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See the original image at kotaku.com —

Xbox developer killed in murder-suicide

kotaku.com — Melissa Batten, 36, a software development engineer in Microsoft's Xbox division, was murdered by her estranged husband, who then shot himself to death, earlier this week.

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  • vagrantwade, on 08/03/2008, -7/+143Here is the direct link to her at 08 E3.
    http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x671n0_banjokazoo ...

    Very tragic
    • CrazedLeper, on 08/04/2008, -88/+9Agreed. She should have worked for Sony. The PS3 is far superior.
      • TheTaoOfBill, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2Dude... Come on...

        Digg has a huge software developer community and I have no doubt many of her co workers could be on this site reading your comments. Would you really say this to the face of her co-workers? Her friends? Be more respectful to the people who were left behind.
      • CrazedLeper, on 08/05/2008, -2/+1@TheTaoOfBill:

        "Digg has a huge software developer community and I have no doubt many of her co workers could be on this site reading your comments."

        No reason I would know that but you gotta admit, the PS3 is pretty cool...
    • Managua8Green, on 08/04/2008, -79/+8haha, i agree with CrazedLeper, but on a more serious note, she is pretty hot.....
      • TheFinestShadow, on 08/04/2008, -4/+33Sadly enough, I was expecting people to make a joke out of this. Burn in hell. Sympathies towards her and the family.
      • reastydirtstar, on 08/05/2008, -7/+2I agree. I'd split her in half like a piece of lumber.
      • mikeyeah, on 08/05/2008, -2/+3It's very easy to tell which people on digg aren't out of their teens yet. On Xbox Live, it's more apparent, you just have to listen for curses being spouted out by what sounds like a racist Mickey Mouse. On digg, you just have to look for ridiculously unfunny, cold comments like the one above posted by Mangay8green.

        A very, very tragic situation. My condolences go out to her family during this difficult time.
      • Managua8Green, on 08/05/2008, -1/+2hahahahaha ha
    • pHreaksYcle, on 08/04/2008, -41/+6I hate team killers!
      • japanesepagoda, on 08/05/2008, -1/+5***** you, say something that is relevant to the tone of the topic.
      • pHreaksYcle, on 08/05/2008, -1/+1***** YOU! Two of my friends died saying something that was relevant to the tone of the topic!
    • OstrakonX, on 08/04/2008, -14/+10Hmmm. Her husband was a developer for WotC, working on the D&D Insider.

      If you look at WotC's track record with anything to do with software, it's pretty clear what drove him crazy.
      • ZeeZee2k, on 08/05/2008, -1/+10You sir, are truly a nerd.
      • Psi57, on 08/05/2008, -3/+6She should've gotten Defensive Roll and worked on boosting her reflex save.
    • valleyman86, on 08/04/2008, -11/+1That game looks kinda fun though. It is very sad though. Women need to stop going for the pricks...
    • JettaMan, on 08/04/2008, -1/+17Those "protection orders" are ridiculous. Seems like a bureaucratic "solution". Hey, she had a protection order against him, which apparently has about the same strength as a magic level 20 shield of protection. Why bother with protection orders? If someone is going to kill someone else it's going to happen unless we learn to read everyones' minds. The protection order gave her a false sense of security. It would be better to have *real* security i.e. she should have bolted her doors and had a gun on hand.
      • johnsonjoeb, on 08/04/2008, -4/+18...or better yet, maybe we should stop letting proven mentally unbalanced psychos buy guns...just a thought.
      • FireStrife, on 08/05/2008, -2/+10Yea because its so easy to tell what a mentally unbalanced psycho looks like, or would that be profiling. hmm.
      • DangerMouse9, on 08/05/2008, -19/+2@firestrife

        Here's a few hints for you on how to tell if someone is mentally unstable:

        they're emo
        they cos-play
        they are a larper
        they're a digg user
      • Atomic1fire, on 08/05/2008, -0/+14@dangermouse
        No gun for you
      • JettaMan, on 08/05/2008, -11/+1@DangerMouse: Couldn't agree with you more.
      • johnsonjoeb, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1i said PROVEN firestrife. apparently the guy had a history. this wasn't out of the blue. he'd threatened her before. hardly profiling...
    • DCMacHead, on 08/05/2008, -0/+6Rest in Peace, Melissa Batten
    • reastydirtstar, on 08/05/2008, -7/+3"Earlier, as a lawyer, she had been a public defender for the Mecklenburg County (Charlotte, N.C.) Public Defender's Office."

      Hmmm, i wonder what her defense strategy would be for her estranged husband in this case if it gets to trial in the afterlife.
      • reastydirtstar, on 08/05/2008, -3/+3What a great comment, reastydirtstar. Your comedic talent knows no limits.
    • Soragon, on 08/05/2008, -0/+7Just wait until the mainstream media knows about this.

      "Video game violence causes the death of a game maker."
  • Ozeki, on 08/03/2008, -73/+27What a horrible way to die... she even knew her husband had bought a gun... just shows how restraining orders are useless and how easy it is for anybody to get a gun in the US.

    The police should track down the origin of the gun (which I assume was legally bought from a shop) and do something...
    • WhereAmI, on 08/04/2008, -17/+154Obviously its gun control laws fault because if he never got a hold of a gun he would never have killed her. Never with a knife, screwdriver, car "accident", magic trick with a pencil, etc. He would have never killed her if he couldn't get a gun.
      • kevdotbadger, on 08/04/2008, -23/+7I'll take the liberty to add the sarcasm tag.

        [/sarcasm]
      • Kershalt, on 08/04/2008, -53/+15uhm last i checked a Gun is alot easier and quicker to kill with then any other weapon. yes he could have killed her in many ways the fact you listed a couple is kind of morbid but in the end it shows you that maybe a psych evalution should be a required step in the purchase of a weapon? or maybe i dont know a system where people who have restraining orders against another have there guns temporarily taken away until they can pass a psych evaluations?
      • N0153T4NK, on 08/04/2008, -4/+48Dugg for my favorite magic trick.
      • norman619, on 08/04/2008, -3/+36Kershalt:

        My god your naivete is amazing. Let me remind you of a very important fact. Anyone can buy a gun on the street. I can buy guns which are currently baned w/o an issue. The gun is not committing the crime it's the crazy mofo wielding it. Gun control is a joke. You really think criminals buy guns legally? If you want a gun bad enough you will find someone to sell you one.
      • meatmcguffin, on 08/04/2008, -24/+9@WhereAm

        "Never with a knife, screwdriver, car "accident", magic trick with a pencil, etc."

        The difference here is that you can use the others for cutting meat, building furniture, driving and drawing. Please explain what secondary use a gun has aside from killing.
      • Apophis574, on 08/04/2008, -7/+6@ kershalt

        Totally missed the point.
      • masterkenobi, on 08/04/2008, -9/+5It's not a trick. It's an illusion. Tricks are something whores do for money....or candy.
      • ekdevdas, on 08/04/2008, -25/+2actually, kershalt is right.
      • ptsuk, on 08/04/2008, -5/+3meatmcguffinmeatmcguffin

        duh everyone knows you can use guns as nut crackers!
      • DaDrake, on 08/04/2008, -1/+14And how many have died in DC as a result of gun control? How many wives have had restraining orders filed, only to find out they are nothing but pieces of paper.
      • Niallgriff, on 08/05/2008, -1/+13
        "The difference here is that you can use the others for cutting meat, building furniture, driving and drawing. Please explain what secondary use a gun has aside from killing."

        Catching said meat?
      • meatmcguffin, on 08/05/2008, -8/+2@Niallgriff

        Rifles and similar I can understand but handguns?
      • thePTS, on 08/05/2008, -15/+6americans and your guns..
        some people go to firing ranges just for the feeling of power.. it's not comparable to a screwdriver or a knife.
        for people that get off on power (psychopaths/sociopaths, antisocial, sadistic personalities; ie. those who for the most part commit murders), the personal power offered by a gun is more or less perfect, and offers food for power fantasies and narcisstic rage ("The guy who flirted with my girlfriend; I wanna make him wet himself by threatening him with my gun", etc).

