Starlight Starbright Wii Fun Center rolls right up to hospitalized children, not your lazy ass

Move over, Child's Play -- well, don't move over, keep being awesome -- there's a another outfit in town looking to bring the joy and life long addiction of video games to hospitalized children. The Starlight Starbright foundation has been teaming up with Nintendo for over 15 years to bring games to hospitals, and the latest effort of the team up is the Wii Fun Center, a $4,250 unit which includes a Wii "costumized for hospital use," a Sharp AQUOS LCD and a DVD player. Lest you think somebody is ripping off the children, that price includes shipping, setup and repair the lifetime of the unit. Starlight Starbright is hoping to have about 500 of them in hospitals by the end of the year, but kids let's try to stay away from sending yourself and others to different wings of the hospital, yes?

[Serial 8-Ball Mouse @ Aug 26th 2008 10:05AM]

"AND THAT MEANS MORE SMILES ON MORE FACES!"

[KarateCowboy @ Aug 26th 2008 10:15AM]

Insulting condescension and swearing masquerading as journalism. Well, my mother was better than to raise me that way. I guess Paul Miller is competing with the gossip magazines for trashiness.

[Serial 8-Ball Mouse @ Aug 26th 2008 10:22AM]

I'd hate to see what you'd think about Gizmodo.

[Kamokazi @ Aug 26th 2008 10:37AM]

Fuck you and your over-sensitive lazy ass.

[Muhammed @ Aug 26th 2008 10:50AM]

If you have problems with Paul please settle them outside, just dont force us to read this again.

[High Ranks make you sterile @ Aug 26th 2008 11:07AM]

Am I the only one who sees no swearing? Also.... where's the condescending part? He said it would allow them to become addicted to video games like us. Ohhhhh... sarcasm = evil, I forgot. He referred to us as "kids" -- he's talking down to us. Alert the polite police.

This is akin to when two of your male friends are bickering and you say "calm down, ladies." But with your attitude, I'm doubting you have many encounters with "friends."

Hippie liberal douche.

Also:

"a another"

lolol me fail english?

Yeah, that's right. Playing both sides of the street. Mercenary baby.

[StrangeBum @ Aug 26th 2008 11:10AM]

@ 8ball

Hahah, no joke there, I was actually thinking the same exact thing. If someone thinks that engadget is a trashy website, I would hate to see what they would think of some of the other sites out there these days...gizmodo in particular =)

I love you engadget!
but I love your sister more, joystiq, she's way cuter than you are

[Backlin @ Aug 26th 2008 11:30AM]

lol, I thought Joystiq was a dude.

[OneLove @ Aug 26th 2008 3:38PM]

@KarateCowboy (lazy Ass), if the cap fits.

[Muhammed @ Aug 26th 2008 10:44AM]

you mean hospitalized "rich" kids?

[Gabe @ Aug 26th 2008 11:22AM]

I'd build one of those things for like 1,500 with a 42 inch lcd. What a ripoff

[Cwatters @ Aug 26th 2008 11:17AM]

Usually, no. These are typically owned by the hospital, and shared by the children. The cost may seem excessive if you're not in the Healthcare industry, but often seemingly innocuous items like consumer electronics are at bit more expensive if designed for in-patient-room use.

The device must not provide a shock hazard to the patient, any chance of a spark being created needs addressed and dampened. The devices need to be cleanable (the WIImote isn't exactly something you should dunk into a tub of sanitizer). The lifetime warranty isn't free either...

[Jumbie @ Aug 26th 2008 11:17AM]

My hospital is a poor charity hospital and we have these in the Pediatrics ward. So no, not "rich kids".

[Backlin @ Aug 26th 2008 11:32AM]

@Gabe:

Could you imagine wheeling that thing into the room, let alone positioning it over the bed.

[JohnM @ Aug 28th 2008 3:26AM]

@Gabe,

So, you know how to make a wii play 20 different games from a HDD? If so please let the world wii homebrew know!!!

Also, aren't these just the same things that engadget covered some time back that were gonna get be put in hotels?

Still a very good idea though! But why just kids' wards?

[Muhammed @ Aug 26th 2008 1:51PM]

low ranked ? nice, very nice, I still find them overpriced though.

