The parents of an Ontario boy who has been missing for over a week said Tuesday they believe their son's obsession with a video game had something to do with his disappearance.

Brandon Crisp, 15, had been spending virtually every waking hour playing the Xbox game Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, his parents said. Steve and Angelika Crisp had, as a result, revoked his video game privileges on numerous occasions, they said.

On Oct. 13, after an argument over the amount of time he spent playing the game, Crisp jumped on his bicycle and sped away from the family home in Barrie, Ont.

He was last seen around 3 p.m. that day, Thanksgiving Monday.

"We still feel that he's met someone online or befriended someone online through this game, and if he's gained their trust, he would have possibly gotten into a car," said the boy's father on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters, his mother appealed to Crisp to come home.

"We love you. We just want you home safe," said Angelika Crisp.

The teen's mountain bike was found abandoned in a ditch by the side of a road in Shanty Bay, Ont., a few kilometres from his home.

Police are continuing their search in the Oro-Medonte area, north of Barrie, with the help of canine units. There have been no reported sightings of the teen, and police have not found any new leads.

Police said dropping temperatures have added further urgency to the search.