Midnight GTAIV sales see stabbing, mugging

Police say one man apparently waiting in line attacked a passerby, while a teenager elsewhere was beaten up for his copy of the game.

Midnight launches aren't always the gaming industry's proudest moments. The PlayStation 3 release in particular was riddled with launch-related crimes, including a mugging, a store robbery, a launch line hold-up, and a shooting.

Grand Theft Auto IV went on sale in stores around the world at 12:01 a.m. this morning, and already reports of criminal midnight launch madness are starting to filter in. BBC News is reporting on a pair of incidents, with news of a stabbing outside a Gamestation in Croydon and a mugging by another game store in Lancashire.

According to the news service, a 23-year-old man was attacked by a knife-wielding assailant as he passed a line outside the Gamestation. The victim was treated for several stab wounds and has since been released. The attacker, who police said appeared to be waiting in the line of about 50 to 100 people, was not apprehended.

In the mugging, an 18-year-old was robbed of his copy of the game and beaten as he walked home from the store with a friend. The victim was taken to the hospital with a broken jaw and a broken nose.

Police are asking for witnesses in both cases to step forward.

1133 Comments

  • m30w_cP

    Posted Apr 2, 2009 2:07 pm PT

    geesh man thats messed up

  • JetBradley

    Posted May 18, 2008 2:50 pm PT

    Someone neglected to mention that the same hoodlums who play GTA games also play the Halo games. They most likely also play NFL and NBA video games too. The NBA's player and fan type both fall into the hoodlum category. Hell the NFL is full of hoodlums too.

  • ps3thabest

    Posted May 5, 2008 11:20 pm PT

    wonder why the whole line didnt jump the crooks shows how scary people are wait til mid night attack a little kid and there prolly 35 or 40 years old they should get security with sniper rifles over a mile away sniping crooks

  • King_Jeremy_77

    Posted May 4, 2008 10:45 pm PT

    That's messed up. All of this over a video game.

  • Shadow Weapon

    Posted May 4, 2008 5:53 pm PT

    Oh wow! Thats life though. Many people don't know this, but in the hood, or people with hood like minds steal nice things from people. I remember hearing this story of these 2 kids (13 and 14yrs old) purchased 2 xbox 360 from gamestop and as soon as they left the store, they got robbed. Its not uncommon guys. Anytime you got something nice and some thug notices this, they will rob you!

  • KriobaKeys

    Posted May 4, 2008 12:57 pm PT

    Pathetic!

  • CalibusTheCrab

    Posted May 4, 2008 7:04 am PT

    Geez, I dont remember resorting to stabbing a bypasser because the shop sold out the game.....

  • xtreme_chief

    Posted May 4, 2008 2:44 am PT

    You don't stab someone over a video game. Even if its GTA4. Cheap bastards.

  • tensespartan

    Posted May 3, 2008 10:03 am PT

    for a video game these waste cases should get a life a job

  • smoresvscoco

    Posted May 2, 2008 11:07 pm PT

    how sad

  • btstlouis

    Posted May 2, 2008 8:06 pm PT

    This is ironic.

  • mcuth

    Posted May 2, 2008 9:39 am PT

    Anyone else think that the game is a bit overrated? Maybe the reviews got my hopes too high, but so far it's not delivering the thrills that were promised.

  • DaSlyOne

    Posted May 2, 2008 9:16 am PT

    Um, who didn't see this coming? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that the "cockroaches" of society thrive in the dark. Personally, I wouldn't go to a midnight launch unless I was packing some heat. Since I can't do that, I'll just read about all those that rolled the dice and lost.

  • FatesMessenger

    Posted May 2, 2008 8:47 am PT

    Gamespot probably has an artical on it because it's relevant to GTA4 and games in general, cause you know, this is a site for games and all. I could be wrong though, the idea that gamespot might talk about video games is a pretty whacky concept, don't you agree prime?

  • HYPERROY

    Posted May 1, 2008 7:18 pm PT

    man this just 4 vieo game people need a life!!

  • joshua690

    Posted May 1, 2008 6:39 pm PT

    MonkishGamer, are you queer

  • optimusprime18

    Posted May 1, 2008 6:02 pm PT

    Gamespot.com you are making Jack Thompson proud.

  • optimusprime18

    Posted May 1, 2008 6:00 pm PT

    is this gamespot.com or FOX News? stop reporting this junk. by the way, during the same day how many people in the world were mugged for their cars? or robbed for their wallets? or had their houses broken into? this is headline grabbing sensationalist BS of the video game website variety.

