Arcade video shooting games pulled after massacres
BOSTON (AP) - It was 10 days after a gunman killed 20 first-graders and six educators in Newtown, Conn., when Tracey Hyams and her family came upon a teenager firing a lifelike toy rifle on a video game at a Massachusetts highway rest stop.
As Hyams, her husband and their 12-year-old son walked by, they could hear the rat-a-tat-tat of gunfire coming from the arcade game.
"We looked at each other and said, 'Did you see that? How inappropriate,'" Hyams said.
She sent an email to Massachusetts transportation officials, asking them to remove the game. About a week later, they got a response - the state pulled not just that game, but eight others at rest areas along the Massachusetts Turnpike.
In Yonkers, N.Y., a moviegoer got similar action this month after he complained about a video shooting game in the lobby of the Showcase cinema complex there. National Amusements Inc. removed the game and replaced it with a Pac Man game.
In both cases, owners of the games said they were trying to be sensitive in the wake of the horrific Newtown massacre.
An executive with National Amusements, based in Norwood, Mass., said the theater chain plans to review its theaters to determine whether additional games should also be removed.
"We are going to meet with our vendor who supplies the games, and we're going to review it on a case-by-case basis," said Steve Horton, vice president of operations for National Amusements, a Norwood, Mass., company that operates more than 1,500 movie screens around the world.
Sara Lavoie, a spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, said Hyams noted in her email that Newtown is about an hour away from the rest area in Charlton where her family saw the shooting game on Christmas Eve, 10 days after the school shooting.
"We thought, 'Yeah, we agree with you. We will ask that all of the video games be replaced with more passive video games,'" Lavoie said.
Simon Kubiak, a founding member of the National Video Game Association LLC, an association of video gamers, said he sees the pulling of the arcade games as an overreaction.
"There are billions of copies of games out there, and the incidence of mass shootings hasn't increased. I don't think there's any correlation between the video game industry and the movie industry and mass shootings," he said.
"It's a terrible event, no doubt, but I think the powers that be need to address underlying problems and not cast blame on the video gaming industry."
Richard Reitnauer, the Yonkers moviegoer, said he first noticed the game after seven people were shot to death in July in a movie theater in Aurora, Colo. He didn't complain then, but when he noticed the game again days after the Newtown shooting, he called National Amusement's headquarters and asked if the company would remove it.
"I told him that I felt it was inappropriate game in an inappropriate place within view. You can hardly walk into this large theater lobby without your eyes drifting over to the game area. I told him that in the context of the shootings, this was kind of like the last straw. Society needs to become more sensitive," Reitnauer said.
When Reitnauer heard back from the company two weeks later, he was told the game had been removed.
"I feel it was a good gesture for the theater to take the guns out, and if everybody across America decided to take a small step, we just might start getting at some solutions."
As Hyams, her husband and their 12-year-old son walked by, they could hear the rat-a-tat-tat of gunfire coming from the arcade game.
"We looked at each other and said, 'Did you see that? How inappropriate,'" Hyams said.
She sent an email to Massachusetts transportation officials, asking them to remove the game. About a week later, they got a response - the state pulled not just that game, but eight others at rest areas along the Massachusetts Turnpike.
In Yonkers, N.Y., a moviegoer got similar action this month after he complained about a video shooting game in the lobby of the Showcase cinema complex there. National Amusements Inc. removed the game and replaced it with a Pac Man game.
In both cases, owners of the games said they were trying to be sensitive in the wake of the horrific Newtown massacre.
An executive with National Amusements, based in Norwood, Mass., said the theater chain plans to review its theaters to determine whether additional games should also be removed.
"We are going to meet with our vendor who supplies the games, and we're going to review it on a case-by-case basis," said Steve Horton, vice president of operations for National Amusements, a Norwood, Mass., company that operates more than 1,500 movie screens around the world.
