Donate your used PSP games to Trade-ins for Troops

by Chris Powell { Jan 21st 2008 at 9:30AM }

When our servicemembers deploy overseas, they leave their families, homes and everything they've come to love, but one thing they usually take with them is their PSPs. Drew Koehler, founder of the Hardcore Christian Gamer's Association, is on a mission to ensure they have plenty of games to help pass the time, and he needs your help.

Koehler's newest venture is Trade-ins for Troops, and it's supported entirely by gamers like yourselves who, instead of trading their old, used games in at Gamestop, donate them to Trade-ins for Troops. Then, Koehler and his team make sure they get into the troop's hands.

Like comic books and playing cards have in past wars, video games are one of the main ways deployed troops pass the time, and after spending time in Iraq myself, I can say the PSP is extremely popular with servicemembers. It just so happens that Trade-ins for Troops are looking mostly for handheld games, so if you want to support a good cause, maybe you should look into donating them.

Tags: charity, donate, trade-ins-for-troops

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

EAV @ Jan 24th 2008 1:52AM

@ Mani Shakib Pour

Am done with this topic. Do whatever. The story is donate, if you do not want to, than don't. This is not CNN so who cares about politics. If America are terrorists, than stop buying their stuff. Stop supporting it, if you like. Stay in your place and hopefully you do your part in your country so your country does not end up like you call America " A terrorists group like Al qaida. I bet wherever you live, it runs on America doing what it is doing, even if you do not like it. Be glad you do not have to be in a situation like this. Be glad you do not have to be in Iraq, or any where else where you have to go to battle. Be glad to also have freedom of speech where ever you live. Just be glad.

Kade Storm @ Jan 24th 2008 2:16AM

The only f***-faces that simplify something as complex and humanly irrational as clumping supporting a human-f*n-being - a dedicated trooper, into a political immorality - war, is either a fucking inbred conservative (note - inbred, not otherwise) or a theocrat from the desert! For fuck's sake! If you think that it's a lie to support people who follow an order, while not always supporting that order itself, then you're a f*n disgrace to even a primate's level of thinking. To the political shmucks that agree with this line of retardism - answer this: How is your respect for a human being - soldier, affixed with him/her being compelled/obligated by strict code to follow a certain directive - political protocol? THEY'RE NOT THE SAME F*N THING - NOT EVEN THE SAME F*N GENRE OF ARGUMENT, DUMB ASS!

EAV @ Jan 24th 2008 4:03PM

I agree if you man. Right on.

Mani Shakib Pour @ Jan 26th 2008 7:01PM

If a human is good or bad is defined by his actions. Also EAV you're in Iraq by your own doing, Iraq didn't ask for you to go there. And I try to buy as few american goods as possible.

bryansurvive @ Jan 26th 2008 8:10PM

gosh its just a trade in. you dont have to trade if you dont like. i wont cus if there out there they should mos def not be playing games. fix the job and come home. you can play when your back.

waterblue_ism @ Jan 21st 2008 9:55AM

Let's see now, trade in games for troops who are invading a country on a war I don't support. Yeah Right!

Eddie @ Jan 21st 2008 10:50AM

something like this, it's almost better to keep your mouth shut.

I don't support our reasons for being over there either, but that doesn't change the fact that they're still there.

If you have such an ideological problem with trade-ins for troops, don't send them any games. It's really that simple.

Tim Parsons @ Jan 21st 2008 10:54AM

i thought the troops killed people in their spare time?,. oh wait,. that's their day job

Jason @ Jan 21st 2008 11:03AM

Eddie, yeah its always a good idea to keep your mouth shut when innocent people are being killed in an illegal invasion. It a good idea to keep your mouth shut when your government is doing something you don't approve of. That's how democracy works right? Not voicing your opinion. You sound like a fascist.

Robert @ Jan 21st 2008 11:47AM

Just keep your mouth shut. While they're overseas fighting an unjust war, you're sitting in our warm homes with your loved ones, safe from IED's, AK47's, and people, when given the chance, will take your head off.

Stop whining about the war, people, it's sickening.

Jason @ Jan 21st 2008 1:15PM

Robert, Its people back in in the state "whining about the war" that want to get our troops home and away from IEDs and AKs. Supporting the war is just going to keep them there longer. Its pretty simple really, if you're against the war you're against people being killed, that includes soldiers and Iraqis.

Kohath @ Jan 22nd 2008 11:07PM

Spoken like someone who has no solution to any problem.

It sure is easy to be against everything, isn't it? It saves you from having to grow up and be responsible, solve problems, and make difficult choices.

