The game, titled Missing, follows the adventures of a teen named Zachary Taylor who finds himself in an inappropriate online relationship with someone named Fantasma. Soon Zachary goes missing, and the children must study clues to help find him. According to Paul Hamann, chief information officer for the Jessamine County school district where the program will launch, the game will help students "see how easily they could get drawn into that".

The funding for the $300,000 project comes by way of an earmark secured by U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler as part of the 410 billion omnibus spending bill signed into law by President Barack Obama in March. Chandler defends his decision to procure other people's money to defend the children of Kentucky.

"Earmark is a bad word, you know," Chandler said. "But in this particular case, and I think in the way I try to handle it, we get money for very, very good projects. And this is a very, very good project. Any project that is going to protect our young people, in my view, can be easily defined as a good project."

It really is hard to argue with a man when he has countless stories of children being solicited and abducted via online games and chat rooms to back him up. I suppose I would have felt better had this been developed into a national program, rather than simply benefitting Chandler's 6th Congressional District.

$300,000 game to teach dangers of Internet predators [Kentucky.com]

Is Mayor Tortimer actually a man in California that asks for naked images from Missouri children? That's what Missouri's ABC 17 News suggests in a story posted on March 11th regarding the increasing use of game consoles as tools for sexual predators. The report, which you can view in its entirety below, suggests that Animal Crossing allows children to interact with complete strangers, encouraging them to exchange notes, items, and "favors" in order to reach the next level in the game.

Another example of the sort of sensationalist television "news reporting" aimed squarely at terrifying parents into tuning in. In case any parents are actually reading this, Animal Crossing: City Folk only allows other players to visit each other if they exchange friend codes. Your task, as a parent, is making sure your children aren't posting their codes on forums, or sharing them with strangers.

The whole situation isn't helped by the Mid-Missouri Internet Crimes Task Force, who seem to be aware that internet crimes are going on, but don't seem to have any real knowledge of how communication on the Wii occurs to impart to our newscaster friends. All they know is Animal Crossing is a kid's game, and adults shouldn't be playing it.

"I cannot come up with any legitimate reason that an adult would be playing that particular game," says Andy Anderson, Mid-Missouri Internet Crimes Task Force. Um. How about game reviews? Is that legitimate? I don't want to be playing for the wrong reasons here. Either Andy Anderson just isn't trying hard enough, or I am a sexual predator.

I don't mean to downplay the dangers of online play for children. As we've seen recently, it's an issue that's becoming more and more widespread. My problem here is that ABC 17 News is combating a real problem with misinformation. I know that news programs make a great deal of advertising revenue off scaring parents senseless, but a certain amount of actual "journalism" isn't too much to ask from our well-paid television news personalities.

Is Mayor Tortimer an internet predator from California? No. That's ridiculous. Everyone knows it's Tom Nook that likes them young.

Wii Gamers Vulnerable To Crime [ABC 17 News via Game Politics]

PlaySavvy.com will provide features such as Gaming 101, a comprehensive guide to ratings, parental controls, and online gaming, as well as reviews, pertinent gaming news, and information on how to access the tools essential to being a game-savvy parent.

"Playing video games is one of the top pastimes for children these days, almost more than watching TV. We created AOL PlaySavvy to help parents navigate through all the gaming information out there in order to decide what’s appropriate for their children," said Libe Goad, Editor-in-Chief, AOL PlaySavvy. "In addition, PlaySavvy provides advertisers the opportunity to reach this targeted user base by creating appealing campaigns around the content.”

See? The advertising emphasis wasn't ours. Hit the jump for the full press release, or just visit PlaySavvy.com to see for yourself how AOL plans to learn them parents.

AOL Launches PlaySavvy.com

New Site Serves as Gaming Resource for Parents

NEW YORK—(BUSINESS WIRE)—AOL announced the launch of AOL PlaySavvy.com, http://www.playsavvy.com, a new site that targets parents of children ages 5-17 and helps them decipher the world of games, both PC and console. PlaySavvy also helps parents stay aware of their kids’ entertainment choices including assisting them in making informed decisions about buying games for their children. The PlaySavvy.com launch is a continuation of AOL’s overall programming goal to offer consumers interactive and engaging experiences with relevant sites that target people’s passion points. This year, AOL launched several targeted sites including ParentDish.com, http://www.parentdish.com, Lemondrop.com, http://www.lemondrop.com, WalletPop.com, http://www.walletpop.com, and Holidash.com, http://www.holidash.com.