        Btw, I know I'm right.
      • Atomic1fire, on 08/05/2008, -1/+3except in the case of revenge...
        She divorces him and he doesn't want her to leave that easily
        offs her and then offs himself
        he could have just as easily throat slit then overdose himself on her medicine cabinet or just slit his arms... or just set the house ablaze and run...
        point is that if he really wanted to kill her it would not matter had he had a gun or a knife
      • freebird09, on 08/05/2008, -2/+4@meatmcguffin

        Defense? Sport? Hunting?
      • WhereAmI, on 08/05/2008, -1/+2@norman619
        I have alot of guns and I use them for hunting. My Grandma also has a hand gun that she uses for defense when she's home alone. She has had it for 30 years and it has never been used to kill anyone.
      • norman619, on 08/05/2008, -1/+2WhereAmI:

        You obviously failed reading comprehension based on your reply to me. I was addressing the fantasy of gun control when it comes to would be criminals obtaining them. Gun control only disarms law abiding citizens not the criminals and/or would be criminals. What was your point anyway? I'm assuming you have one somewhere in there but I don't see it.
      • sabach, on 08/05/2008, -0/+5"Please explain what secondary use a gun has aside from killing." Hunting, target shooting, collecting, self defense, wounding and, my favorite, pistol whipping.
      • deadmann, on 08/05/2008, -0/+3Not to mention guns are not some black art known only to weapons manufacturers. Anyone with some shop equipment can build a projectile weapon.
    • ryan83189, on 08/04/2008, -4/+53Do what exactly? He sold a gun to a man that probably had a squeaky clean record. It would not have been unlike the thousands of other transactions he made with good people if the guy did not later use it to kill someone and himself. Like the guy above me says, a gun is just a tool of murder, not a cause.
    • czeman, on 08/04/2008, -5/+19Do what exactly? Create more gun control laws? Yeah, that's what we need.
    • JettaMan, on 08/04/2008, -4/+8You're one of these "the gun killed her" type of people. Believe me, he could have done the same thing with a big knife.
      • natastna2, on 08/05/2008, -11/+5But he didn't did he, he did it with a gun because he could get one easily and it's a hell of a lot less personal than gutting someone. I'll never wrap my head around the American logic that says "If everyone has a gun, no one will get shot". The stupidity astounds me.
      • saisumimen, on 08/05/2008, -1/+11In the part of California where my family lives, they have ridiculous gun control laws (due to the gangs). On top of that, they have a very aggressive police dept. that actively looks for guns and a DA that makes examples out of trigger men.

        The result? Yes, a reduction in gun violence, but knife murders are up something like 400%, overall knife assaults are up something ridiculous like 700%. Great job.
      • reastydirtstar, on 08/05/2008, -3/+6@natastna

        I'll never wrap my head around the hippie logic thats says "Stripping our second amendment rights will make guns and gun violence magically disappear"

        Go back to your drum circle
      • shiva14b, on 08/05/2008, -0/+3Shoot you can get the job done with a spoon if you really want to...
      • BearinG, on 08/06/2008, -0/+2Guns aren't as easy to come by in Canada.. yet some guy was stabbed and beheaded inside a bus full of people 1-2 weeks ago..

        like shiva14b said.. someone could use a spoon if they really wanted..
    • leighlee, on 08/05/2008, -1/+3I love it that everyone jumps to gun control being the major issue. Maybe, (just maybe), it isn't gun control, but the concept of a restraining order that is wrong. It would be nice for wives to be able to get something better than a piece of legal documentation to protect them from crazy husbands... just a thought.
      • TheTaoOfBill, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2What exactly do you have in mind? Body guards?
      • AnonyMohawk, on 08/05/2008, -0/+0@leighlee

        They Should Be Given... A GUN!
  • apena89, on 08/03/2008, -22/+5some people in this world are sick. It's too bad you can never always prevent these sort of tragedies.

    http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-08/01/conte ...
    • Kershalt, on 08/04/2008, -17/+4you can prevent more of them, first if you own a gun shop perhaps asking questions like what are your intended uses for this weapon? and perhaps not selling it to those who seem a little unstable or unhappy atm. perhaps by not associateing with the psychos to begin with or maybe if when a restraining order is filed against someone a system of checking if they own weapons and requireing certain precautions against the use of said weapon against the one with the restraining order?
      • JettaMan, on 08/04/2008, -1/+16Uh-huh.

        "What are you intending to do with this weapon?"
        "Murder my ex-wife."
    • apena89, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2i feel many diggers are retarted. my comment was in no way irrelevant or insulting yet i get buried.
      makes me think some people just digg when has a positive number of diggs, or buries when it is negative, and not even pay attention to what my comment reads.
      • JustinHopewell, on 08/06/2008, -0/+2That has something to do with it, but when I saw the picture on the link, my first thought was "car wreck", then "unrelated" until I took a second to read the headline. Maybe a few of them jumped to conclusions. Once the negatives start, they keep rolling.

        I would also suggest doing a spell check and using capitalization before you post, as Digg tends to be harsh on that.

        Don't worry about getting buried. Always say what's on your mind, regardless of what us jokers think.
      • apena89, on 08/06/2008, -0/+1Thanks chap!
        :D
  • VdgX, on 08/03/2008, -19/+129This is very sad. But I must point out, the phrase, "then shot himself to death" seems.... weird.
    • kevdotbadger, on 08/04/2008, -1/+13I hate that phrase as well.
    • schroeder, on 08/04/2008, -9/+53Could have been a flesh wound.
      • PabloMac, on 08/04/2008, -13/+49That's not funny. Two of my friends got better after receiving flesh wounds.
      • somestranger26, on 08/05/2008, -2/+1Perfect execution, PabloMac, bravo.
    • gobbstopp, on 08/04/2008, -3/+49"turned the gun on himself and pulled the trigger, resulting in fatality" is a bit long winded
      • cathpah, on 08/04/2008, -2/+27there was a kid in the town i grew up who drunkenly shot a girl by accident while showing off his gun collection. Then, he tried to kill himself by shooting himself in the head....but it wasn't fatal. Truly shot his face off, without dying.

        so yes, one can shoot themselves to death, or to disfigurement.
      • Neoanarchist, on 08/04/2008, -1/+8***** a that's a ***** up story cathpah...
      • jonnyeh, on 08/05/2008, -10/+3Here's what he ended up looking like: http://www.grizzledcomics.com/justin/arseface.jpg
      • ryansimbalist, on 08/05/2008, -0/+14Why did I click the link? WHY!!!
      • tim04, on 08/05/2008, -0/+4thanks for the warning ryansimbalist
      • Optiks, on 08/05/2008, -1/+2Yeah. I ain't clicking on that tonight, I'm heading to bed and I'm already gonna have this topic swimming in my consciousness.

        Maybe tomorrow. Maybe.
    • vawksel, on 08/04/2008, -2/+13Pulled the trigger over and over until his heart stopped beating?
      • LemonChicken, on 08/05/2008, -1/+1Haven't you seen Point Break?
      • vawksel, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1I have not see Point Break. Please fill me in.
    • crashingechelon, on 08/04/2008, -1/+6It makes me think of Space Balls when the news caster said "pizza the hut got locked in his limo today, in which then he ate himself to death"

      It's something like that don't quote me.
      • DangerMouse9, on 08/05/2008, -10/+4If you're not sure what the quote is and don't want us to quote you, why'd you put it in quotes? You could've easily looked it up. A three second google search led me to this:

        "Newsman: On a sadder note, Pizza the Hut was found dead earlier today in the back seat of his stretched limo. Evidently, the notorious gangster became locked in his car and ate himself to death."

        Don't be so lazy next time.
      • MeatPlow, on 08/05/2008, -3/+4Did the quote actually include the word Newsman? You have it in quotes. When talking trash about other people's mistakes in quoting, make damn sure that your quote is correct.
      • DangerMouse9, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2@Meatplow

        When quoting the script, yes it does.
      • crashingechelon, on 08/06/2008, -0/+1@dangermouse

        Plus I don't think it really matters, people on here have the memory to remember said scenes from a movie and enjoy it even though it's butchered. Besides I got the quote wrong and you got it correct, yet mine has more digg's than yours.
      • DangerMouse9, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0@crashingechelon

        So are you using positive diggs to stroke your self-esteem? Are you really that big of a loser? If you get negative diggs do you waddle crying to your mommy and daddy?

        I find it beyond hilarious how the majority of diggers think their amount of diggs (or lack thereof) has any bearing on anything.

