Massachusetts Town Announces Videogame Exchange Program

[Andy Chalk]

Massachusetts Town Announces Videogame Exchange Program

And the Massachusetts Department of Transportation has removed several "violent" arcade games from its turnpike service areas.

The town of Southington, Connecticut pulled the plug [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/121421-Connecticut-Town-Cancels-Videogame-Cull] on its plans for a violent videogame cull earlier this week, but now the town of Melrose, Massachusetts has unveiled plans for a videogame turn-in of its own. Called "New Year - New Direction," the initiative will allow families to exchange violent videogames, movies and toys for a sheet of coupons that can be used at local businesses, and possibly a "get out of homework free" card as well.

"If a family has this discussion and maybe tries to get rid of some of this stuff, they are going to get one of these coupons. The child may be getting rid of something they like, but they are getting some value for it," Melrose Mayor Robert Dolan said. "I'm not saying people shouldn't have [violent games and toys], but, at least in my house, things have changed since Connecticut."

Meanwhile, Massachusetts state authorities also decided to remove several arcade games, including Time Crisis and Beachhead 2000, from turnpike rest stops following a complaint from a family who witnessed someone playing one at a stop near Newtown, Connecticut, the site of the Sandy Hook massacre.

"You could even hear it in the bathroom," the complainant, Andrew Hyams, told the Boston Globe. "People have the freedom to have whatever videogames in their own homes that they want. We were struck by walking into a [state-owned] rest stop within an hour's drive of Newtown and seeing and hearing a life-sized, mounted machine gun on a videogame."

Following their complaint, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation pulled nine machines from four separate rest stops. "A videogame in a public space could be used by anybody of any age," Transportation Secretary Richard Davey said. "At the end of the day, those games are there to entertain kids, probably for a few minutes, while their parents are resting from a long trip. I just think it makes all the sense in the world to have it be a more passive" game.

Source: Boston Globe [http://bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/01/11/state-melrose-mayor-target-violent-video-games/rJDPeKQTBfKYIt92Gic24L/story.html]


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[Falterfire]

Indeed. I remember all those horror stories of brutal murders by children who wanted to recreate playing Time Crisis at rest stops. Thousands were killed, blood everywhere. It's good that somebody has finally stepped up to end the carnage. The ultra-realistically violence portrayed in such arcade games is far worse than anything portrayed in movie advertisements and clearly affected youths on a deep personal level that imbued them with an urge to kill.

 

[zidine100]

"get out of homework free"

oh excuse me teacher i didnt do my homework today,

why little timmy

because i bought a copy of mw3 this week.


sorry but what the hell guys you know this is going to be abused to all hell, thanks for making the education system look like a utter joke.

 

[Arizona Kyle]

Tell you what i will buy all your violent video games for 10$ Each.... Sell online or to gamestop (when im hurting for money) and profit

Please people are so uptight... OMG there is a game that was there before the shooting and is about defending a beach. We must remove it because it could want to make our children set up costal guns and fire on ships trying to dock or airplanes trying to land. Personaly i would just say "Hey lady f off it is a freaking video games about defending a beach and battling terrorists."

 

[Terminate421]

You know, it's people like this that actually make me want to drive to Connecticut and set up a game shop and advertise the opposite of what they are trying to do.

Time Crisis is about stopping terrorists, not shooting small school children.

 

[PunkRex]

Not sure how to feel about this, I don't think it really holds up but at least their handling it with some class... except that homework thing, thats a load of bull:

'Its okay to stay dumb as a post kids, as long as your not angry about it.'

Fu*king spare me, stupidity can often lead to violance.

 

[PunkRex]

You know, it's people like this that actually make me want to drive to Connecticut and set up a game shop and advertise the opposite of what they are trying to do.

Time Crisis is about stopping terrorists, not shooting small school children.

You'd think the NRA would be all about that...

 

[Zombie_Moogle]

At the very, very least, they aren't directly focused on videogames

Or maybe I'm just worn out today...

 

[Frezzato]

In other news, the state of Massachusetts had decided to block all television programming that contains "violence of an extreme nature", leaving viewers to choose between reruns of 'How It's Made' and 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?'.

Unfortunately the only episode of 'How It's Made' that is considered non-violent is the one about the button factory.

 

[Coach Morrison]

I'm guessing the stupidity won't end any time soon, at least not until some town actually goes through with a media burning.

 

[Eclipse Dragon]

Because Southington, Connecticut ended so well...

So Melrose, Massachusetts is trying to get around the cost issues by encouraging you to trade in your $60 games and $20 DVDS for $5 off coupons that they may or may not have printed off the internet.

To be fair, they didn't actually say how much value the coupons would be worth, but that's what I'm assuming.


This reminds me of my first "violent" anime movie, I was at the store with my mom, I was about 9 when I asked her forAkira. We got up to the register and the cashier asks my mom "Is it okay for her to have this, you know this movie is rated R right?" to which my mom replied "Yeah it's fine, I don't care."

 

[mattttherman3]

gimme 100$a game and I will hand most of mine in. Oh you won't do that? Guess you don't truly care about kids #sarcasm

 

[Jorec]

Removing Time Crisis? Really? That's what's considered "violent" these days? Last time I checked those games hardly had any kind of blood and the dialogue was about as cheesy as it could get. Plus the games have always been rated T.

If you really think Time Crisis of all games can cause kids to become shooters then you are a sad, sad person.

Edit: Also send me one of those Time Crisis cabinets. I've always wanted one in my house.

 

[Micah Weil]

See, the issue with the "get out of homework free" card(s) is that the kids were probably going to spend that time not doing homework...I don't know...playing violent video games.

 

[Froggy Slayer]

"get out of homework free"

What the fuck? So, you're saying that you're sending a good message while telling kids 'you don't have to do homework as long as you march in lockstep with society'?! That's the kind of message that a cheeky, fucking undies-in-mouth retarded **** would make!

 

[Lucem712]

If anything, I'd say a 'realistic' arcade shooter put me off from ever owning a gun. I played a Rambo type game at a local event center and the gun was pretty life sized (I assume) and had recoil, hurt my shoulder like hell even playing just one game.

I also found it a bit funny as there was a US Army game (kind of like a recruit shooting range) and my friend who has rather good marks and is actually an a Wing Commander couldn't get past the first few stages. Funny stuff.

Also, does it just have to be violence with guns? Since Skyrim doesn't have guns, does that mean it doesn't qualify?

 

[sethisjimmy]

Melrose Mayor Robert Dolan said. "I'm not saying people shouldn't have [violent games and toys], but, at least in my house, things have changed since Connecticut."

"I'm not saying you shouldn't have violent video games, but it took a recent massive disaster for me to take a vague interest in what my children are doing, and if you have violent video games in your house you're a bad person"

 

[mattaui]

What knee-jerk, insincere nonsense. As if people weren't violent before the advent of video games (or TV, movies, music or whatever the latest scapegoat is). We're a violent species, that's why simulated violence entertains us. The biggest problems that children and adults face with video games isn't the content, but the amount of time they spend on them and the risks it could possibly pose to school or work.

 

[Hagi]

So erm...

What'll be happening to any games possible idiots might turn in?

Could I like... have them?

That'd be awesome.