At least we don't have to listen to the usual "I oppose the war but support the troops" lie -- because you obviously don't support them.

kman @ Feb 5th 2008 9:05PM

I support our troops for being in iraq. For the first time they can enjoy the benefits that we enjoy everyday. When the u.s. won the revelution I surely don't think everything wen't perfect immediatley it took time to adjust. If we left now what would stop another dictator to rise. nothing.

Eddie @ Jan 21st 2008 11:30AM

what? I clearly said that I didn't support it. I'm talking about someone making an honest gesture towards people that are in the military. You should look up the definition of fascism.

I don't support the war in the least, but if donated games will get these guys through their time over there, I don't see why we would take such a negative attitude toward this program.

Jason @ Jan 21st 2008 11:48AM

Perhaps I misunderstood you, but didn't you advise "something like this, it's almost better to keep your mouth shut". That sounds to me like fascism to me. "I don't like what you say so you shouldn't say it". I think the donation program is a nice idea, I'm not against it, but I am against people like you telling others with differing opinions to keep their mouth shut.

alexander @ Jan 21st 2008 11:36AM

I'm with eddie here
i dont support the war either
but the troops arent to blame for the war
they merely chose to pursue a military career
and i beleive people should get behind them =]

is there anyway i can do this from the UK?????

ryansurfer @ Jan 21st 2008 11:49AM

I wonder if sending them games like SOCOM and other military shooters is a good idea since they get enough of the real life aspect of that. But you never know.

Dehshizknight @ Jan 21st 2008 3:13PM

Well, be weary of that fact that you might anger some soldiers of the Military for sending them a Navy game. Lol, yeah it happens all the time with the Marine Corp and Navy ROTC programs at our school: they always gotta put down the other.

Duffski @ Jan 21st 2008 12:02PM

It's a great idea - soldiers love books, games and films about war so sending them SOCOM would be ideal!

I think Alexander hit the nail on the head; just because people are in the Armed Forces doesn't mean that they automaticaly support every conflict that the government decides to get involved in. You can be anti-Iraq war and still support the troops.

there are ways that you can do stuff like this from the UK. Newspapers like the Sun now and then publish addresses in Iraq and Afghanistan to send parcels to - these are normally the 'G1 Cells' who then distribute the contents of the parcels to soldiers who need them. Usually it's tea, coffee toiletries, magazines and snacks, but you can send DVDs and games too.

Hashbrown_Hunter @ Jan 21st 2008 12:47PM

Sounds like a fantastic idea. I have a couple used PSP games that I don't really play anymore, so I'll probably send them.

and btw, can you guys keep your personal opinions about the war to yourself? It's not cool to rag on the soldiers, just like Duffski and Alexander. Plus, Mr. Powell here is a soldier as well and I'm sure he doesn't appreciate all of this hating on people who put their lives on the line because they felt they wanted to protect their country. So lay off guys. It's disrespectful.

Jason @ Jan 21st 2008 1:03PM

Nobody's hating on soldiers. Did you see a sentence anywhere that said anything bad about our service people? All I read was people saying that they don't support the war. Those are two very different things. You could say that you don't agree with or support Buddhism without hating Buddhists, right? Its the same thing here. Its pretty hypocritical to champion the soldiers who are "protecting our country" while also telling people to not express their opinions. Isn't that what our soldiers are fighting for, to preserve our freedoms? Don't be so narrow minded.

Dahk @ Jan 21st 2008 5:33PM

Unfortunately Jason, you were the one telling eddie to shut up, when clearly he was only telling someone to be mindful of what the other guy/girl said - in an equally respectful way as the other guy/girl was to the troops.

Waterblue_ism basically said he's not supporting the troops, because of the war. And Jason was merely the one pointing out the fact that they shouldn't be related in that manner.

Fiefdom @ Jan 21st 2008 1:25PM

This is a good idea. Just because one doesn't support the war in Iraq (I sure as hell don't) doesn't mean that everyone should expunge any consideration for the soldiers who are over there. Many soldiers join the military due to monetary concerns so that they can later afford a higher education, not because they are particularly inclined towards killing people. Many veterans of the Vietnam War experienced prejudice upon returning to the US despite the fair number of them who joined to pay for college or were drafted. One has to take everything into consideration before trying to generalize every member of a fighting force as an inherent supporter of the military's current objectives. I could just as easily retaliate by saying that anybody who doesn't support the war is unpatriotic and a scourge of the public but that would be just as ridiculously untrue.

