School deaths intensify pressure on industry

By Kevin Flynn
Denver Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer

The operators of the game room at Denver International Airport say violence in video games has become a hotter issue all over the country since the Columbine High School killings.

But Bill Beckham of Toledo, Ohio, said the industry had been faced with serious questions over game violence for at least two years.

Beckham and his partner, Dan Lopez of Parker, removed several games that involved killing and other violence this week after Rep. Scott McInnis, R-Colo., complained about it to Denver Mayor Wellington Webb.

Lopez said he immediately agreed to remove some of the games in question, and that the Columbine killings had had a profound impact on his own family. He has four children.

"It opened our eyes to a lot of things even in my own family," he said.

Beckham operates video game rooms in Ohio and Michigan as well. He is a member of an industry group that deals with issues such as violence.

"We haven't bought certain games because of this," he said. "Several we've taken a pass on."

Beckham also said the operators have asked manufacturers to come out with a warning system. Some games already come with a parental advisory.

"Columbine did escalate the public awareness of this," he said.