You know those emergency “flash flood warnings” that interrupt your television viewing experience with the ever soothing sound combination of nails on a chalkboard and a car alarm? Well, they may be making their way to your video game console in the not so distant future if one government official gets his way.
As it turns out, the state of New York is currently testing an Xbox based emergency alert system. New York State Deputy CIO, Rico Singleton, who seems to be spearheading the push, believes that the majority of kids these days play video games instead of watching TV or listening to the radio — mediums which already have emergency alert systems built in.
The goal is to tap into the online networks already established by companies like Microsoft and Nintendo to more effectively reach this video game obsessed demographic when natural or man made disasters occur.
Okay, serious hat off for a moment. Where the hell are the parents? In the other room snorting cocaine off of dead hookers? “Mom! Dad! The Xbox just told me that terrorists attacked an airport! … Wait, never mind, that’s just a level in Modern Warfare 2.”
I personally find it funny to hear a government type sounding like they miss the “good old days when kids rotted their brains out watching TV, and stayed glued to the raido for a chance to record a new song for their mix tape.”
What say you? Do you feel that there is a need to have a video game based emergency broadcast system, or is this simply going too far? Sound off in the comments section below, and look out for that killer Yoshi!
[Thanks InformationWeek]
