911
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Ancel says 9/11 influenced Beyond Good & Evil
Thanks to the fine French-speaking folks at Eurogamer France, Eurogamer has a more thorough translation of Michel Ancel's interview regarding his upcoming game for Ubisoft, Beyond Good & Evil 2. According to their translation, Ancel reveals inspiration in "the theme of September 11 - the CNN show with army messages and the fear climate," among other, totally different things, like Hayao Miyazaki for instance. He also revealed that this sequel will be a direct continuation of the story from the original BG&E, saying, "The story continues and we'll react on important events of the first." We've still got no good information on platforms or release date but hopefully the upcoming re-embiggened E3 Expo will shed some light on the game. "Players who like the first should like the second," Ancel left the interviewer with. We're keeping hope alive. [Via GamePolitics] %Gallery-23890%
LG recalls 30,000 830 Spyder handsets for crappy 911 connections
While things like copy and paste, multimedia messaging and video calling are nice extras to have, there's really only one thing that's most important when it comes to a reliable cellphone: the 911 functionality. Evidently, around 30,000 LG 830 Spyder handsets aren't having the easiest time dialing for help, with a product recall noting that a huge swath of 'em have "difficulty sustaining a connection or have poor voice quality on calls to emergency 911." It should be noted, however, that LG's actually being really, really proactive here, as it has only received a single report (and no injuries) to date. The Spyder phones affected have software versions T83LGV03 and T83LGV04, and you can hit the read link if you suspect yours is amongst that 30,000.[Via textually]
Teen arrested for making suicide threat to a GM
After a 17-year-old in Fairfield, Ohio told a GM "he was suicidal and the game was the only thing he had to live for," the Blizzard rep called 911, and the kid was apparently arrested, according to the Middletown Journal. We've seen this before -- Blizzard won't put up with suicide threats -- but as far as I know, this is the first we've heard of an arrest coming about because of it. Apparently the charge is a first degree misdemeanor, and though the kid was released to his father, he's got a court date to face next week.The dumbest part? The kid wasn't even suicidal -- he told officers when questioned that it was a joke "to try and get what he wanted for the game." We doubt this will lead to anything big (we'd put the kid in community service and give him a slap on the wrist -- he's probably scared enough after being handcuffed and put in a patrol car), but Blizzard's policy is exactly right on this one, if you ask us. If the threat is real, this could prevent a tragedy, and if it's just some kid messing around to try and get his banned account back, he might learn a little lesson in the process.
Space Invaders/Sept. 11 art exhibit stirs controversy [update]
An art installation that features Space Invaders aliens attacking an image of the World Trade Center is beginning to draw ire from the mainstream media. Kotaku was the first site to call attention to the exhibit, which was part of a larger tribute to the classic game's 30th anniversary at the Leipzig Games Convention. A Games Convention press release calls the installation an "an articulated and critical commentary about the current war strategy" and "a social tale that can be related to historical tales without losing its poetic power." The New York Daily News ran with a decidedly different take, though, calling the exhibit a "disgrace" in one headline and featuring outraged reactions from families of 9/11 attack victims, who called the game "distasteful" and "disgusting."The story has been slowly leaking into the mainstream from there. News wire UPI basically echoed the Post piece, while Fox News posted a surprisingly balanced take on the controversy. International wire AFP's story, meanwhile, doesn't seem to see anything wrong with the exhibit at all. So is this piece a triumph or a travesty? Watch the video and decide for yourself.Update: Taito just dropped a very serious statement into our inbox. Read it here.
FCC looking into 911 calls from inactive handsets
Asshats, jerkfaces, and garden-variety idiots have finally stirred the sleeping giant -- and though the FCC doesn't exactly have a sterling reputation of coming down hard on offenders, we can only hope something good happens here. All cellphones, tied to active accounts or otherwise, are required by law to be able to place calls to emergency services; by and large, that's a sound policy and something that's probably saved dozens of lives over the years. Sadly, though, folks have seen fit to abuse that capability, in some cases utterly overwhelming call centers and taking away service from others who genuinely need it. A number of states have banded together and formally asked the FCC to do something about it, and this is where it gets a little messy. Does the commish repeal the clause requiring access to 911? Sounds like the wrong move, but without any sort of account linkage, prank calls from inactive handsets are difficult at best to stop, simply because they can't be traced. There doesn't seem to be any guidance yet from the feds on exactly what action they may take -- and with an issue this tricky, we don't really expect action any time soon.