        Digg User1: I got 8 diggs so my e-penis is now larger.
        Digg User2: O RLY?! I just dugg you down, now your e-penis is smaller.
        Digg User1: Well I made a bunch of fake accounts and dugg it back up, it's now 8 miles long.
        Digg User3: Put down the tape measure boys, I have 500 diggs so there's no contest.
    • ngageguy, on 08/04/2008, -2/+6Remember the ending of the movie fight club? shot himself in the face, didn't die.
      • DangerMouse9, on 08/05/2008, -9/+2I shot your mom in the face. Money shot that is.
      • lgh0s7l, on 08/05/2008, -4/+2fight club is the best movie ever.
      • sepheris, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1I think the keyword there is "movie," I'm not saying it isn't possible, just that you shouldn't believe something just because its in a movie.
    • nar3024, on 08/05/2008, -2/+12Kind of reminds me of when crashingechelon said

      "It makes me think of Space Balls when the news caster said "pizza the hut got locked in his limo today, in which then he ate himself to death"

      It's something like that don't quote me."
    • donttaseme, on 08/05/2008, -9/+1***** you! That's not funny! My friend in high school had a neighbor that did a murder suicide. We prayed for her during morning (private school) prayer because it was across the street from her. The killer killed the wife, suffocated his baby girl, and shot the six year old boy. Then he shot himself in the mouth. The kid survived by playing dead while the killer shot the wife and himself. The kid walked across the street for help from someone he knew, leaving a bloody trail in the road and crawling part of the way. It was all on the news here for a day. The grandma(mother of the mother) was on vacation out of country, thankfully, otherwise she would have been killed, too. I almost asked for a prayer for one of my uncle's best friends since high school to R.I.P. but I got all choked up and people thought my eyes were tearing up because of the prayer for the murder suicide prayer of previous. And I was, but they didn't know the half of it. Rumor is that he thought the wife was cheating on him and might leave him.

      R.I.P. to both the victims FTA.
      • lostformat1125, on 08/05/2008, -1/+1***** Me?....Fux You!
      • Kardall, on 08/05/2008, -0/+3I'm drawing a blank on what to say. But since no one else is here to cut my fingers off...

        With a name like donttaseme, i'm assuming that you poke fun at the video of the kid getting taser'd by law enforcement officers etc. all over the web. A lot of people laughed. But i'm willing to bet that no one said, "**** YOU! That's not funny! My friend in high school had a neighbor that got tased in a library. We prayed for him during morning (private school) prayer because it was across the street from her. The officers tased the boy, causing him to kick uncontrollably and knock over chairs. The other students survived the ordeal by laughing under their breath and staying far away from the situation." Blah blah blah, i'm tired of re-writing your comment to prove a point.

        My point is, that you may know someone that was killed in some fashion. Just because it is commented on the interwebs doesn't mean that they're poking fun at YOUR experience, like I just did because I am an ass.

        The world is going to hell in a hand-basket. The internet has allowed the world to instantly pass judgment on anyone in the world, and your comments aren't helping any. Please refrain from Intolerance. Allow people to speak their minds. Continue posting yourself, I love reading peoples inane comments. (notice how i'm now JUDGING YOU!!!) mUHAhahaHAhahahah .... *goes to read ctrl-alt-del*
    • bonk2k, on 08/05/2008, -1/+5It makes it seem like he shot himself a bunch of times, and that a single gunshot is unlikely to kill someone.
    • tyree731, on 08/05/2008, -3/+3South Park begs to differ that shooting oneself to death is easy.
    • toothcake, on 08/05/2008, -2/+2I don't understand how any of this is funny.
  • ChristBehemoth, on 08/03/2008, -18/+327RIP Melissa
    • dreicher, on 08/04/2008, -29/+203 people dugg you down? WTF?
      • WELLDOITLIVE, on 08/04/2008, -5/+34They did it so you would comment, mission accomplished.
      • Joet1980, on 08/04/2008, -6/+13its true, i did
      • oneoverzero, on 08/05/2008, -1/+10Now 8 did it so they would feel like they're part of something
      • SweatyGooch, on 08/05/2008, -8/+1it's true, i did
    • DangerMouse9, on 08/05/2008, -20/+6They wrapped her up in a big white sheet,
      And are going to bury her down about six feet deep

      They'll put her in a big black box,
      And cover her up with dirt and rocks,
      And all will go well, for about a week,
      And then her coffin will begin to leak!

      The worms'll crawl in, the worms'll crawl out,
      The worms'll play pinochle on her snout.
      They'll eat her eyes, they'll eat her nose,
      They'll eat the jelly between her toes.

      A great big worm with rolling eyes,
      Will crawl in her stomach and out her eyes,
      Her stomach will turn a slimy green,
      And pus will pour out like whipping cream.

      It'll be spread on a slice of bread,
      And that's what the worms will eat now that she's dead.

    • caseycoold, on 08/05/2008, -2/+1May you respawn in a happier place.
  • dha07030, on 08/03/2008, -35/+25Murder suicides are so tragic. It just boggles the mind. What goes through a persons head?


    P.S.
    And don't reply with bullets. Go back to 4chan.
    • apena89, on 08/04/2008, -4/+10i don't understand how people who comment about how tragic this is, gets buried.
      • Kershalt, on 08/04/2008, -7/+18because there was no need for the PS it is in poor taste and was just a way to say a mrobid joke without waiting for someone to say the first line.... btw i buried it as well.
      • dha07030, on 08/04/2008, -5/+7@ Kershalt

        Sorry you see it that way.
      • DangerMouse9, on 08/05/2008, -11/+1@dha07030

        This chick doesn't see it any way...




        because she's dead.
    • ninovb, on 08/05/2008, -0/+3It might be tragic but the media F****D up the story...
  • InuX, on 08/03/2008, -12/+153My condolences to her family and friends.
    • aphexcoil, on 08/04/2008, -1/+18My condolences to his family, too -- let's not blame them for this. I'm sure they'll have a lot of reconciliation ahead.
      • brettmurf, on 08/05/2008, -0/+7Well his family is kind of her family as well. So I guess InuX had his bases covered.
    • Sucka27, on 08/05/2008, -1/+5You know, this IS very tragic but I'm surprised at the comments here. I just read a comment thread full of "he didn't have his head on straight" jokes when the Greyhound beheading story was posted a few days ago.

      This murder suicide happened about 100 yards down from my office and no one really batted an eyelash here, even at the company she worked for. Seriously, this kind of crap happens all the time. It sucks for her and her family but why is this any more important than anyone else?

      It amazes me how one person's death can be inspiration for jokes and another a few days later is a travesty. I know these aren't all the same people commenting but it shows the impact the media has on people.
  • AwesomeInTheory, on 08/03/2008, -12/+60Horrible to hear.

    What're the chances on this being picked up as an example of video games = violence as the only mainstream media attention on this? :(
    • TyrannousDotNet, on 08/04/2008, -2/+8very slim since she was associated with banjo kazooie, i would hope...
      • jstearns, on 08/05/2008, -1/+0Next they'll try to get an M rating on Crash Bandicoot..
    • norman619, on 08/04/2008, -0/+9Well the seeds were already planted by saying she was an XBOX developer. I fail to see what her occupation had to do with her mentally unstable husband.
      • itseffinkasey, on 08/04/2008, -9/+2Because we are all geeks and we will find her much more attractive if she develops video games. Not trying to sound like a dick or anything.
    • AriaStar, on 08/05/2008, -1/+3Cue Jack Thompson.
  • Falldog, on 08/03/2008, -64/+52Since someone has to say it I might as well. There are murder suicides every week across the country. Because this one is an Xbox developer it gets Kotaku & Digg's sympathy? Enough with the empty condolences and prayers. Instead put your time toward helping people before someone finds themselves in this situation in the first place.
    • apena89, on 08/04/2008, -6/+37it's not that there is more sympathy, its that it hits closer to home for most of us. sorry, i don't and neither have most diggers, had a murder-suicide right next door.
    • Kinsbane, on 08/04/2008, -5/+21There are murder-suicides across the country, but this is one brought to my attention, so it gets my sympathy. When someone gets a restraining order in fear of their life, and it doesn't help, it's ***** up. Also, please give me your invention for predicting murder-suicides, I'd like to make lots of money. You obviously don't deserve it.
    • Bamont, on 08/04/2008, -3/+12I met her last year at GDC. As Apena pointed out - this one does hit close to home. From what I recall of our brief conversation (and I still have her card) - she was a very nice individual.

      My condolences to her family.
    • bryxal, on 08/04/2008, -4/+4Kinsbane wtf are you talking about inventing murder suicide predicting machines? What he does mean is there are ppl who need consolations in shelters in support groups all across the world and he believes it is hypocritical of us to stand here and type sympathies but not to take action.
    • schlef, on 08/05/2008, -1/+3So don't cover any? I'm confused at what you want.
  • Elliottx, on 08/03/2008, -99/+49Don't worry, she'll respawn in 20 seconds...