Open up your narrow minded perspective and actually pay bloody attention to the world instead of fabricating inaccurate generalizations to justify your failing to act like a civilized member of society. I don't support the war either but that's no reason to refrain from supporting the troops themselves in small matters such as this, especially when one considers why many of the soldiers are in the war in the first place. Sending a few games to the troops is not going to facilitate their killing of other people, so by sending in games, one is helping out the troops without actually supporting or aiding the war at all.

Kylock @ Jan 21st 2008 1:35PM

In Soviet Russia, thread flames you?

emaxximus @ Jan 21st 2008 2:34PM

LOL!!!

Chris @ Jan 21st 2008 3:24PM

This is about supporting our troops. And yes, Jason, you were hating on the troops. This was not about supporting the war, but you decided you couldn't help but turn political. But please, if it makes you feel good about yourself to demean those whose job is it is to protect your freedoms, regardless of why they are where they are, then don't let me get in your way of becoming a pathetic human being.

themango07 @ Jan 21st 2008 2:29PM

First off this is a gaming forum... where i do not believe we should be getting off on to the never ending mountain of politics. That said i have one comment...

Never thought there we so many liberals in the gaming society.

I would rather fight them outside the country than have stuff like 9/11 happen ever year or 6 months.

Robert @ Jan 21st 2008 3:33PM

"Never thought there we so many liberals in the gaming society."

You'd be surprised. Especially at Kotaku.

**I'm not the Robert from Above**

Brittany @ Jan 21st 2008 11:21PM

Man, sounds like all of you should be voting for Ron Paul in the Primaries then!

EAV @ Jan 22nd 2008 1:28AM

The soldiers chose to be in the military, the government chose to send them where they want them. I support the troops all the way, they have no say in going to war or not. If it werent for people like them, we would not be in our house playing, sleeping without fear of someone kicking our door in and taking our freedoms away. I dislike people who never been in the military or know anything to be bashing those who serve.

Mani Shakib Pour @ Jan 22nd 2008 9:29AM

Support the troops and you support the war, its that simple. Also all this talk about "protecting your country" is quite pathetic seeing as neither Iraq or Afghanistan has attacked America. The only thing thats happened is that a group of people blew up the world trade center. Maybe Afghanistan and Iraq let these people stay in their countries, but attacking the countries hasn't really solved anything the only thing it's done is increase the amount of hostility towards America. Never before has so many people been negative towards America just compare America before and after the Bush regime, it's like night and day. Also do you think it's a coincidence that Al Qaeda chose to attack America out of all countries? If you read up on the history of the conflict in Israel you'll find lots of reason for an attack like 9/11, if it justifies the attack or not is up to everyone to decide but it sure wasn't just a random attack.

Also it's quite pathetic to say it's ok to kill innocent people because the troops need more for college. I suppose the nazis cause was justified as well if they were in the army to pay for college? Bottomline is if you join the army and you obey it then you support its cause, you could always refuse to fight.

EAV @ Jan 22nd 2008 1:42PM

@ Mani Shakib Pour

You do not know anything about the way the US military works. You can not choose your battles. You join to protect your country when it needs you. If you refuse to fight the battles the government gives you, you end up in jail and who wants to go there. Every nation has its military and each of its citizens either have to join by force or its volunteer service just like in the USA. This thread was meant to send things to troops not politics. People need to read the headings on the topics on this site. I did my time in the service and I can say i never regret serving my country, some people can not say the same about theirs.

Fiefdom @ Jan 22nd 2008 4:20PM

How old are you? Do you have any bloody idea how many young men and women enlist so that they can pay for college? Obviously not everybody joins the army for that reason but you cannot pretend it's not a valid concern for many Americans and retain credibility for your position. Did you know that not everybody in the military is given a gun and asked to shoot innocent civilians? In fact, a lot of people aren't given a gun and instead work with computers or medical assistance or whatever.

"Support the troops and you support the war, its that simple."

This is the illogically close minded attitude that I suggested would do well to reanalyze their position. Please elaborate on how giving used games to soldiers or military personnel is going to help the military as a whole? Please explain how sending games to these kids is going to help them kill anybody. I don't support the war at all but I'm not going to pretend that everybody in the military is out there with the intention of killing people and I'm not going to pretend that these soldiers should be abandoned because they've become entangled in the political ideologies of your country.

By the way, the ideology behind Al Queda's being established lies in Islamic Revivalism. Al Queda's focus has nothing to do with Israel, you are ignorant of this topic.

I am not contesting that invading these countries has little benefit for the US and potentially has little benefit for those countries. I am contesting the idea that refusing to acknowledge the fact that not everybody in your country's military is a psychotic prat intent on murdering civilians is stupid. You would do well to research the arguments you are using because many of them are groundless and based on inaccurate assumptions.

