NY State Wants to Use Consoles for Emergency Contact

Achievement NYS Emergency Broadcast System

The New York State Emergency Management Office wants to reach gamers that might be too absorbed in the latest shooter or RPG to notice catastrophic events. Fearing that its citizens, particularly youngsters, will miss out on emergency broadcast messages on television or radio, the state is trying to communicate through online services like PlayStation Network and Xbox Live as part of its Empire 2.0 initiative. InformationWeek has reported:

State authorities are testing a plan that would see the Emergency Management Office issue alerts over online gaming networks in addition to regular channels.

The goal, said New York State Deputy CIO Rico Singleton, is to reach younger residents who spend more time on the Xbox, PlayStation, or Wii than with television or radio.

While I’m pretty sure I’d notice a hurricane or nuclear attack while playing a game, I’m happy that my home state (born in the Bronx!) is being forward thinking. Also, the Yankees won the world series so NY rules even more.

Source via Joystiq

Author: RPadTV

https://rpad.tv

28 thoughts on “NY State Wants to Use Consoles for Emergency Contact”

  1. Hit submit too fast lol. All jokes aside, I think it might be an interesting idea but I wouldn't want my gaming to be interrupted with it. Would only p!ss me off lol.

  2. don't forget about those random tests that will knock you out of whatever gaming session you are in.

  3. In a similar stance to Sandrock's:

    If there isn't a zombie apocalypse siren going off, I don't care what the weather is. It's not important enough to interrupt my gaming.

    However if it is the zombie apocalypse, then you should turn off the console/PC and get ready. It is, after all, what we have all been training most of our adult lives for.

    -M

  4. @ Cami

    A radio s that thing Rush Limbaugh uses to spread his propaganda.

    @ Weather

    I live in the high desert of California. It's sunny, sunny, with the occaisional chance of sunny.

  5. @ R Pad

    I live like 30 miles from the San Andreas fault. Since I moved here, I felt like 3.

    I see what you mean though. Last year (or the year before) I was on the phone with someone in Redlands when one hit pretty close to here. I paused the conversation and grabbed the door jam and said "Dude, there was just an earthquake." he said "What are you talking about?" and then he was like "Oh… this earthquake… oh god."

  6. @N8R My first earthquake experience was pretty mild and I totally reacted like a newb. My friend Kate was over and she was new to California too. At first I wondered why my roommate was shaking the apartment, but then I realized he wasn't home. I got nervous, picked up a Louisville Slugger, and cautiously checked the door to see if anyone was shaking the apartment. Ha!

  7. @ R Pad

    See, my first one was even milder than that. I just thought the chair I was sitting in moved back a tunch. The one I just described earlier was the most violent I've experienced yet, and that actually was only scary for a few seconds when I didn't know how bad it was going to get.

    The good news is, I live on the high end of the Cajon Pass on the 15. So when the Big One does hit, I'll have an ocean view.

  8. @RPAD

    i would do the same thing. haha! my first earthquake was at downtown LA last year, by 5th and beaudry(or was it this year?), waiting for the bus going home, the buildings were just swaying back and forth. and everyone was reacting like its the end of the world or something. good times.

  9. @N8R

    dude, i just live by long beach, and i would be really pissed if san andreas' crack would open up and suck us in. lol crack. i meant fault

  10. @ rbee

    It's inevitably gonna happen one day. The LBC is gonna be a massive flood zone when it does.

    Unless of course global warming beats the fault to the punch.

  11. No need to worry about global warming anymore. That hacker exposed the money scheme that enviro nuts were creating. Told you manbearpig wasn't real.

  12. @ Smartguy

    Global warming is happening, whether or not man is to blame is questionable factor.

    Personally, I think it's the Earth's natural evolution. The next ice age is due and it has to get hot before it cools off.

  13. @N8R

    Man isn't to blame. That would be arrogant. Besides, those damn emails and notes saying to doctor the figures to show global warming are pretty damning.

    The world has natural cycles…it was only a matter of time before someone created a man made manbearpig to capitalize on it. Like those stupid carbon credits. What a damn scam.

  14. @ Smartguy

    I was about to get in to the carbon credit scam… I just didn't want to get too political.

    I just see carbon credits as a step towards globalization.

  15. @N8R

    I agree. I don't like it either. We'll leave it at that instead of flooding the board with our endless rants on ethics and politics lol.

    So you like AC2 huh? Did you like the first? How was the AI? Was the combat the same? I didn't like the first game too much.

  16. @ Smartguy

    I liked the first, but didn't find any reason to go back to it after I completed it. That is not the case with this one. I had alot of fun with it and still didn't even do all the side assassination contracts and such.

    The AI has improved. The guards are not as stupid. The rooftop archers are, but not the guards. They'll hunt you out and notice you on the bench unless you do something about it.

    The combat is similar, but they aren't as generic. You have different types of soldiers with different weapons (that you can pick up, I recommend the spear) and different weights of armor. I still try to roll as stealth as possible, but sometimes you can't avoid drawing your sword.

    You can also dye your clothes if you aren't a fan of the classic white.

  17. I wouldnt mind it too terribly if there was something in the News ticker on my XMB, or maybe while im scrolling around in Home or on Life w/ Playstation I could bring up News about Chicago. Otherwise, I would prefer to not be viciously pulled from my current endeavor of being raped by campers in MW2.

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