    I know...I'm a terrible excuse of a blah blah blah...
  • SomeOneBig, on 08/04/2008, -71/+26I don't get it, about 150,000 people die every day, why is she so special?
    • Skooma714, on 08/04/2008, -26/+7She develops on the ecks bawks
    • Palaceguard, on 08/04/2008, -9/+3Why is everything on digg special?
    • freebird09, on 08/05/2008, -0/+7"The death of thousands is statistic. The death of one is tragic."

      It might've been the other way around but you get the point.
      • Eldoucho, on 08/05/2008, -0/+4J.Stalin
      • freebird09, on 08/05/2008, -1/+1I'm pretty sure it was some Roman general as I learned it playing Rome: Total War but maybe
  • RyogaVee, on 08/04/2008, -72/+30Did she drop any good loot?
  • IH8PS3, on 08/04/2008, -171/+2Who cares!!!! it shood b calld ***** not suicedd
    • DarkerMaster, on 08/04/2008, -6/+86Are you ***** retarded?
      • IH8PS3, on 08/05/2008, -0/+0maybe? aare u normall? i donot thinks so!

    • staffell, on 08/04/2008, -0/+31wtf
    • leahpee, on 08/05/2008, -1/+13Your mother must've been on all types of crack. All 7 of them.
    • DarkDx, on 08/05/2008, -0/+8Choo choo youtuber
    • patch6, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1I'm betting that's a joke response, since someone with that weak a grasp of the language probably wouldn't even know how to turn a computer on.
      • IH8PS3, on 08/05/2008, -0/+0i do so have my computer on!

        its ibm and it sicxk as!! bet it betta then urs!! GRRR!!
    • Sparksnorthern, on 08/05/2008, -0/+7It's funny to check this guys' profile to see that every comment he has posted has been buried.
    • IH8PS3, on 08/05/2008, -1/+0its funny to chek ur mums ***** and see that its been buried HAHAHAHA
  • Skooma714, on 08/04/2008, -55/+15Nice choice of a husband there gg
  • ryan83189, on 08/04/2008, -34/+14Murder suicides need to happen in the opposite order. It's an absolute display of pettiness,narcissism and cowardly behavior.
    • WhereAmI, on 08/04/2008, -2/+16Even though it may not make sense a Suicide/Murder would still have both a suicide and a murder...otherwise its just a suicide.
    • Kershalt, on 08/04/2008, -4/+3unless the person positions there head exactly next to the other before shooting i dont see this as likely. but i know what you mean yea those psychos need to kill themselves instead of other but i think alot of murder-suicides arent planned as murder/suicides but once the heat of the moment is there they do something they immediately regret and cant live with so they decide if they cant have the person they will join them in the afterlife a bit stupid if you ask me since there most likely bound for hell and wont be seeing the other person for all eternity...
      • computerfreedom, on 08/04/2008, -2/+1i dont know, who said the other person didn't deserve hell. prolly ate the wretched shell fish and wrought this upon herself?
        Now they are both in hell, one for blowin his/someone elses head off, now the other for the wretched shell fish.
        you can't look at hell so 2 dimensionally, there is some nuisance to hell, blowin someones brains in ain't necessarily at the top of the list. sometimes it makes god happy
        from leveticus import *
  • djoney, on 08/04/2008, -54/+11i guess he got fed up of complaing about RRODs....
    • ownwonnow, on 08/05/2008, -7/+1You haven't quite found the joke, but you're getting warm.
  • brianbb98, on 08/04/2008, -47/+16I blame video games.
    • BestJaxx, on 08/04/2008, -11/+3She was the person who worked on them, not him.
      • ownwonnow, on 08/05/2008, -1/+2No *****?
      • BestJaxx, on 08/05/2008, -1/+1My point being that she would have been the person to commit the murder/suicide if his theory were true.
    • DarkDx, on 08/05/2008, -1/+2I see what u did thear
  • elithebest, on 08/04/2008, -42/+76Guns don't kill people.
    • Kershalt, on 08/04/2008, -46/+10yes bullets do.... let me ask you this if he did not have the gun would her chances of getting away from him been better? i would think so, most of the time if someone really sets there mind to killing someone and planning it out there is nothing that can be done short of killing the person to stop it. That doesnt mean it should be made easier for them by allowing a weapon like that to be available publicly just 5 days and $300 later. in all honesty i would think that maybe a law stateing you needed a psych evaluation before purchaseing a gun might have saved this life but we shall never knoe.
      • Duggan360, on 08/04/2008, -6/+19Spell check and you would make a good couple
      • Kershalt, on 08/04/2008, -22/+6yea i dont spell check it your point? get a life if all you do is troll digg looking for those of us wh oforget to hit the spell check or use improper grammar i feel sorry for you.
      • woofer1125, on 08/04/2008, -5/+15i think chris rock said it best.

        increase the price of ammunition by a ridiculous margin.

        poor people won't be able to afford it,
        and rich people won't be able to have as much.

    • Duggan360, on 08/04/2008, -6/+44Yeap, Leave a gun on its own and it doesn't get up and start to kill people.
      • Kershalt, on 08/04/2008, -25/+5you leave a nuke by itself and it doesnt get up and start to kill people.... im betting that is what some scientist said about the first nuke but look what it does in a persons hands.....
      • BlueSkyfish, on 08/04/2008, -6/+36Unless its a turret.
      • Apophis574, on 08/04/2008, -8/+3@ kershalt

        Yes because when a person picks up the gun / nuke, they instantly get the urge to kill everyone.
      • twiztidsinz, on 08/04/2008, -17/+4@Apophis: That is it's primary and only function.
      • PabloMac, on 08/04/2008, -6/+7"...but look what it does in a persons hands."
        Thus, the weapon, an inanimate object, doesn't kill people. People kill people.
      • Apophis574, on 08/04/2008, -2/+16@twiztidsinz

        Really?! The primary and only function of a gun is to give me the urge to kill?!
      • PleaseJustDie, on 08/04/2008, -4/+21A gun, A nuke, A shovel, A roll of toilet paper.

        What do these things have in common? They are all tools that could be used to kill someone else if the person in possession of them so desired and had the knowledge to do so (yes you can kill someone with a roll of toilet paper).

        It's the person in control of the tool that is the problem, not the tool itself. A gun may be used to kill things, but it also can be used as a deterrent, a means of protecting yourself or another, or a stress reliever. If you enjoy shooting guns (say at the range) then it can have therapeutic aspects as well.

        The only real different item listed here is a Nuke, which has most of the same purposes as a gun, minus the relaxing part since you don't go to a range and just light off nukes. But Nukes can 1. Destroy the enemy because he is there. 2. Destroy the enemy to prevent him from destroying you. 3. Act as a deterrent to prevent others from attacking. So one is to kill (which we can do with just about anything if we desire) The others are to protect, but may result in death to do so. Ultimately it is up to the people in possession of these tools to determine whether or not they should be used and whether or not the use of them will save more lives than not using them.

        It's not the tool's fault for being used inappropriately and its not the fault of the people who do use them appropriately that they get misused and those of us who are responsible shouldn't be punished because a few people don't use them for how they were intended to be used.
      • coyote1284, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1*stands and applauds PleaseJustDie*
        Couldn't have said it better myself. You ***** rock!
    • diggapleasee, on 08/04/2008, -26/+167blaming guns for murders is like blaming a pencil for spelling errors.
      • MrFisty, on 08/04/2008, -3/+18Or cars for motor accidents.
      • cathpah, on 08/04/2008, -6/+21but if you hand out pencils to anyone and everyone....then the retards get them too. Thus leading to more spelling errors.

        Don't blame guns or pencils, blame the idiots that hand them out as if it were a harmless set of connect four..
      • jimmoses, on 08/04/2008, -9/+23But pencils are primarily designed to write useful information, and automobiles are primarily designed as vehicles, not weapons.

        Where cars have proved dangerous, designs has been changed as much as possible whenever the primary function can be preserved.

        Guns, on the other hand, are machines for producing a lethal effect. it's not a good analogy.
      • noseeme, on 08/04/2008, -6/+14A pencil isn't made to kill something or someone.
      • h4mx0r, on 08/04/2008, -6/+4but a pencil is used to write words. Words that the writer may still misspell. It's still a valid analogy, as tragic this story is.
      • flashback99, on 08/04/2008, -4/+1blame people for murders, but blame guns for the doctors not being able to revive the victims.
      • dillhole, on 08/04/2008, -6/+12It depresses me how many people on digg are defending guns. There's no other use for a gun than killing.
      • JoshReflek, on 08/05/2008, -3/+4@Jimmoses: Just because a gun can have the result of death, does not invalidate the arguement that a person is responsible for the act.