[Gman @ Aug 26th 2008 4:18PM]

Yeah man, this isn't for parents to buy for their kids while they are in the hospital, this is a hospital-owned piece of equipment that everyone shares. You don't have to buy any other hospital equipment to use it while you're there, so what makes you think this is any different?

[Windzilla @ Aug 26th 2008 5:37PM]

other costs that need to be considered is making it possible to thuroughly clean the damn thing. the last thing you want is to spread an infection from one hospitalized kid to another one with leukemia. that means antimicrobial materials and whatnot. I work a public teaching hospital and these can really make a difference in a kids stay.

Besides, considering a liter of salty sugar water will run you >50 bucks in the hospital, these things are a bargin

[Windzilla @ Aug 26th 2008 5:41PM]

I hope I don't make as many (any) errors with patients as I did with that post.

[Muhammed @ Aug 27th 2008 5:57PM]

@ Gman: thank's
@ everyone: thanks for removing the "low-rank"

[manav @ Aug 26th 2008 11:08AM]

Was Engadget or Paul sleeping couple of months back? This was published on couple of other AOL blogs, Nintendo Wii Fanboy and Joystiq way back in June. Links:

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/25/nintendo-starlight-partner-to-help-sick-kids/
http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS186927+24-Jun-2008+BW20080624
http://www.techtickerblog.com/2008/06/26/kids-in-hospital-get-fun-centers-with-wii/

[manav @ Aug 26th 2008 11:13AM]

Was Engadget or Paul sleeping couple of months back? This was
published on couple of other AOL blogs, Nintendo Wii Fanboy and
Joystiq way back in June. Links:

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/25/nintendo-starlight-partner-to-help-sick-kids/
http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS186927+24-Jun-2008+BW20080624
http://www.techtickerblog.com/2008/06/26/kids-in-hospital-get-fun-centers-with-wii/

[kal326 @ Aug 26th 2008 11:42AM]

The hottest game to hit Children's Mercy this summer, Wii's Dying!



Yeah I know horribly insensitive, but F'm if they can't take a joke.

[kurt.tappe @ Aug 26th 2008 12:09PM]

"not your lazy ass"

C'mon. That's not wittty, it's just low-class. I expect a bit more from Engadget. You can do better.

[phanbouy @ Aug 26th 2008 12:27PM]

seems pretty typical to me, Mr. High Brow

[wrs589 @ Aug 26th 2008 12:27PM]

Maybe a 360 or PS3 would have been a better idea. I'd assume the majority of hospital patients arent apt to jump around playing Wii Fit or Wii Sports. Of course, there are some that would benefit from the physical activity, but certainly not the majority, otherwise they wouldnt be hospitalised.

[Gav @ Aug 26th 2008 1:11PM]

I like how it comes with a separate DVD player...

[Tim @ Aug 26th 2008 2:01PM]

The last star light I played on was an N64 in the local hospital when I was close to death from asthma xD. Still had time to play super mario 64. With a dvd player though? why not just hack the wii xD.

[BigD145 @ Aug 26th 2008 2:13PM]

This is why a hospital stay is $1000 a night. Damn overpriced medical care we have here.

[phanbouy @ Aug 26th 2008 3:54PM]

you heard it here first folks; rising medical costs aren't caused by HMOs, graft, a litigious society, and corporate greed... nope. it's a video game for sick kids.

[Pediatrics @ Aug 26th 2008 3:21PM]

Understand, electrical requirements for hospital equipment are very, very stringent. If a child, who is on oxygen, wants to play using the console, the console must meet absolute strict safety standards, preventing potential explosions within high oxygen environments. $4.5K is a small price to pay for the diversion and happiness these consoles can and will provide children... in other words, priceless. BTW, most of these units are donated via 3rd party charities.

[whataviper @ Aug 26th 2008 5:23PM]

At a hospital here in my town, they've actually purchased Wii's for the purpose of rehabilitation. I hear there are companies making "games" for this purpose too. And then everyone enjoys it after-hours!

[cwj @ Sep 11th 2008 7:38PM]

Shows what you know!

This is a blog! It isn't jounalism!!