GPS-enabled helmet calls for help post-accident
We've seen some pretty well equipped helmets in our day, but UMass Amherst student Brycen Spencer seems a touch more interested in safety advancements than integrated speakers. His concoction, dubbed the Wireless Impact Guardian (WIG), looks like your average helmet at first glance, but a quick look inside reveals electronics designed to sense an impact, judge if you're conscious and dial for help if necessary. Essentially, an alarm is triggered upon impact, and if you're not cohesive enough to disable it after 60 seconds, it automatically rings up 911 and beams out your location via GPS so that medical personnel can get moving. Currently, the device is quite a ways from going commercial, but considering that Mr. Spencer has already invested in a provisional patent, we'd say it's well on its way.[Via textually]
AT&T suspends parental controls after uncovering 911 issues
AT&T's Smart Limits parental control package has been temporarily taken offline after the carrier discovered a little catch-22 with the service: if a user of a Smart Limits-controlled phone dials 911 and gets disconnected, the emergency operator is blocked from calling back. Obviously, this is a case of Smart Limits being just a little too smart (or too dumb, depending on how you look at it) for the user's own good -- we don't think parents are too concerned about their young 'uns spending hours racking up anytime minutes on the line with a chatty 911 operator -- and AT&T clearly did the right thing by pulling the service until it gets sorted out. Shouldn't take too long, we imagine.[Via mocoNews]
Army of Two trailer features 9-11 imagery
We've got to be honest, when we heard that a new trailer for Army of Two featured imagery from the attacks of Sept. 11, we were a little nervous. After all, the last time gaming and 9-11 were mixed, the results were ... well, for fear of getting our lights punched out, let's say less than stellar. But after watching this trailer, we were actually kind of impressed.In the first place, it's kind of nice to see the subject being dealt with. It's something we all know about, all experienced, why shouldn't the medium deal with it? But it's still pretty gutsy to bring it up. We're not sure why that's still the way of things, but kudos to EA for stepping up. Also impressive is how it's dealt with. Images don't smack you in the face, it's never sensationalized, it's just two guys (who just happen to be mercenaries) having the same experience that millions of us did that morning. It is (dare we say it?) tasteful.... Now, about those tampons.
FCC gets around to proposing fines for E911 misses
The FCC's goal of 95 percent network compliance for enhanced 911 (E911) capability came and went long ago -- December 31, 2005, to be specific -- but like all good bureaucracies, it's just now taking the time to propose a few fines for the carriers that failed to comply. At the deadline, Alltel was apparently at 84 percent, US Cellular rocked out at 89 percent, Sprint came in at 81 percent, and future partner in marriage Nextel was at 74 percent, leaving significant swaths of their respective networks without the ability to locate subscribers in the event of an emergency. For their failures, Sprint Nextel's looking at about a $1.3 million slap on the wrist, Alltel can expect $1 million, and US Cellular about $500,000. Not enough to drive any of the three to the verge of bankruptcy -- and really, not enough for any of the three to even notice when the cash gets pulled out of the coffers. Way to be, FCC.[Via Phone Scoop]
Siemens AySystem utilizes GPS / GRPS for emergency tracking, alerting
While Siemens HQ is probably still dusting itself from last year's invasion, that's not stopping the whole show 'round those parts, as the firm is introducing a new form of emergency communication with its AySystem. By utilizing worldwide GSM / GRPS networks (and optionally, GPS), the pocketable device can be tracked, modified, and used as a channel of communication between a caregiver and patient, parent and child, boss and subordinate, or any other useful combination of individuals. Essentially, the Ay token is given to the person who needs monitored, and the other party can adjust various "thresholds" such as motion (or the lack thereof), temperature, and sound, and if that limit is surpassed (i.e. a patient stops moving), the token will sound an alarm whilst simultaneously texting / calling a user-selected individual. Moreover, it can be remotely controlled and tweaked via a web-based interface, and users can add "SnapOns" such as GPS receivers and cameras to extend its functionality even futher. Thankfully, the platform in which the device runs on is entirely Java-based, which should please those looking to code their own programs to take full advantage of what's being offered. As of now, we're not exactly sure how much this fancy panic button will end up costing, but it is slated to be made available "via mobile carriers or through pre-paid plans" in the not too distant future.[Via Gizmag]
Sept. 11's effect on the coin-op industry
Following up on yesterday's post on the decline of the American arcade, we stumbled across this little bit of soul-searching from Brad Brown, president of coin-op repair and sales shop Worldwide Video. Brown looks back at a rather gloomy 2002 Christmas letter in which he details how the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 have impacted the coin-op market. According to Brown, the attacks made "a tremendous amount of people want to stay home and entertain themselves," going out only to places that "do not require traveling long distances." Coin-op users in 2002 tended to leave the house only for "very specific events or events that usually include a multitude of activities along with 'we just happen to be there' coin-op game entertainment," Brown said. Years without an attack on American soil may have mitigated these effects, but these days Brown reflects that the "relative down cycle / blip upon our industry that has proven to last far longer and deeper than I would have anticipated." We don't doubt his first-hand experience, but we've also started noticing that those darn, impossible-to-beat Stacker machines are popping up all over the place, so maybe things are turning around. We'll put the question to you -- does the threat of terrorism make you less likely to seek out video game outside the comforts of your own home? [Via Insert Credit]
EMI puts your medical history on a digital business card
While having your entire catalog of medical issues on your person at all times would sure come in handy if your GPS leads you into a body of water or you get mangled by a Japanese Land Walker, implanting an RFID data chip underneath your skin could (understandably) sound a bit extreme. While digital medical records and emergency panic buttons are certainly swell, EMI's 911 rCard places every quirk and prior health issue you've ever had onto a single wallet-sized card, which can be viewed immediately by any medical personnel that would need pertinent information statinum. The "vivid, full color LCD" can display everything from medical charts to photos / text describing the patient's history, and sports a built-in battery that can handle "about two hours" of constant viewing before it needs recharging. Boasting USB connectivity, users can continually update and upload new information from their EMI web portal onto the rCard, including any mild injuries sustained during last week's campouts. The 911 rCard is available now for $79.95, which includes a USB cable / charger and the first year of website access, while additional years of data storage and interfacing will run you $20.[Via EverythingUSB]