"Playing video games is one of the top pastimes for children these days, almost more than watching TV. We created AOL PlaySavvy to help parents navigate through all the gaming information out there in order to decide what’s appropriate for their children," said Libe Goad, Editor-in-Chief, AOL PlaySavvy. "In addition, PlaySavvy provides advertisers the opportunity to reach this targeted user base by creating appealing campaigns around the content.”

PlaySavvy will provide the following features:

Gaming 101 – PlaySavvy editors help parents understand game ratings and where to find them on a game box, how to use parental controls on the game systems, offer tips on what online games and web sites are safer for children, and provide advice for first time buyers on the differences between video game systems and which one is most appropriate for their family.

Parent Q&A – Consumers can ask questions about games and get real-time answers from a panel of real-life parents.

Reviews – Video game experts provide reviews ranging from how appropriate to how fun a game is for kids.

Relevant How-To Articles – PlaySavvy staff helps guide parents through the video game wasteland including common issues on hot-button topics such as content and safety.

AOL has long been a leader in the Parental Controls space, pioneering the idea of online safety for children when it began offering a robust set of tools designed to help parents keep their children safe online. In September, AOL launched SafetyClicks.com, http://www.safetyclicks.com, a new online safety education Web site, and introduced an improved version of its free, downloadable parental controls software, http://parentalcontrols.aol.com, that is designed to give parents the tools they need to help protect their children from inappropriate or dangerous online material.

AOL Games experienced 41% unique visitors growth, 62% page view growth and 54% engagement growth year-over-year, according to October 2008 comScore Media Metrix. AOL Games also runs GameDaily.com, http://www.gamedaily.com, and BigDownload.com, http://www.bigdownload.com.

"Child predators are migrating from traditional methods to alternate media," says Detective Lt. Thomas Kish of the Michigan State Police. "They are going to places where children are."

This is the kind of story that would be easy to dismiss as anti-gaming propaganda - were it not entirely factual.

I personally know someone in the computer forensics field who has attended a National Conference, during which they recieved training from Microsoft on how to retrieve data from Xbox systems to aid in investigations, and some of the stories he has told me are completely chilling. Adults pretending to be children, asking if they can stop by to drop off a new game for their little friends after bonding via Xbox Live, for instance. Hell, Nintendo's friend code system is only safe until your child starts visiting internet forums to exchange them with 'friends'.

The sad fact of the matter is that child predators do indeed go where children are, and parents need to pay extremely close attention to who their children are interacting with when gaming online via console or television. All of the major consoles contain parental controls, but they are not electronic replacements for true parental controls.

Predators use gaming consoles to 'get foot in the door' [USA Today - Thanks David]

During this tour they learned that video games help prison guards do their job:

From the front of a computer-filled control room inside Housing Unit 4, prison Warden John A. Rowley said Nintendo was a great tool to train today's officers. Every aspect of an inmate's cell life can be controlled by a touchscreen video monitoring system inside the control room, he said. When the doors open and close or whether a cell has water or not is up to the staff on duty.

Let's think this through. If some people say that video games help train criminals and if warden Rowley says games help train prison guards. Then... it's a wash?

A view from behind bars - Cumberland Times News. Image courtesy of Morgan-Keller Construction.

Some video games teach children important skills, from cooperation to patience, but others really are just about gorily blowing other people's heads off. The more you understand about which games your child uses, the more you'll be able to guide their choices.

A Washington State GameStop employee was robbed at knife point Monday night by a man muttering to himself, Bellingham police report.

The employee told police that a "tall, very skinny white man" in his 20s was browsing in the store for about 45 minutes before taking several games to the register. After the employee rang up the games the man began to walk out of the store talking to himself. The muttering man then turned around and pulled out a small knife and demanded cash and games.

The man took the lucre and ran from the place. Fortunately, this time around no one was killed. The story does remind me that periodically we get a slew of emails from GameStop employees complaining about how very unsafe it is to work at their particular store, due sometimes to the late hours and sometimes to the one-person shifts.

I can't help but think of my brother, who worked part of his way through college back in the 80s at a 7-Eleven, he was robbed several times and eventually quit because of how dangerous the low-paying job was. Has GameStop become the 7-Eleven of this generation?

I've contacted GameStop for comment on this issue, but haven't heard back.

