According to Reuters, the teenager told Thai police that "he wanted to find out if it was as easy in real life to rob a taxi as it was in a game."

The youth faces death by lethal injection if found guilty of robbing and killing the 54-year-old taxi driver, pending further investigations and a trial.

"We are sending out requests today to outlets and shops to pull the games off their shelves and we will replace them with other games," said New Era Interactive Media marketing director Sakchai Chotikachinda. "We are also urging video game arcades to pull the games from service."

The murder has sparked action by Thailand's culture ministry, which has made calls for tougher video game regulation such as a rating system and a restriction on hours that youths can play games in public arcades.

"This time-bomb has already exploded and the situation could get worse," said Thailand's cultural surveillance center director Ladda Thangsupachai. "Today it is a cab driver, but tomorrow it could be a video game shop owner."

Grand Theft Auto IV has seen a great deal of controversy since its release this past April, proving a viable target for organizations such as the Parents Television Council and Mothers Against Drunk Driving