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AOL Schools Parents On Gaming At PlaySavvy

Posted by Mike Fahey at 3:40 AM on December 2, 2008

AOL has officially launched PlaySavvy.com, a new website aimed at informing curious parents about the games their children play and generating revenue from ads aimed at this lucrative demographic.


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real world

Games Help Prison Guards Guard Better

Posted by Stephen Totilo at 5:00 AM on June 24, 2008

The Cumberland Times News of Maryland brings news of a tour two children recently took of the North Branch Correctional Institution, a maximum security prison. They were with their parents, of course.

During this tour they learned that video games help prison guards do their job:

From the front of a computer-filled control room inside Housing Unit 4, prison Warden John A. Rowley said Nintendo was a great tool to train today's officers. Every aspect of an inmate's cell life can be controlled by a touchscreen video monitoring system inside the control room, he said. When the doors open and close or whether a cell has water or not is up to the staff on duty.

Let's think this through. If some people say that video games help train criminals and if warden Rowley says games help train prison guards. Then... it's a wash?

A view from behind bars - Cumberland Times News. Image courtesy of Morgan-Keller Construction.

real world

These Nintendo Pins Could KILL YOU

Posted by Luke Plunkett at 10:20 PM on April 30, 2008

Between 2004 and 2007, Nintendo were selling some small, character-adorned pins at both their Redmond HQ and Nintendo World Store. Little metal Nintendo characters, little sharp pin, you stick them on your jacket/bag/hat. Standard stuff. Oh, except for the fact they contain unsafe levels of lead. Before you plan a trip to your doctor's/lawyer's office, however, note that they're only dangerous if you swallow them, not wear them, so unless you've been snacking on lapel pins between Smash Bros rounds, you'll probably live to see the morning. If you are snacking on them, though, and would like pins less likely to cause serious health issues, Nintendo are recalling them and offering free replacements. Details below.
Character Lapel Pin Recall [Nintendo, via GameSpot]


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Microsoft Retrofitting 360 Wheels: Some Overheat, "Release Smoke"

Posted by Luke Plunkett at 5:50 PM on August 23, 2007

360wheel.jpgMicrosoft have just announced they're giving out free retrofits for all 360 wireless racing wheels sold, following some complaints they've received from users experiencing problems. Problems like...overheating. No shit. Seems a few owners have, while using the power supply (ie not in wireless mode), had their wheels overheat and spew smoke. Microsoft are recommending users hold off from using the power supply until they can get a retrofit, and have contacted all relevant product safety bodies in order to get the word out. Overheating. You gotta be kidding me. Press release follows.

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