SANTA CLARA (KRON) — Great America, an amusement park in Santa Clara, is pulling its brand new Halloween attraction after some people said it was insensitive.
The game features a high-tech virtual reality component, but it centers around a mentally ill hospital patient.
There was a lot of hype leading up to this virtual reality adventure through a haunted psychiatric ward.
People were strapped in, wearing headsets, and they could end it if things get too intense with a panic button.
It opened last weekend ahead of Halloween, but Great America officials are bowing to pressure to have shut it down just days in.
For mental health advocates, the problem started with the name of the game.
The so-called thrill ride was dubbed VR 51-50.
51-50 is the penal code for mentally ill people.
A petition online called the attraction disgusting, saying it mocked people with mental illness.
Great America released a statement, saying in part, “Contrary to some traditional and social media accounts, the attraction’s story and presentation were never intended to portray mental illness. As it is impossible to address both concerns and misconceptions in the Halloween timeframe, at this time, we have decided to close the attraction.”