Tue, Nov 24, 2009 | 14:56 GMT

New York to use Xbox 360 as part of emergency broadcast system

2012

Attention gamers who live in New York: If a tornado, horde of zombies, Mecha-Streisand or a plane piloted by John Cusack starts heading in your direction, the state has you covered.

Because you are engrossed in playing MW2 or Harry Potter you would have no idea if such a calamity was about to transpire, therefore, the state plans to start sending alerts via Xbox Live.

State Deputy CIO Rico Singleton, said the plan makes sense, “considering the amount of time our youth spend on video games, and while he provided few details on how the plan will be implemented, he did confirm it is currently in testing.

More through Information Week, via Joystiq.

8 comments

#1

Hunam
24/11/09, 3:11 pm

If you are playing a game set in NYC or similar (liberty city) will the system alter your game to represent the current threat?

Then again Prototype has NYC going to hell so a missle or tornado wouldn’t be a grain in the desert in that game.

#2

Bojangles
24/11/09, 3:17 pm

The cynic in me makes me wonder if these alerts will be reserved for Gold members only.

#3

sickpuppysoftware
24/11/09, 3:19 pm

Will it have achievements?

Earthquake Survived!

#4

Hunam
24/11/09, 3:21 pm

@2

:D That’d be amazing

#5

jnms
24/11/09, 4:01 pm

More fear mongering to go along with the “Terror Alert Status”.

#6

NoxNoctisUmbra
24/11/09, 4:16 pm

So it can get RROD haha fail.

#7

jeremycafe
24/11/09, 6:52 pm

“More fear mongering to go along with the “Terror Alert Status”.”

the status is a joke. Especially since the airport status is ALWAYS orange. It makes it lose credibility when its always elevated above normal. But I can’t say that is similar to throwing out a warning on your xbox saying “dont go outside, massive hail approaching orange county”

#8

Goliath
24/11/09, 7:52 pm

Sadly, many of you miss the significance of announcements like these. It shows how XBL has grown beyond gaming to become a social tool. It’s mainstream society recognizing the growing community and finding ways to reach that large community with it’s services.

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