A city in Massachusetts will offer coupons to residents in exchange for violent games. According to the Boston Globe, Robert Dolan, mayor of Melrose, Mass., is planning to launch an initiative “aimed at persuading families to get rid of their violent video games, movies, and toys by offering coupons to residents who turn in those items at the city yard.”
Residents who throw away items can retrieve a coupon sheet, which will include deals at local businesses and possibly a ‘get out of homework free’ coupon.
“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,” Dolan said. “The child may be getting rid of something they like, but they are getting some value for it.” Dolan “felt compelled to start the program following the Newtown shootings” that took place last month and hopes to be collecting games by February 1st. The program will be called “New Year - New Direction” and “residents who throw away items can retrieve a coupon sheet, which will include deals at local businesses and possibly a ‘get out of homework free’ coupon.”
In addition to Melrose’s new initiative, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation has removed nine violent arcade games from rest stops in at least four Massachusetts towns. Games pulled from rest stops include Time Crisis and Beach Head 2000, while games including Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga and Cruis’n Exotica will remain.
“Bottom line is I think there isn’t a person who doesn’t believe that there isn’t too much violence in our society, and games can glorify that,” said Transportation Secretary Richard Davey. “A video game in a public space could be used by anybody of any age. 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].”
News of Melrose’s exchange program comes just one day after a small town in Connecticut canceled its plans to collect and destroy violent games.
Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following @garfep on Twitter or garfep on IGN.
Source : ign[dot]com
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