In the most ridiculous case of gamer rage, a 27-year-old man from Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, has been charged with sending death threats to Nintendo.
Court statements reveal that the threats were driven by his frustration over losing Nintendo games, though reports have not mentioned which specific games he was referring to.
A person wearing a face mask walks past a screen displaying characters of the Nintendo game "Splatoon" at a store for Japanese games giant Nintendo in Tokyo on February 3, 2022.Photo by BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP via Getty Images
Frustrated Gamer Sent Multiple Threatening Messages to Nintendo
Nintendo Life (via news.yahoo.co.jp) reports that the accused, Takemi Kazama, admitted to sending a series of 39 threatening messages to Nintendo through the company's official website.
These messages, sent between April 22nd and November 29th, 2023, included alarming threats such as, "I'll make you regret bringing such a s***ty game into this world," and "I will kill everyone involved. Be careful about events with spectators."
Japanese media reported that Kazama's actions have disrupted Nintendo's operations and led to significant financial damages.
The Splatoon 3 Koshien 2023 National Finals, originally scheduled for December 2023, and the first Nintendo Live of 2024 were directly affected.
Nintendo Life reported that the events, which included the world championships for both Splatoon 3 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, had to be rescheduled as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of employees and spectators. Despite the disruption, the rescheduled events safely took place in April.
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Speculations on the rumored Switch 2 might finally end after Nintendo's President confirmed that its successor will debut before the end of March 2025.
During court proceedings, Kazama confessed to the charges, explaining that his actions were fueled by the stress and frustration of losing in games.
In a translated statement, he said, "I was stressed out from playing games. When I kept losing, I became increasingly frustrated."
Prosecutors, however, emphasized the seriousness of his actions, noting that the total damage caused by the threats was estimated to be around 700 million yen (approximately $44 million).
They argued that "there is no extenuating room for childish motives" and recommended a one-year prison sentence for Kazama.
The verdict in this case is scheduled to be handed down on July 24th, 2024.
A 2023 dissertation by the American Psychological Association tells us that gamer rage could be defined as a psychological phenomenon where video game players experience "behavioral, emotional, and cognitive loss of control."
In April, two video gamers in Arizona were arrested on domestic violence charges of assault threatening, and disorderly conduct. One of the suspects reportedly caused $3,000 in damages.
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