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GAMING NEWS

Massachusetts Removes Violent Video Games From State Rest Stops

Posted on Monday, January 14 @ 08:39:45 Eastern by Keri_Honea


After the tragic elementary school shooting in Newton, we knew we'd see backlash against violent video games ripple across the country. Most recently, the state of Massachusetts has decided to pull all violent video games from state-controlled rest stops.

According to the Boston Globe, the decision came down after one resident complained. All violent arcade games were removed from rest stops at that point, which included games like Time Crisis and Beach Head 2000. Games such as Galaga, Ms. Pac-Man, and Cruis'n Exotica remain.

In addition, the Massachusetts town of Melrose will hold a "New Year, New Direction" collection drive for violent video games. Families who turn in their violent video games, movies, and toys will be given coupons from local businesses. It's very similar to the collection drive that Southington, CT attempted to hold but canceled earlier this year. Melrose's drive is scheduled to start on February 1st.

Such reactions are hardly surprising, especially when the vice-president of the country has taken time to meet with game publishers regarding violent video games and gun control. We should expect similar reactions to slowly trickle across the country eventually, whether we agree with them or not.


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Comments
  • Anthony_Severino
    Anthony_Severino

    Joined: Oct 2010
    Posted: Jan 14th, 2013 at 8:46 am
    I was just in Melrose on Friday... so stupid. Video games had NOTHING to do with recent shootings. And if they really feel the need to point the blame at video games, film, television, and music should be bundled right along side it.
  • friggest
    friggest

    Joined: Mar 2008
    Posted: Jan 14th, 2013 at 8:46 am
    It is a goverment run place so I don't see anything wrong besides the knee jerk reaction.
    And they have arcades at rest stops in Mass.? In Texas we just have restrooms and benches.
  • Chunibrow
    Chunibrow

    Joined: Mar 2010
    Posted: Jan 14th, 2013 at 11:43 am
    No glory holes? Shame, I thought everything was bigger in Texas.
  • tinymhg
    tinymhg

    Joined: Jun 2011
    Posted: Jan 14th, 2013 at 8:48 am
    You can have my video games when you pry them from my cold dead hands!

    And that looks like it might just happen. My God, Anthony_Severino your state is crazy.
  • phlogiston
    phlogiston

    Joined: Nov 2012
    Posted: Jan 14th, 2013 at 9:22 am
    What a bunch of dumb *****.
  • Nick_Tan
    Nick_Tan

    Joined: Jul 2006
    Posted: Jan 14th, 2013 at 11:36 am
    Hey, Massachusetts, what are you thinking? I mean, Galaga promotes violence against foreigners, Cruisin' Exotica promotes violence on the highway, and Ms. Pac-Man promotes overeating and obesity. I'm going to complain about it and get them all banned TO PROTECT EVERYTHING!!!
  • Chunibrow
    Chunibrow

    Joined: Mar 2010
    Posted: Jan 14th, 2013 at 11:49 am
    If my parents ever traded in some of my video games so they could get COUPONS for local businesses I would straight take them out with a Far Cry 3 knife takedown and hoist my flag over the newly liberated outpost of my house. Which would kind of prove the whole game removing was justified but damn, the revenge would be worry it.
  • Ivory_Soul
    Ivory_Soul

    Joined: Nov 2005
    Posted: Jan 14th, 2013 at 11:53 am
    Good job idiots. Don't blame the source (THE F^CKING PERSON WHO DID IT!) and blame something completely unrelated. Typical of our government to do this.
  • SolidSevchinko78
    SolidSevchinko78

    Joined: Jun 2012
    Posted: Jan 14th, 2013 at 12:15 pm
    This is getting pretty ridiculous. People are so dumb
  • BigTruckSeries
    BigTruckSeries

    Joined: May 2006
    Posted: Jan 14th, 2013 at 1:35 pm
    I wonder what would happen if the next mass shooter, leaves a suicide letter behind that says:

    I DIDN'T DO IT BECAUSE OF GAMES.
    I DIDN'T DO IT CAUSE OF MOVIES.
    I DID IT BECAUSE I HATED YOU ALL.

    Maybe then they'd stop blaming games and movies?
  • elmoreoocyte
    elmoreoocyte

    Joined: Apr 2012
    Posted: Jan 14th, 2013 at 2:18 pm
    I'm all out of comments on stories like this because I'm sounding like a broken record.

    Maybe there will be some bargain priced arcade cabinets up for sale in the Massachusetts area?
  • hewhowasonceme
    hewhowasonceme

    Joined: May 2011
    Posted: Jan 14th, 2013 at 2:54 pm
    Simple minds come up with simple solutions.
  • Amorphis
    Amorphis

    Joined: Dec 2010
    Posted: Jan 14th, 2013 at 4:34 pm
    Meeting with game developers about gun control makes as much sense as meeting with Hot Wheels about road safety
  • shandog137
    shandog137

    Joined: Mar 2007
    Posted: Jan 14th, 2013 at 4:44 pm
    War sucks and causes a **** load of deaths every day. If you want to prevent war just get rid of governments...they are the only ones who can actually have one...oh wait that doesn't make sense. keep governments and get rid of militaries...militaries do more than simply fight wars...okay fine just get rid of all guns for military personell...that'll stop it right...wait these gross generalizations are just not working...but war sucks! how do we stop it with a really simple solution?

    Thought - maybe it can't be solved with a simple solution. Maybe violent crimes do not have a single cause but rather a culmination factors leads to certain behaviors. Well shouldn't we focus on the easiest ones to fix? Well the eaisiest issues to address may not necessarily have the most significant impact to resolving your issue. However, perceptualy it looks rather significant if you don't look at all of the other aspects associated with the behavior. People want a solution...I represent the people...I have ot give them a solution or else I am not going to be relected. Telling people this isn't something we can necessarily fix does not win elections...

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