Sandy Hook Arcade Center

The Sandy Hook tragedy left a mark on Newtown, Connecticut.  The reactions of news and political figures to the shooting that left 26 dead also left a mark on video gaming, with pundits from both sides of the political spectrum placing varying amounts of blame on the digital media.

Many of us may have felt the damning of the entire media was a knee-jerk and unwarranted, but two residents of Newtown decided to actually do something about it.  Andrew Clure and Scott Cicciari have opened a family-friendly arcade in Newtown called the Sandy Hook Arcade Center.

Being cynical, I might have expected there to be a negative response from the community.  I would have been wrong.  The arcade has actually been a collaborative effort, with local businesses, citizens, and officials all contributing to make the Sandy Hook Arcade Center a reality.

The arcade is a not-for-profit and features pinball machines, digital games (such as Kinect games) and air hockey.  Money earned by the arcade from visitors to Newtown will go towards keeping it running.  Newtown residents can use the arcade for no charge.

As Clure said, “For us this is not a business, it’s simply our commitment as parents and residents to promote one of the core values in Newtown — family.”