        This line of thinking only furthers restrictive gun laws, have you noticed which war torn nations had drastic gun law changes before their bloodbath? All of them.

        @dillhole: Guns are used to enforce your personal safety, do you want the government making laws, telling you how to act when your family is threatened? Or would you prefer to defend yourself and your loved ones as you see fit?

        Aside from having the capacity to kill, guns protect people.

        History shows repeatedly exactly how taking them away brings on civil unrest and abuse of power by the legislators and their ilk.

        Read more world history u2.
      • scratend0788, on 08/05/2008, -1/+2its not about blaming guns, its about how they are distributed.
        if you give a pencil to a 5 year old you can expect a lot os spelling errors
      • 883XL, on 08/05/2008, -0/+5Gun bans and gun restrictions have NEVER reduced the number of violent crimes. How come anti-firearms people always overlook that fact?

        Am I suppose to give up the right to protect myself just because a few emotionally unstable people have killed using guns?
      • rheaume, on 08/05/2008, -3/+2300 million guns, 300 million tards, you do the math.
      • DesertDude, on 08/05/2008, -6/+3A gun is made to kill. A pencil is made to write. Try again.
      • zenoz, on 08/05/2008, -0/+5Wanna see a magic trick?
      • BadAshe86, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2That would be like blaming a spoon for making Rosie O'Donnell fat.
      • Arrizer, on 08/05/2008, -0/+0If guns aren't the reason, why is the crime rate in American cities way higher than in Europe?
        If guns weren't the reason, this would mean the people living in America just have a higher criminal tendency than the people in Europe and I think you don't believe that, do you?

        (Sorry for my bad English, but I hope you understand what i am trying to say)
      • BearinG, on 08/06/2008, -0/+1Some cars with crappy parts could potentially kill someone..

        That's why they issue recalls.
    • kentifer, on 08/04/2008, -9/+63Rappers do.
      • chedabob, on 08/04/2008, -2/+9I seen it in a documentary on BBC2
      • TBR2007, on 08/04/2008, -1/+2Shot to death outside Hyper Value,
        Guns blazin like Michael Caine in Zulu,
    • CrazedLeper, on 08/04/2008, -6/+18But they make it so much more efficient and so much less personal.
    • Fabbyfubz, on 08/04/2008, -19/+7Do you wanna know why I use a knife? Guns are too quick. You can't savor all the... little... emotions. In... you see, in their last moments, people show you who they really are.
      • ryansimbalist, on 08/05/2008, -1/+3Dark Knight quotes are so old.
      • coyote1284, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1"Dark Knight quotes are so old."
        2 weeks old
        "It's only a flesh wound" OTOH is an old quote!
    • pak314, on 08/04/2008, -12/+2But bullets do.
      • Arkz, on 08/04/2008, -2/+4its not the bullet doing the killing but the person that fired it
      • Acglaphotis, on 08/04/2008, -0/+3Actually it's the speed of the bullet. If you just knock your head with a bullet you'll accomplish nothing except retardness.
    • twishart, on 08/04/2008, -13/+7Chuck Norris kills people.
    • jimmoses, on 08/04/2008, -9/+2People with guns kill people. Not so many dogs going out killing with a sawn off shotgun. Hmm.
    • misterjangles, on 08/04/2008, -10/+1... guys with mustaches kill people.
    • noseeme, on 08/04/2008, -10/+9But why make it so easy to get a tool that facilitates killing people so efficiently?
      • Acglaphotis, on 08/04/2008, -4/+15Why not? Knifes are just as dangerous and no one complains.
      • Apophis574, on 08/04/2008, -2/+10If he didn't have a gun he'd kill her with some other tool, like a knife. Not having a gun means nothing when someone has made the conscious decision to kill someone.
      • MaynardJK, on 08/05/2008, -3/+11Because it is easy to get one no matter how hard the government tries to make it. Drugs are illegal. Do you think they are impossible to find because of it? You gun control idiots are all dreaming.

        from my cold, dead hands. seriously
      • noseeme, on 08/05/2008, -1/+1@Acglaphotis: Knives are just as dangerous, but only if you are standing one armlength from your target or have lots of practice throwing.

        @Apophis574: Yes, that is true. I wasn't really thinking of this case specifically when I wrote my comment, however.

        @MaynardJK: Believe it or not, I'm not for making gun control more strict. I personally don't like guns, but I am a very strong believer in the US constitution, and I gladly yield to it. I bet you weren't expecting that as an answer. :)
      • caseycoold, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1@All: only 4% of fights wtih knives are fatal.
    • crashingechelon, on 08/04/2008, -5/+6He's right, guns dont kill people, death kills people! It's a proven medical fact, go ask any doctor. Sure a bullet wound may cause a rupture or internal bleeding, but that won't kill them, death will.
      • crashingechelon, on 08/05/2008, -0/+3I knew this would get dugg down since a GTA comment is inappropiate. It is a shame on what happened to her :(
      • BadAshe86, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1You're more likely to be killed by a doctor for malpractice than you are by a gun. So let's outlaw medicine!
      • crashingechelon, on 08/06/2008, -0/+1How funny as soon as I pointed out that it was GTA comment the diggs on it went into the positives.
    • MCA2142, on 08/05/2008, -4/+4Guns don't kill people, but people do.

      So let's takes these guns away from these people. They don't need the extra help of a gun.
    • BillOrly, on 08/05/2008, -3/+5...I do
    • MeatPlow, on 08/05/2008, -1/+7Guns don't kill people. Husbands who come home early kill people.
    • frositay, on 08/05/2008, -2/+5...People kill people.

      Guns defend people against people with smaller guns.
    • AriaStar, on 08/05/2008, -2/+11My dad threatened to shoot me and my mom, with his Colt .45 pointed at me, loaded with hollow points. "I'm gonna shoot you, I'm gonna shoot your mother." His last words to me before he shot himself.

      Guess what.

      I still believe GUNS don't kill people.
    • WannaBeSquare, on 08/05/2008, -4/+3Guns don't kill people, video games do!
      • WannaBeSquare, on 08/18/2008, -0/+1Hopefully everyone that buried this first knew that I was referencing that one piece of ***** lawyer whose name I can't remember, and that I don't actually think that video games kill people. Although in retrospect, it was pretty vulgar.
    • hackiavelli, on 08/05/2008, -3/+2Guns don't kill people. They just make it much easier.
    • Cryoniq, on 08/05/2008, -6/+1... XBOX does..
    • transform100, on 08/05/2008, -6/+1People kill guns?
    • somedirtbag, on 08/05/2008, -1/+1Guns don't kill people. Dangerous minorities do.
  • HenvY, on 08/04/2008, -45/+13Well, at least she wasn't decapitated on a bus.
    • japanesepagoda, on 08/05/2008, -0/+4She's still not alive, *****.
  • Kershalt, on 08/04/2008, -65/+5Sad i dont see why anyone would ever want to kill another person they loved.... there hs only been 2 people in my life i have ever felt i would be capable of killing and even then it was because they had killed someone very close to me. how you could love someone one day and then kill them another doesnt make sense to me...
    • renegadeafk, on 08/04/2008, -2/+23wtf?
    • MaynardJK, on 08/05/2008, -2/+8Just shut the ***** up. I wish I had the brain cells back that were killed from reading all of your posts in this thread. Blocked for idiocy.
    • ninovb, on 08/05/2008, -1/+8She cheated on him... I know its not an excuse, but its a reason.
    • Eldoucho, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1dude.
  • M724, on 08/04/2008, -6/+33I feel sorry for this tragic incident. It's sad when such talented people who contributed something in the world die...
    • masterkenobi, on 08/04/2008, -1/+22...and the ones holding humanity back tend to live forever.

