothing but shitbags commenting. Way to have sympathy for people who just lost their fucking son - "oh, maybe gaming is at least a little bit to blame? fuck that! it's 100% the parents fault, all the time, every time!" Morons.
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