Games have been the scapegoat for parents and governments in regards to violence for almost as long as games have existed, but I think the craze has finally jumped the shark. An American man, speaking to the local news about his nine-year-old son bringing weapons into school,  has laid the blame squarely at the door of Minecraft, saying that his son played Mojang's opus 'every day, for at least an hour', and that the bringing of weapons to school - which included a handgun, bullets, a steak knife, and a small sledgehammer - was an attempt to act out scenes from the game.

While the boy does remain in serious legal trouble awaiting an official decision from the courts, his Father has decreed that both the games, and the gun (which thankfully had the firing pin stored separately, and was thus inoperable when it was taken to the school) will no longer be allowed in the house.

So a mixed case, at least the Father took some responsibility in accepting that having handguns around children probably isn't the best idea, but it's always painful to see a game blamed for a person's actions. Especially when it's a relatively non-violent and child friendly game like Minecraft, which doesn't feature any of the items that ended up in the boy's school bag...I mean, if he was punching trees and the ground I might understand, but guns??? Anyway, leave your own thoughts on this madness below.