    • ltchimpo, on 08/05/2008, -13/+3Yes, thank god we get a break this time, right? One less designer of social order distroying, mind-numbing flashing lights, am I right? So what if someone that made toys is dead. So what, so losers who play video games might go outside and get some sun? So they might talk to people face to face like humanity should, not through the anonmytity of some username and an avatar? Ohh, but the xbox has a webcam, well woo whoo- you're still a loser in a living room, in front of a tv you ***** TV zombie! OMG! This is almost as tragic as the WGA strike, what will we do with complete sensory stimulation every moment of our lives. Today I woke up to a radio alarm. I took a shower listening to my shower radio. I at breakfast in front of the TV. I listened to my iPod on my way to work/school where I surf the internet. I go home and stick my ***** head in the wall socket and let the modern world entertain my mind, distracting it from experience all that can be experienced in life. You ***** puppets make me sick, lining the pockets of billionaires, while the world ***** burns. Is this what was supposed to happen!? Are we supposed to live in apartment buildings that glow blue with the flickering television every night? Are we to work to buy the ***** that we're fed and swallow through our eyes?! Are we soft-slaves to the almighty "NEW THING". Can we spend more time on personal exploration and improvement and less being ***** idiots that opine people and personalities rather than events and ideas!? Are we so ***** sedated!? ***** people make me sick, it's idiocy on a massive scale these people! And we eat it up! We eat up the lifestyle envy! We watch shows about millionares showing off the ***** that they;ve bought because they helped sell you all the ***** that you bought. We wait for that lottery day to come when our tickets called and we're magically tapped on the shoulder and made into millionaires. We think this at the back of our mind because TV brings that ***** into our living room, into our ears, into our lives in a visceral and very real-feeling way. And we love it. ***** the world, I want to think about something else. Feed me mind-numbing toxic sludge. ***** poison for our minds and souls. Christ. So what, a video game designer was murdered. She's associated with the XBOX and nerds give a ***** because of that? Wow, well whoopdy *****. One dead. We all die, normally it doesn't come as a surprise like it did for her. Now forget about it, wake up tomorrow and be a better, independant person. Do something tht doesn't involve viewing products. Play bocce ball. Paint something. Write something. Create a work of something to leave behind. Persue legacy not false dreams.
      • hhmmmm, on 08/05/2008, -0/+8someone needs a hug
      • JoshReflek, on 08/05/2008, -5/+3More ppl need to digg you up...but that would require a desire to wake up or at least an open mind, apparently both are rare.
      • iizh, on 08/05/2008, -0/+9Paragraphs. I'm not reading that.
      • esfisher, on 08/05/2008, -0/+5Yeah, I'll go to Wal-Mart tomorrow and buy some Bocce balls. While I'm at Wal-Mart, I might as well pick up some painting supplies so I can start painting. Oh, since I'm at Wal-Mart, I should also get a notepad so I can write something.


        Wal-Mart, for all your anti-corporatist supplies.
      • M724, on 08/05/2008, -0/+4First, you're a Luddite. You aren't supposed to be here. There's a name for the place you should be, and that's 1908.

        Second, I play plenty of games, so do 90% of Digg members, regardless of their personal tastes. Regardless of whether they prefer a 360 or a PS3. We unite against anyone who attacks our favorite pastime.

        Third, playing games doesn't inherently stop us from contributing great things to the world. Sadly for you, the world you're creating has no place for your kind.

        Finally, take some spelling lessons. Seriously.

        Ouch. Burned by a smart gamer who stands up to you. I am part of the future, you have no place there. You're a bitter old man in mind if not in body. Now, go back and play with your ***** abacus and leave us alone.
      • ltchimpo, on 08/05/2008, -1/+1Hahah, ohh I'm burned all right! Watch out for this guy, he might just think of something to say between 3rd and 4th period and scuttle over to the library to post it on Digg. Hahah, you waxed debatically over some rant on Digg. You suck. Kill yourself, kill yourself now.... and do it on your 360 cam. Maybe we can start a trend here! Be a trend setter! Kind of like the Christians locking eyes w/ the audience as the Romans released the lions, maybe if enough of you Zombies do yourself in while staring at an audience of equally syncopal zombies you might realize... the road to high score is paved with a terrible opportunity cost... namely: virginity.

        Spelling lessons? I comment from the hip like a modern day gunslinger, only my words are like bullets. My mouth like a pistol.... and your mouth like my ***** holster.
      • ltchimpo, on 08/05/2008, -1/+1Jk, dude we probably have a lot in common, but this is the internet, it's like people watching, but only being able to yell, "Hey, Jerkoff" and still be able to watch... instead of running around the corner where the guy wearing the starter jacket couldn't see me. WTF is he still wearing a starter jacket, aren't those things way old. See, if he were on the internet I could say that without fear of reprisal...
  • diggapleasee, on 08/04/2008, -52/+3Kershalt-- Shut the ***** up. Go get yourself a psych evaluation
    • BestJaxx, on 08/04/2008, -0/+33You know, there is a reply button for a reason.
  • BoonTobias, on 08/04/2008, -60/+6looks like someone played the too human demo
  • BrainCoder, on 08/04/2008, -53/+15He didn't kill himself, he got slayed for teamkilling.

    ...I feel so dirty.
  • vivisimonvi, on 08/04/2008, -78/+38Achievement Unlocked
  • Serj730, on 08/04/2008, -62/+4well at least she didn't get decapitated.
    But seriously, RIP.
  • shadowspawn, on 08/04/2008, -46/+9Lag.
  • staffell, on 08/04/2008, -14/+181there are some pretty disturbing comments in this thread
    • saralovemuffins, on 08/04/2008, -4/+24I agree. It's disgusting.

      RIP Melissa..
    • EbowUK, on 08/04/2008, -2/+45welcome to digg...
    • rdmorley, on 08/04/2008, -0/+9I agree....the problem is that sometimes people are upvoted for posting disturbing comments that people find to have some humor and then other times people are condemned for being insensitive. It really is a double standard without any real reasoning.
    • deadbaby, on 08/04/2008, -2/+13Roughly the same crowd who plays on Xbox Live it seems. Although no one has called her a ***** yet so perhaps the Xbox Live crowd isn't fully represented here yet.
      • devila2208, on 08/05/2008, -3/+11This from a guy named "deadbaby"...
      • JoshReflek, on 08/05/2008, -2/+2devila2208 has never enjoyed the philisophical discourse that is xboxlive.
        excuse him in his ignorance.
    • Sneezyx, on 08/05/2008, -1/+6Trolling: It's the new black!

      But seriously, these bozos all need to go hide under a bridge; preferably one that's about to collapse.
    • MrKite, on 08/05/2008, -0/+4There are a lot of dumb people in the world.
    • JudgeMonkey, on 08/05/2008, -4/+4Damn right there are some disturbing comments. All these people that never knew her, never met her, act like this doesn't happen all the time.

      When people read and associate with these kinds of stories, and say bull like "My condolences". They think they're being a good person. They think people don't know who, what, they really are. A few good people do exist in this world. Pretending to care about strangers doesn't make you one of them. Also, while banjo kazooie is a classic title, I don't expect too much from this one, so whatever.

      While I typed this, someone somewhere commited another murder-suicide....
      And hey, Sneezyx, seven people died in that bridge collapse almost a year ago to this date in Minneapolis. No compassion for them in your little comment? How you all love to pretend to care.
      • rdmorley, on 08/05/2008, -3/+2So...are you defending posting disturbing comments that would be wildly offensive to the family of this woman if read? Look, I think that you're being a little cynical here when you say that people are only saying it so they can feel good about themselves. I have slightly more faith in humanity, though that may be naive. However, I would never go so far as to say that people are pretending to care when they offer condolences; I find that to be pretty insensitive and presumptuous of you.
  • joenz, on 08/04/2008, -60/+25She was pretty cute too. Where is she being burried?
  • Badmotorfinger, on 08/04/2008, -184/+13good riddance, it's probably her fault for the red rings. maybe that's why her husband did it. karma.
    • Pensuke, on 08/04/2008, -8/+87Wow, ***** you dude.
    • PopASquatt, on 08/04/2008, -5/+78Software developer not Hardware, you stupid *****.
      • ultrafez, on 08/05/2008, -6/+6And even a hardware developer would not deserve to be killed for RROD's, not anything... RROD's may be annoying but they are certainly not worth murder over.
    • iChaz, on 08/05/2008, -2/+26if your life's goal is to be a total *****, even on the internet, then you've achieved it.
    • fearlessfx, on 08/05/2008, -5/+22First time i've actually logged in to digg someone down.
    • FoxOrian, on 08/05/2008, -2/+8Karma you say? -- don't be surprised if your ***** attitude comes back around to bite you in the ass as well.
    • twit987, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1lul
    • Overcyn, on 08/05/2008, -0/+19/10
  • sho222, on 08/04/2008, -47/+14Necrophilia is a victimless crime, joenz. Don't let anyone tell you othewise. (you sick bastard)
  • InnerBlueAbyss, on 08/04/2008, -86/+7Shouldve stuck with Sony dear.
  • UltramegaOK, on 08/04/2008, -63/+22Buried for sensationalism.
    Xbox developer murdered = Diggs? You all make me ***** sick.

