The Massachusetts Department of Transportation decided to remove arcade games it deemed violent from rest stop in the state earlier this month, which has caused the National Coalition Against Censorship to cry foul.
According to a letter issued by its executive director, Joan Bertin, the pulling of said games goes against the 2011 Supreme Court decision regulation of violent games is unconstitutional. The pulling of the arcade titles is also “equally constitutionally problematic,” due to the games being removed “after a single complaint” from a concerned citizen.
“There is no legitimate state interest that could be asserted to justify removing specific games to appease the sensibilities of certain motorists,” Bertin wrote in her letter. “Moreover, by caving to the demands of one passer-by, the Department will inevitably invite others to register complaints about material they deem inappropriate.
“It is not a stretch to imagine someone demanding a ban on certain DVDs, magazines, or books. Perhaps other travelers will think it is inappropriate to broadcast news about war or crime, or other televised content. It is no more acceptable for the Department to remove certain kinds of video games than it would be to selectively remove other materials in rest stops and concessions because some motorists find something in them objectionable.”
Some of the arcade games pulled from rest areas include the 1999 Digital Fusion title Beach Head 2000 and the 1995 shooter Time Crisis.
Thanks, GI International.
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