  • lilhg

    Posted May 1, 2008 5:54 pm PT

    lolz damn its just a game

  • JetBradley

    Posted May 1, 2008 4:20 pm PT

    Bottom line, GTA and Rap noise pollution have something in common. They both attract a low-life element. Parents are hugely to blame, when they were younger they couldn't keep it in their pants and a child was the result. The parent's then shirked parenting responsibility and as a result the child grew up to be a low-life hoodlum stabbing and attacking people over a stupid video game. Footnote to the cops reading this, when stores have midnight sales you may want to post a few officers around.

  • EdwardoMario16

    Posted May 1, 2008 3:32 pm PT

    All of this over a VIDEO GAME that really isn't all that. Ridiculous.

    It's perhaps worth the money, but it's not worth the violence. Get a life you idiots and wait your turn. It's a freaking game.

  • blueraydude1

    Posted May 1, 2008 3:28 pm PT

    well this kinda sucks that people are getting attacked and stuff dident this happen when the iphone came out and yes grand theft auto is the biggest launch in the world so far bigger than the ps3 bigger than the iphone and harry potter.

  • ResidentEman

    Posted May 1, 2008 3:21 pm PT

    Yeah, this is ridiculous. I don't think this game promotes violence, but those people are screwed up.

  • killercuts3

    Posted May 1, 2008 3:10 pm PT

    Monkish, and girls are just 8008s and ass.

  • Gamerzone23

    Posted May 1, 2008 3:10 pm PT

    Oh, gezz. That is awful. That is why if I were out in the line I would have called a Taxi.

  • MonkishGamer

    Posted May 1, 2008 2:59 pm PT

    Once again, I personally just don't like the game, it's not my kind of game, I'd rather play Ratchet and Clank or Zelda any day. I think it's ridiculous some person sunk that low for a VIDEO GAME it's pixels and sound people. Anyway, it's sad and horrible that this happened. MonkishGamer out.

  • EdLazow

    Posted May 1, 2008 2:52 pm PT

    This is messed up. The people who did these crimes are pathetic losers. It's also really sad considering the fact that half the people in these lines could of just picked it up from other stores in the morning. I got mine from Walmart, which didn't have the "opening at midnight" deal, and there was tons of copies there. I'm not saying it's dumb or bad to wait in line, but it just sucks that these low life @$$holes have to ruin it for the rest of us.

  • Akatsuki398

    Posted May 1, 2008 2:51 pm PT

    Not only is Grand Theft Auto IV the most fastest selling game of all time,but the series is one of the most contreversial games.

  • Phaje

    Posted May 1, 2008 2:45 pm PT

    Doesn't Britain have a problem with stabbings? Still, that's pretty eff'd up.

  • Richmaester6907

    Posted May 1, 2008 2:22 pm PT

    1 word to describe the people who couldnt buy the game that did 2 of those attacks SADACTS!

  • FatesMessenger

    Posted May 1, 2008 2:20 pm PT

    Maybe they're right though, maybe we do need to ban violent video games because they make people murder other people and incite violence. What the hell lets go wild, lets outlaw religion, thousands upon thousands of people are murdered in the name of god and religion so we should ban religion too. Also hot dog, we should ban those too, along with bacon because it's not nice to pigs. We also need to ban the use of cotton swabs because some kid who lives on the moon rammed one too far into his ear and is suing the leader of the bee hive cult because the door knob gave too much head to the ceiling fan.

    That last one might sound absurd but when you stop and look at the direction society is headed it doesn't seem all that crazy.

  • zeecorner

    Posted May 1, 2008 2:20 pm PT

    haha those dudes got jacked up

  • nrCooldude

    Posted May 1, 2008 2:20 pm PT

    damn it! this is just bad publicity for games. now idiots like jack thompson are gonna take advantage of this and degrade the gaming industry. here's a message for you muggers - if you want the game for free, just download it. dont cause a ruckus for the whole industry

  • slyfox124

    Posted May 1, 2008 2:14 pm PT

    I have a feeling that Cola was joking.

    So, jsurfer, you have really made yourself look stupid.

  • SephirothSyZtem

    Posted May 1, 2008 2:13 pm PT

    its not the game that makes people do this, its the want for the game.

