Those words are more than just piercing to some people. Saying someone is ugly or an idiot, a retard, 7 years old or whatever racial slur you favor is piercing words. Telling someone to kill themselves, when that thought has actually already crossed their mind could in fact lead to them killing themselves. Was it that person alone that caused all of the damage? No. But could that person have behaved in a way that would have resulted in this person not dying? Yes. To me that means they hold the burden of responsibility and if that responsibility can be placed through a game then I say by all means we should have a significantly harsher punishment for it.
Especially in a day when young generations are raised with a significant amount of communication online, hearing from someone that one considers a peer to kill themselves is the equivalent (more or less, depending on the exact circumstances) of being told by someone at school to kill themselves.
Sure, it's just words. But those words can end a life. Can you honestly tell me that ALL words are equal and that we should treat any and all offensive language equally?