    None of the local Seattle stories about the murder were submitted, but since she works on the Xbox we all should somehow care? People are Digging this for the wrong reason.

    I guess that's what Digg has become now. Throw "Xbox", "Ron Paul", "Top 10 list", or "Dark Night" in the title and it's sure to get to the front page. Sick.......

    RIP
    • nephilimx, on 08/04/2008, -9/+9I think you have it the wrong way, Digg was a tech site and well this is tech related.
      Nothing to do with the trendy topics such as Ron Paul.
    • Genecalypse, on 08/04/2008, -9/+8sad that what youve said is true.
    • gmprunner, on 08/04/2008, -6/+7If you would like to submit a story for every single person who gets killed in a murder as it happens, be my guest.
    • jellygraph, on 08/04/2008, -3/+14People tend to feel more empathy for others they can connect to. Would you feel the same about a starving african child as you would your mother? I applaud you for your idealism, but I sincerely doubt you live up to your own standards. The majority of Digg users are tech savvy people who would play video games.
      • thailand1972, on 08/05/2008, -2/+2I think it's weird that you decide because someone worked on the X-box team, you suddenly feel more empathy towards this person, simply because you like playing video games. The link seems tenuous and arbitrary. I think it's more sensationalism that makes such a story popular (X-box developer?!).
      • jellygraph, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1shes a software developer, thats the connection...
    • DarkDx, on 08/05/2008, -2/+5Digg died in 2006-2007 where in the ***** hell were you?
  • Genecalypse, on 08/04/2008, -39/+8haha all these disturbing comments are pretty mean, but i gotta say i laughed lol.
  • hakkola, on 08/04/2008, -33/+7Fanboyism has gone too far!

    *Waits to be buried... fears joenz will digg him up...
  • abajaj2280, on 08/04/2008, -36/+4I was going to make fun of this, but I completely take that back...

    RIP.
  • leerayIG88, on 08/04/2008, -35/+6What happen to the old days where people carried swords? You know....like ninjas and pirates.
    • MikeSetera, on 08/04/2008, -4/+13If everyone had a concealed weapon in Virginia Tech, I guarantee there would not have been thirty-two deaths.
      • tapo, on 08/04/2008, -18/+2If those weapons and ammunition were given to him after a proper background check, there wouldn't have been any.

        In this country, we freely hand people devices to kill, and don't bother to check if they're crazy or not.
      • Darksoul, on 08/04/2008, -2/+6Your a moron tapo instead of not being able to get a gun he would of went out and made some home made explosives or something or how about this bought one illegally you do not need a gun to kill what is it anti gun nuts like you don't get about that. Its taking guns out of the hands of good people that let ***** like this happen I agree with MikeSetera if more people where armed and trained there wouldn't have been thirty-two deaths. More legislation and lies and ***** made by anti-gun people is what is getting people killed like that.

        A gun can't shoot itself.
      • skcoder, on 08/05/2008, -7/+1Yeah, there would have been a death every time someone pissed someone else off, which would be a tremendous amount more deaths.
    • steinbook3036, on 08/05/2008, -2/+0what happened to the old days when you werent a prick. oh wait they dont exist.
  • solidcube, on 08/04/2008, -25/+9To other sons of bitches who want to go out this way: Just murder the world. Commit suicide instead of murdering other people.
  • aserer511, on 08/04/2008, -8/+27RIP and thank you for your (unfortunately shortened) contribution to the gaming world. you will be missed!
    • pHreaksYcle, on 08/04/2008, -6/+9Not by me though. Sorry, I am honest.
      • Cryoniq, on 08/05/2008, -0/+4I have to put myself in line here as well. How can I miss something I didn't even know existed. People are strange.. "oh my gawd! I will miss her (who is she btw...?)". Seriously..
  • ratbear, on 08/04/2008, -28/+2634chan idiots, GTFO.
    • DarkDx, on 08/05/2008, -18/+5So in some threads we see the 4chans comments modded up, but not in this one, double standars yay!
    • enderwiggen16, on 08/05/2008, -25/+4Go ***** yourself, this ***** is hilarious.
      • Sunflare670, on 08/05/2008, -2/+9Yes, its extraordinarily funny that someone was murdered, and then that murderer killed themselves.

        Freaking hilarious.

        /end sarcasm
  • charm803, on 08/04/2008, -26/+17I'm so scared of getting married now, with so many husbands killing their wives.

    May she rest in peace.....
    • gmprunner, on 08/04/2008, -6/+10I hope you forgot a sarcasm tag after that first part.
      • charm803, on 08/04/2008, -14/+4No. I really am scared!

        Scott Peterson.
        Drew Peterson. (No relation.)
        Edward Flaherty killed his wife of 52 years!
        Anthony Hopkins killed his wife, and he was a preacher!

        Scary world out there. You think you love someone and then BAM! You're gone.


      • EbowUK, on 08/04/2008, -2/+4Wow.

        OK, you win the award.
      • tapo, on 08/04/2008, -2/+14Don't continue to be with someone if you're in an abusive relationship, problem solved.

        It's pretty sad to see men stereotyped as murders, most of us are good people.
      • renegadeafk, on 08/04/2008, -1/+9I'm sure a women has never killed her husband. There are a lot of ***** up people in this world male or female.
      • asguardian, on 08/04/2008, -2/+1Women don't kill their husbands! They just cut off their penis!
        /sarcasm
    • lisaawesome, on 08/04/2008, -0/+17It's not just men killing their wives. It seems this goes both ways far more than it should. These people act as though their spouse is their property to dispose of as they wish. It's very disturbing. I understand the other person may have wronged you in some way but to take their life because they cheated on you or don't want to be with you anymore is just sick.

      P.S. This also reminds me of a program I was watching last night where the other woman kills the wife after the cheating husband decides to end the extramarital relationship and work things out with his wife. The other woman said the wife "ruined her life." Wtf? That's an extra ***** up case of people going off the deep end because another person decided they didn't want to be with them.
      • charm803, on 08/04/2008, -1/+3Love....it obviously makes people do crazy things!
        *shivers*
      • RedHerringHack, on 08/04/2008, -3/+5I would kill and die to protect my wife and children. You just need someone who isn't a psychopath and values you over himself. That is a real man.
      • executorzz, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1this sounds like a Lifetime movie...
    • EbowUK, on 08/04/2008, -2/+5Ditto gmprunner, or that may be contender for Most WTF Comment of the year.
    • heyblue, on 08/04/2008, -3/+15Don't marry an obsessive controlling jackass. Problem solved.
      • LilRabbitFooFoo, on 08/11/2008, -3/+11Or, maybe, don't cheat on your spouse during the marriage, thereby risking a suicidal depression fueled rage. Save the sex until after the divorce. Have SOME consideration for the fact that your spouse partner may still love you and at one time promised to share his or her life with you forever. Don't they deserve at least a bit of common courtesy and respect?

        Keep it zipped until the marriage is officially over, folks. You wouldn't want someone cheating on you, so vice versa applies.
      • voodoozombie, on 08/05/2008, -1/+8Best not to cheat on your husband and then flaunt it in his face by making sure he sees you and your new lover in all your old haunts while being dressed in a skimpy outfit that you would never wear for him while suing him in court for every penny he will ever earn in his life and lying in court that he abuses drugs so you can take his kids away. People actually do this. I know a few. I'm sad to say I would hardly shed a tear for them if the husband got fed up and snapped. It's different if you know them personally and know how mean they can be.
    • oddtom, on 08/05/2008, -0/+19Best swear off dating, while you're at it. So many guys killing their girlfriends. Also, a substantial percentage of rapes are committed by coworkers. Time to find the nearest unemployment line. Then again, leaving the house is also out of the question. There's always your local park rapist to consider.

      I don't know how you're ever going to get by, at this rate.
      • Atomic1fire, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2Lets rephrase what Roosevelt said,which he got from someone else, while we are at it
        instead of speak softly and carry a big stick
        Speak softly and carry a rifle if they cross the property line and try to attack
    • glbowens, on 08/05/2008, -0/+5I've heard way more stories about crazy boyfriends than crazy husbands. I've also heard as many or more stories of wives killing (or at least doing really ***** up stuff to) their husbands as I have stories of husbands killing their wives. Men probably have more to fear of women than we do of them.