    The stabbing case though...That guy was just messed up. Why the hell would you stab a passerby? was he robbed?

  • okassar

    Posted May 1, 2008 2:07 pm PT

    LMAO,I'm not surprised.It's so funny that the game deemed most "bad" and is said to have caused murders(which i doubt though) gets people hurt on launch.I bet the guy that stabbed people did that just to be a funny in an evil way and make it seem like a coincidence.I really doubt there was a good reason behind stabbing random people.The kid who was beat up,ya,THAT was for the game,and i find it hilarious lol,u gotta know self defense.jk,but that is ironic,stabbing and shooting over GTAIV.

  • jsurfer200

    Posted May 1, 2008 2:05 pm PT

    CokaColaKid, you rock! That truly is the problem in America. This game just proves it.

  • shalashaska994

    Posted May 1, 2008 2:02 pm PT

    It's funny waht people will do just to play some video game...

  • E3BigC

    Posted May 1, 2008 1:58 pm PT

    Stuff like this happens on Black Friday all the time and it is usually for things that aren't video games. It's a testament to the stupidity of some people, not the effect these things have on us.

  • Nawras

    Posted May 1, 2008 1:57 pm PT

    At least in the context of the game such crimes make sense. How's that for ill-mannered dark humor?

    I think high-profile games should hit the shelves "by surprise". You walk in the store and go like, OMG is this GTA IV?!?!

  • MetalMan300

    Posted May 1, 2008 1:55 pm PT

    People stoop to pretty low levels just to play crap like this...
    Sad. Just pitiful.

  • FatesMessenger

    Posted May 1, 2008 1:52 pm PT

    This can pretty much be summed up by saying video games are an easy target to use to shift blame from the neglect of parents and to blame the acts of stupid people on, has been for years. I don't recall who it was at rockstar who said it but they were quoted saying "If grand theft auto was a movie or TV series, we wouldn't be having this conversation." Hammer. meet head of nail.

  • Chernnunos

    Posted May 1, 2008 1:50 pm PT

    For the most part, its democratic candidates like Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton (and a small handful of liberal republicans) who want the gaming industry more regulated...and yet, I bet alot of you guys angry about the censorship issue will vote for them like blind sheep.

  • Shub-Niggurath

    Posted May 1, 2008 1:44 pm PT

    I think these acts of violence are not really related to GTA. We already know the stabbing wasn't. I think the violent in society gravitate to things like GTA and other portions of the entertainment industry they can use as an excuse. This way they can play the "I was a sweet, innocent person and then this [insert name of band, video game, movie, tv show etc.] warped my fragile little mind." It just gives them an excuse to do what they're doing already and then the narrow minded numbskulls in our society point the finger at video games and music and movies and totally forget that someone did something wrong just. Face it, idiots are going to use any kind of controversy to bolster their own self-righteous BS.

  • FatesMessenger

    Posted May 1, 2008 1:43 pm PT

    Why should government tell game developers what they can and can't put in a video game? Video games are a form of entertainment, the government doesn't regulate what can be put in movies, or whats on TV. And do not mention censorship in movies and TV as a rebuttle, censorship of entertainment media and banning entertainment media are two different things, of which some people in the government want to do the latter.

  • coochie_kuta

    Posted May 1, 2008 1:38 pm PT

    i think its sad folks are willing to sit outside stores at odd hours for these things and (case in point) dangerous. btw, the content of the game has nothing to do with these incidents for those of you suggesting that. its plain ridiculous. moms have fought each other over elmo dolls in the past, does that suggest elmo promotes violence? obviously not.

  • rwm8558

    Posted May 1, 2008 1:35 pm PT

    For the people who have not heard this is what really happend: http://www.gamesradar.com/xbox360/grand-theft-auto-iv/news/gta-stabbing-nothing-to-do-with-gta/a-20080430102550859040/g-2006051014323586065

  • simardbrad

    Posted May 1, 2008 1:35 pm PT

    I don't think the actual game causes people to be more violent... because I know it doesn't affect me whatsoever. If it does effect people they should not be allowed to buy these games then. Don't you notice this bs about video games making people violent is only in the states?

  • Vuud

    Posted May 1, 2008 1:30 pm PT

    Are we done scaring old people yet?

  • GHOSTRyDr

    Posted May 1, 2008 1:29 pm PT

    Dumbasses. This is why the government is trying to regulate what can go into games and what can't. Also, CokaColaKid, you are an idiot.

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