Sara Lavoie, a spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, said Hyams noted in her email that Newtown is about an hour away from the rest area in Charlton where her family saw the shooting game on Christmas Eve, 10 days after the school shooting.
"We thought, 'Yeah, we agree with you. We will ask that all of the video games be replaced with more passive video games,'" Lavoie said.
Simon Kubiak, a founding member of the National Video Game Association LLC, an association of video gamers, said he sees the pulling of the arcade games as an overreaction.
"There are billions of copies of games out there, and the incidence of mass shootings hasn't increased. I don't think there's any correlation between the video game industry and the movie industry and mass shootings," he said.
"It's a terrible event, no doubt, but I think the powers that be need to address underlying problems and not cast blame on the video gaming industry."
Richard Reitnauer, the Yonkers moviegoer, said he first noticed the game after seven people were shot to death in July in a movie theater in Aurora, Colo. He didn't complain then, but when he noticed the game again days after the Newtown shooting, he called National Amusement's headquarters and asked if the company would remove it.
"I told him that I felt it was inappropriate game in an inappropriate place within view. You can hardly walk into this large theater lobby without your eyes drifting over to the game area. I told him that in the context of the shootings, this was kind of like the last straw. Society needs to become more sensitive," Reitnauer said.
When Reitnauer heard back from the company two weeks later, he was told the game had been removed.
"I feel it was a good gesture for the theater to take the guns out, and if everybody across America decided to take a small step, we just might start getting at some solutions."
Any way we can have creepy old guys who may or may not be a child molestor removed?
"Instead, we have what are likely a bunch of early-2000s light gun games that no one plays anymore standing as authoritative representatives of video gaming's content and cultural reach."
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Boom. The lone statement needed to discredit not only this entire bs article, but this entire bs "trend" altogether.
Which games were REMOVED? No details? No story. Associated Press fails once again lol.
Go here to read about everything the AP does wrong when reporting about video games:
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http://kotaku.com/5979213/when-the-game-has-no-name-all-are-to-blame
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You will tell us that the new game is Pac-Man, but not what game was removed?
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Why?
Were you not told or are you withholding that information?
Apparently, the shooter involved in Sandy Hook has had little evidence to suggest he had an "unhealthy obsession" over any video games. The charge about Call of Duty comes from a plumber who's assuming they played, and the link to Dynasty Warriors was never sourced. So, guess what guys, people who DON'T play video games can go full stupid too.
I consider the machines that sell soda and candy inappropriate, as they are contributing to the global pandemic of obesity. Surely people seeking respite from the road would need something more substantial to digest than sugary garbage. Nobody will act on this complaint, because isn't as sensational as a blind, overreaction against an oppressed medium.
@Denise Lavoie What is the name of the game removed from the Arcade? Is it Time Crisis? Is it Crisis Zone? Is it the Terminator Salvation Arcade game? Why didn't you name the game that was removed from the arcade?
So... another parent got to decide how another adult either spends his free time or how another parent handles his or her kid. Way to go! Don't get me wrong, parents have no reason to ignore the ESRB in any form and it's just pure laziness that they aren't paying attention to the vast amounts of information available. (Keep in mind that most arcade games also have a notifier on the marquee for the title depicting it's content as well.) Thanks a lot Reitnauer. We're taking one step closer to a more "passive" society which is not only contributing to the risk of an outbreak of violence, but also contributing to risking American freedoms in the future. Video Games on an individual level may not be as important as say... food, the wars we're involved in, or economic issues, but this kind of behavior is indicative of an artform that is absolutely getting attacked for no legitimately backed reason other than someone getting a bit warded out because they don't participate in that culture. I hope NAMCO comes back with some papers here. Video Games were given first-amendment classifications when the state of California tried oh-so-hard to ban the sale of Mature rated games. What Reitnauer doesn't realize is that he's not targeting children for his misplaced concern, he's targeting adults with his minority view on "acceptable games."