"Never thought there we so many liberals in the gaming society."

Who cares? Why would you even attempt to label any person's political affiliations based on their stance on one issue?

LM2007 @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:26AM

And this topic or new maybe gonna be deleted soon if you keep fighting and writing that you don't like the war or whatever. If you don't like the idea just don't send it.

crazypenguin @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:26AM

i support our troops, not the war though. this sounds like a great idea! they deserve somthing for doing a war they think needs to be fought. they are doing this because they believe its right. BUT I DON'T SUPPORT THE WAR.

EAV @ Jan 22nd 2008 1:45PM

The troops are doing what they are doing because they have too. They joined the service and their country wants them to go and serve in these battles. Some soldiers might not support the war too, but they have no choice but to serve their time in their contracts. I used to be one of them. I did my time and now am back to normal life. I dont support the war either but I do support my comrades in the battlefield whenever they need anything i can provide them.

alienclays @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:42AM

@ Mani Shakib Pour
when you swear in to the US armed forces you sign a contract basicly saying you wont "pick your battles"going into war whenever you feel like it. if you do you can be sent to the brig. what about guys like me who joined well before 9/11? it's not about our opinions, we volenteer ourselves to defend freedom and democracy around the world the way our democracy and commander in chief sees fit in our oath of enlistment. if you can't take it, then don't join. but never connect the servicemember with the politics. that's not his/her job.
free college is a benifit of military life war or not, what the hell are you talking about?

being in the navy we don't need this much, we haul along our ps3's and 360's, to play on the ships various big screens and buy our psp games on port call in akihabara japan and the mega malls in dubai (thank you sony for no region encoding). but having once had the rare oppertunity to spend 45 straight days at sea under stressfull situations with no port call, i can understand how a program like this can be a godsend. esp for those who put the all they have and the most they can give on the line everyday for people they don't know.

if anything, pick up a brand new copy and send it out, these guys are worth it.

Mr.ESC @ Jan 22nd 2008 3:44PM

I thought the PSP catch phrase was "Dude get your own".

Mani Shakib Pour @ Jan 22nd 2008 4:41PM

I know you can't pick your battles but you can decide wheter you want to join the army or not. Also you can boycot the army if you think what they are doing isn't right. Sure it may have legal consequences but it's better than killing people in a war that makes the world a more unsafe place.

What I mean with the college thing is that people who join the army just to get free college shouldn't be felt sorry for, if they are stupid enough to enlist for that reason then they have only themselves to blame. In fact they shouldn't even be allowed to join.

bailey.p1 @ Jan 22nd 2008 5:46PM

What a load of rubbish. Why should I support soldiers killing people and invading countries. There seems to be a general viewpoint that its the leaders, not the soldiers, calling the shots. While that may be true, and the soldiers dont get to choose where they are sent, that blind obediance to authority is what lets wars occur in the first place.
If they dont agree with the war, then they should defect. Sometimes it really is that simple.

EAV @ Jan 23rd 2008 12:04PM

You need to think before you talk. Think about the men killing innocent people around the world and am talking about the terrorists who hide behind innocent civilians and shoot at troops trying to bring peace to the land. Hell, if the people don't want the help than they can do it themselves. I dislike people who take everything for granted. Especially those who never been in battle or don't care because other people are doing the work to protect YOU, so you can comment on this site.

Mani Shakib Pour @ Jan 23rd 2008 4:19PM

It's you who need to think before you talk EAV. The war in Iraq has made the country more instable than it was before the war. So your talk about bringing peace doesn't make any sense at all. America is just as much terrorists as Al Qaeda are. America interfere in things that are none of their business all the time. Just look at Vietnam and Israel. It's also a bit ironic that USA helped Saddam to power and funded Al Qaeda training in the first place.

And no, the people of Iraq don't want America in their country, that has been pretty clear for a while now, how would you like it if another country occupied America? Would you enjoy it? The only thing I can imagine that the people of Iraq would want with the US army is for them to clean up the mess they've made in their country and then get out of there.

Are you really so naive that you think you can defeat a cause by invading a country or two? Do you think people are more or less hostile towards America before or after the war in Iraq? Also you don't need military experience to know right from wrong, I'm sure the troops in Iraq suffer but that doesn't make them being there any more right.

emaxximus @ Jan 22nd 2008 6:17PM

I fully support soldiers who kill people, when the people they kill are people who would like to kill me and my family. Sometimes innocent people die, because the enemy has no problem hiding behind innocent people to shield themselves. All the more reason they need to be taken out.