      The thought of some poor guy asking you to marry him and getting a response like "I don't think I can -- you might kill me one day", really does make me laugh though.
    • saejinn, on 08/05/2008, -0/+3You listed four murderers...there's 300 million of us in the US, assuming the male gender is about 50% there's still 149,999,996 of us. Even when you take in the number of convicts etc. the odds are still in your favor. I suggest instead of living a lonely life, stop watching the fear-mongering news.
      • charm803, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1I didn't say I would never get married, I said I was scared to, seeing that the person you love and supposedly loves you can just take your life.
      • saejinn, on 08/06/2008, -0/+1True. But you can also get in a fatal accident driving a car. Using your same line of logic, you should be scared to drive a car. You can choke to death on food. You should be scared to eat. You could suddenly die from some health ailment. You should be scared to live. Or am I missing something?
    • Sparksnorthern, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2Yea, you should definitely not get married.
    • transform100, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1OMG A GIRL!!!!!!!!!!
  • BrownManUPS, on 08/04/2008, -20/+5While I am not a big fan of video games (omb why am I on digg)...and certainly don't pay attention to developers or anything...I feel grief at a loss of a life, no matter what walk of life that is. Furthermore, it is incredibly saddening to see she died to the hands of a coward.
  • moviscop, on 08/04/2008, -23/+7Well it was obviously because his mind was warped from GTA IV
  • robthom, on 08/04/2008, -57/+11Should have happened a long time ago, xbox sucks!
    • pHreaksYcle, on 08/04/2008, -17/+7Agreed.
    • RedHerringHack, on 08/04/2008, -11/+4You are doing it wrong.
    • KevyB, on 08/04/2008, -14/+6Agreed 2.
    • o0mirage0o, on 08/04/2008, -4/+10If you think your preference of a ***** video game console is worth joking over a dead woman, than you are ***** up.
    • ProteasHaet, on 08/05/2008, -9/+2No, mirage, you caring about some stranger's death while millions other die in a much more brutal manner is ***** up.

      Enjoy your meaningless empty existence.
      • MrKite, on 08/05/2008, -0/+6That's true. We should care more about the people that get killed in worse ways because they deserve it more than people who get killed in less than the worst ways.

        You are brilliant.

    • robthom, on 08/05/2008, -6/+1Its a joke people!
      Its only a joke at the xbox's expense!
      I mean no ill will and my prayers are with the people that lost their lives.

      You have to laugh at these things sometimes, and death isn't always the very end of us anyway.
      • FoxOrian, on 08/05/2008, -1/+1I can understand that a lot of people handle these things differently -- and humor for some people is their natural response,

        but what happened wasn't just that she died -- her life was taken, [still young too,] by a man who according to our government was supposed to stay away. It's the tragedy.
    • neFariou5, on 08/05/2008, -2/+3Yeah the xbox isn't great, but that comment was pretty out of order. CHeap attempt at humour.
    • Grimi, on 08/05/2008, -0/+6How far will you ***** fanboys go to try to justify your choice of consoles. Seriously insulting (there is absolutly no humor in your comment so calling it a joke makes no sense at all) a dead person and saying that they deserved what they got because the work for a different company. And +10 diggs seriously what the ***** is wrong with you people?
  • jman583, on 08/04/2008, -34/+18I hate team killers...
  • Suzpaz, on 08/04/2008, -30/+8Maybe his XBox360 experienced RROD....

    sorry I had to.... I know you will digg me down, but -diggs almost gets read as much :D

    RIP btw
  • SniperZero, on 08/04/2008, -33/+6FOR ***** SAKE
    No wonder women don't get into the IT field. Fkn retarded husbands just kill them when they realize she is a bigger nerd then him.
    RIP Melissa
  • ElectricKetchup, on 08/04/2008, -9/+16It's sad to see someone so proud of her game get murdered before it's released :(
    • KennMac, on 08/05/2008, -11/+3So if the game was released, this wouldn't have been as sad? You fail at empathy.
  • javarox, on 08/04/2008, -2/+70Here's a link to some of her photos at flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/melissabatten/

    There are pics of her husband, too, dated from March of this year. He seems happy enough in the photos. I wonder what happened between then and now?
    • EbowUK, on 08/04/2008, -6/+8That's the million dollar question, isn't it? We know nothing about how he arrived at doing that as The Thing To Do, but the wets and the fanbois are weeping and trying to be funny.

      Poor Digg - the move from Alternative Media to Generic Media is almost complete :(

    • XtraWhite, on 08/04/2008, -1/+45If you click the other stories at the bottom of the page. She cheated on him. He showed her a gun, showed that it was loaded and safety was off. Told her he was going to kill himself. She got an order of protection after that, then he gunned her down in a parking lot.

      I mean what she did was wrong but not worth dying over. However, I must point out, people should really watch how they treat people cause you never know how nuts another person is.
      • javarox, on 08/04/2008, -2/+28In another post, I mentioned that I had known two women to have gastric-bypass surgery (as Melissa did) and these two women, after losing weight and gaining a lot of confidence, decided that their boyfriend/husband wasn't enough for them and they both got rid of their significant other. What I didn't mention was that in both cases these two woman cheated on their respective boyfriend/husband before getting rid of them. I don't know if that has anything to do with what happened in this case but it's still interesting to see how a change in self-image and a boost in confidence can send your life in a direction that you never would've considered before.
      • h4mx0r, on 08/04/2008, -0/+2Point taken :(
      • XtraWhite, on 08/04/2008, -3/+1very interesting. Any links to the story about the other woman?
      • Sloi, on 08/04/2008, -6/+5She cheated on him. For some people, that's reason enough...

        Please note that the above is in no way approval of any kind. In any case, what's the expression again? YOU'VE MADE YOUR BED, NOW LIE IN IT.
      • Darksoul, on 08/04/2008, -2/+7Dunno why javarox is being dugg down people enjoy being fake and acting like they care but don't want to hear what could of attributed to this happing its not like he woke up one day and was like dam she hasn't done anything to me I think I may go kill her then waste myself afterwords....... there is always two sides to a story people I think its horrible she got murdered and no one has any right to murder anybody but it happened.
      • MrKite, on 08/05/2008, -0/+7It's a combination of severe depression, low self esteem, and a feeling of rejection (loss). People with a bad case of depression can hit rock bottom pretty hard. I wouldn't be surprised if people knew he was fighting depression.

        What's unfortunate is that the restraining order didn't work at all; it probably made things a little worse in this case.
      • Atomic1fire, on 08/05/2008, -0/+3My aunt's ex husband pulled a gun on her when she cheated on him...
        he didn't shoot her.. but he probably could have..
      • ibzfiles, on 08/05/2008, -1/+0if she cheated on him...by god...he shouldve shot her in the pussy
    • TheWorm, on 08/04/2008, -2/+8It's just weird to think that this guy ended up doing something this ***** up. He looks completely normal and happy.
      http://www.flickr.com/photos/melissabatten/2368936 ...
      • javarox, on 08/04/2008, -2/+3This photo was probably taken well before he learned that his wife had been cheating on him. Also, on a side note, from looking at all the pics: They sure have a lot of cats!
      • adikt, on 08/05/2008, -5/+2No, Mr. Batten. You can not use a tabby cat as a pressure bandage to stop blood flow from a gun shot wound to the head.
      • thailand1972, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2Anger, jealousy and despair are normal human emotions too.
    • ultrafez, on 08/05/2008, -0/+4Not everyone who has problems shows it outwardly - I know somebody who suffered from severe depression but it did not show at all on the outside; they were still perfectly cheerful and happy (or so it seemed).
    • merrychristmass, on 08/05/2008, -12/+2Simple: She didn't give him no snatch. Because she was busy playing stupid games for kids. Like ban-zoo....
    • Daggerfall, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2On the second page of her profile I´m thinking "Wtf am I looking at a flickr-profile belonging to a dead woman I never knew?" I´ve got link-compulsive behaviour.
  • Rodalli, on 08/04/2008, -8/+25Some ***** scores a cute, intelligent lady with a passion for making video games and this is what he does to her? Where's the ***** justice in the world?

    R.I.P. Melissa. My sympathies go out to both families affected by this.
    • CharlesSaint, on 08/04/2008, -8/+2You can only count on one person for justice in this world...Yourself.
    • MrFluffZ, on 08/05/2008, -1/+6Even though killing her obviously went too far, she WAS cheating on him.
    • executorzz, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1I don't think we know enough about the situation to just assume the guy is an *****.
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