Well, just so long as the complainers' wishes were granted and everyone feels good.
Can we pull rap music next? Sorry....."Hip Hop"? Please? If you take away their video games, they're gonna want to slap their b*tches up to whore themselves out, sell more drugs to buy that new "grille" and steal another Glock in order to make their lives more like the game they can no longer play. Then, when we've outlawed video games, we can outlaw the movies that THRIVE on senseless violence. After we're done with MOVIES, maybe we can be rid of the ULTIMATE violent game..........WAR. Oh wait.......those that are trying to "regulate" us to death make WAY too much money off of THAT one huh? Think about it.
Really? Â One thing has nothing to do with the other. Â Mothers and fathers beating their kids happen more often. Â You are more likely to be killed by a corporation than the government, and both of those separately outnumber the deaths caused by guns. Â Children died. Â These games didn't do it.
@ETSubmariner  the inconvient truth about video games and violent movies is that is desensitizes the viewer/ gamer to violence. most would agree movies and video games don't CAUSE violent behavior. but only the very naive among us believe they do not somehow contribute. explain away the violent behavior generation to generation  among some peoples of the world. witnessed, learned, repeated.
@jennieb the so called "Inconvienient truth" that you mention has been 100% inconclusive. All the studies done so far (note there's been less than 40 or so) have so many problems it's rediculous. 1-sided funding reminciant of the Big Tabacco debacle of the 90's (all from anti-gaming groups, ESRB board has yet to fund ANY studies); results that intentionally vague or unclear allowing for multiple interpretations ranging from negative correlation of video games to violence all the way to video games being the sole reason for ANY kind of violence in a person; studies not being able to be reproduced (a key point of a proper & valid study is the ability to reproduce the effect); studies involving college age students who recognize a study for what it is & respond in a way expected of them in said study. All in all, if you want to cite information then you better damned well be willing to accept ALL the information rather than hand pick what supports your side while ignoring the rest.
 @jennieb No, they don't. They at best increase aggression and desensitize people to fake violence, but it has zero impact on real violence. These studies and heresay you're basing your response on are fundamentally flawed and that's why there are no straight answers from anyone.
This is wonderful! It's a first step that should have been taken a long time ago! I love video games myself and they are no fun unless they are exciting and challenging. However, the creative minds who design video games should be able to come up with all sorts of exciting, challenging things that don't involve killing PEOPLE. I have no problem with games in which the player has to outsmart and zap the wiley, diabolically clever, obviously non-human monster. But a game in which the player is killing humans -- especially in a realistic fashion -- creates an unrealistic, desensitized view of human suffering and death. It is unwholesome for any person, but especially a very young person or someone who has mental issues. I agree with swatspyder --- no unicorns, candy, and rainbows --- but on the other end of the spectrum, no mass murder simulators
 @grmnshepherdess Ok the argument that video games desensitize you to violence is WRONG. There is a FAR cry to an embellished video game death, and that of a real death. One is exciting with fake blood flying everywhere, the other is not.
Will they also pull the movies showing simulated violence by actual real-life people??
Before you know it, all arcade fighting/shooting/hunting/etc. games will be replaced by games suitable for children age 5. It will be full of unicorns, candy, and rainbows.
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With how many FPS games that are sold each year... Sheesh... People want a reason to stuff their pitchfork into something, and will pick the first thing that comes close to being a "cause".
"National Amusements Inc. removed the game and replaced it with a Pac Man game".
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Pac Man and the ghosts kill each other, that is the point of the game.Brilliant.
 @Melissa Angevine While I see where you are going there, kids won't play PacMan and try to eat other people to death.Â
That being said, I think pulling games like this is a knee-jerk reaction, and I'm not a fan of it.Â
 @RedRiverBand  @Melissa AngevineÂ
 @RedRiverBand  @Melissa Angevine That bath-salts zombie in Florida last year has been solved... He was playing PacMan prior to eating that other guy's face!!