Young man Robs Game Stop [Bellingham Herald] [Pic from previous story]

The deadly flying wiimote epidemic of 2006 very well could have been avoided if only Nintendo had maintained the same safety standards it had back in 1982. Kotakuite Astrofox has unearthed evidence proving that the venerable company once dedicated itself to saving its products and customers from the vile infant scourge.

I just found my original donkey kong game and watch and it had all the documentation with it. You thought Nintendo of 2007 was paranoid, try Nintendo 1982. Stickers specifically designed to keep babies from breaking open the unit, and feasting on the sweet sweet batteries inside.

Following news that Nintendo is issuing a "corrective action" to replace defective or underpowered Wiimote straps come details on Nintendo's future plans to better inform consumers.

In the following weeks, Nintendo will continue to spread the gospel about Wii Sports related safety. Here's how they'll do it:

• Send electronic messages to Internet-connected Wii systems to highlight key Wii safety points.
• 
  
• Update the Wii operations manual and the manual for Wii Sports with additional wrist strap cautions and specific game advice.
• 
  
• Update on-screen wrist strap advisories to include additional messaging.

Considered, but not put into plan yet, is the program in which Nintendo of America prez Reggie Fils-Aime comes to your house and personally kicks your ass until you get it through your thick skull—proper Wii safety practices, that is, not his giant Frankenstein boots.

My suggestion? Just launch a Safety Channel already, Nintendo. When someone goes into cardiac arrest during an extended Wario Ware Smooth Moves session, you'll thank me. Michael McWhertor

"We will be watching to see whether or not the change is effective in reducing the reports," said Julie Vallese, director of information and public affairs for the commission.

She said that there are two ways in which the commission can get involved in a product safety issue. One is by discovering the problem on their own, either through consumer complaints or their own research, the other is by the company notifying them of an issue.

In this case Nintendo contacted the commission and asked to fast track the solution, which involved offering to replace about 2 million Wii remote safety straps.

"Nintendo wanted this to happen very quickly," Vallese said. "We worked with the company and their representatives to get an announcement out very quickly for this program."

In the report, Nintendo told the commission that they had received three reports of injuries that were not serious. Vallese did not have details but said typically that would include minor cuts and bruises. She said the commission only receives detailed reports if someone is treated by a health care provider like a doctor or in an emergency room.

All three of the injuries, she confirmed, were a direct result of the strap breaking. None of them, she said, were connected to people getting hit by someone playing the game too close to them.

Because Nintendo self-reported the issue, the commission will not do its own investigation unless new issues crop up with the new strap.

"If the problem continues with the new strap that's where we might step in," she said. "We also would have to decide if it's a safety issue."

Vallese added that that means that if remotes were, for instance, smashing into a television hard enough to cause the tube to explode or somehow stop working in a dangerous way, it could also be deemed a safety issue.

While the commission has the power to issue civil penalties, Nintendo wouldn't likely fall into that category because they reported the issue and are following the program they developed to replace the straps, she said. Brian Crecente

I think Ashcraft has it right: Nintendo needs to start shipping replacement brains to the Wii owning populace. It's the only solution!

Actually, I'm going to take this opportunity to call out the product development chumps at Nerf for not already having a Wii-mote accident preventing Nerf product on store shelves already. Missed opportunity, people!

Thanks to everyone who sent this in. Michael McWhertor

Maybe this has been up since launch day, I'm not really sure, but a reader just sent us a link to Nintendo's safety information page for the Wii which prominently discusses the issue of flying Wii Remotes.

I think this is the first Safety Manual for anything that cautions you about having "too much fun."

Hold the Wii Remote firmly and do not let go. Even while wearing the wrist strap, make sure you don't let go of the Wii Remote during game play and do not use excessive motion. For example, in Wii Sports bowling, the proper way to let go of the ball while bowling is to release the "B" button on the Wii Remote—DO NOT LET GO OF THE Wii REMOTE ITSELF. If you are having so much fun that you start perspiring, take a moment to dry your hands. If you use excessive motion and let go of the Wii Remote, the wrist strap may break and you could lose control of the Wii Remote. This could injure people nearby or cause damage to other objects.

Yes, yes it could. I'm still not letting any kids anywhere near my Wii until I fix it up with some zip ties. Brian Crecente

Wii Safety Precautions [Nintendo, thanks Richard]