The Orlando Sentinel reports on the development of Burn Center by 360Ed, a local startup. The training game is designed to teach medical professionals who are not burn experts to deal with mass casualties from an event such as an explosion

The Sentinel notes that 360Ed partnered with the University of Florida College of Medicine and the Florida Department of Health on the project. 360Ed CEO Ben Noel, formerly of Electronic Arts:

September 11 awakened us to the fact that we have to prepare for these mass-casualty type of events, and the best way to prepare is modern technology, simulation and games. Instead of simulating it in a field experience, which can be very expensive, we are simulating it on a computer, which can be played over and over...

 

They said, 'If we give you a playbook, can you make like a Madden football for mass-casualty emergency response?' I said, 'Yeah, we aren't creating any new technology here; we'd just be taking content to places it hasn't been before.'

As the game begins, players are told that bombs have just exploded at a theme park:

The first phase is a race against time in which the player has to quickly assess and triage 40 victims. The second phase takes place in the intensive-care unit, where players make treatment decisions during a simulated 36-hour period. To get training certification from the American Burn Association, players must reach a certain score.

 

Burn Center isn't for the faint of heart. The game features screaming people, many of whom have gruesome burns and are covered in blood. In fact, some of the 360Ed team had a hard time looking at the real photos provided by UF to ensure the graphics in the game were realistic.

 

Gamers who want to test their skills at the upcoming Austin Game Developers Conference will be making a charitable donation at the same time.

Twenty buck entry fees for the Level Up Charity Games competition will be donated to the ESA Foundation. Said Marc Mencher, CEO of competition sponsor GameRecruiter:

We have a long-standing commitment to supporting the educational needs of minority and female students who are interested in being part of the video game industry. By providing this support to the ESA Foundation’s Scholarship Program, we hope to allow deserving individuals to further their education and expand workplace diversity within our industry.

The September 17th competition at the Four Seasons Hotel Austin is open to all gamers. Featured titles include:

• Rock Band 2
• Madden 08
• Super Smash Bros. Brawl
• I-Play Bowling

Although controversial radio host Michael Savage may believe that autism is a product of poor parenting, well-informed people know better.

Now, a Maryland firm, Vision Audio, has created EASe Off-Road, game software designed to help autistic children deal with hypersensitivity to sound.

As reported by the Bucks County Courier-Times:

Some children with the brain disorder react to sound in a hypersensitive manner, and others become defensive and appear deaf.

 

[The game uses] sound-based therapy by training the child to develop visual systems responsible for organizing balance and body awareness.

 

The game includes driving, jumping over hills, crashing into trees, and flying off cliffs. Tracking moving targets challenges a child's eye movement and encourages the child to concentrate.

 

The Entertainment Software Association announced yesterday that more than 90,000 units of its charity game pack (left) were sold since last November, raising better than $2.6 million for child-oriented programs.

The campaign is managed by the ESA Foundation, described in the press release as "the computer and video game industry’s philanthropic arm."

Remarking on the success of the charity pack, which included Xbox 360 titles donated by their publishers, ESA CEO Michael Gallagher said:

The entertainment software industry places a priority on giving back to our communities, with a special focus on helping our young people. I’m proud that together with our partners, the ESA Foundation raised a record amount for a variety of worthy causes. We also thank Microsoft Corporation, the main publisher, and the retailers who sold this tremendously successful game pack.

• Web Wise Kids
• Work, Achievement, Values & Education Inc. (WAVE)
• Hopelabs
• Federation of American Scientists (FAS)
• Computers for Youth

Last October GamePolitics reported on Randy Pausch, the Carnegie-Mellon University professor whose "last lecture" touched millions of people and gained international fame.

Pausch, suffering from pancreatic cancer, died on Friday at the age of 47. He told USA Today earlier this year that his last lecture was really for his kids

I knew what I was doing that day," he wrote in the introduction of his best-selling book, also titled The Last Lecture. "Under the ruse of giving an academic lecture, I was trying to put myself in a bottle that would one day wash up on the beach for my children."

 

Games for Change has issued a press release announcing the winners of the Xbox 360 Games for Change Challenge.

The announcement came at the Louvre in Paris.

Each of the entries was created using Microsoft's XNA Game Studio software. The winners are:

1. CityRain from Mother Gaia Studio in Brazil
2. Future Flow from Belgium’s Drunk Puppy
3. CleanUp from the South Korean team Gomz

Suzanne Seggerman, President and Co-founder of Games for Change, commented:

What’s most exciting about this game contest is that not only are the brightest young people from around the world engaged in creating these new games, they are also laying the foundation for a new genre – socially-responsible video games. And this is where it all begins.

Games for Change bills itself as "the primary non-profit behind the new movement using video games to promote social change." The organization teamed up with Microsoft to offer the game design contest  based on environmental themes.

Did you catch Tobacco Free Florida's terrific Halo-like video? GamePolitics covered it earlier this week.

Now, GameCouch has the 411 on how it all came together in an interview with adman Jason Piroth, who wrote the script:

It started with a discussion of what’s relevant to the 11-17 demographic today... Given the explosion in the gaming market that has accompanied the recent release of games like Halo III, Bioshock, etc...  using a format similar... seemed appropriate...

 

Making the “game” a familiar form of first-person shooter was absolutely intentional, but we were careful from the outset not to make it look too much like any one game in particular...

 

We’ve had inquiries as to where people can buy the game... and ample evidence of people truly embracing the spot’s message and declaring that they will think twice about smoking as a result...

 

Sad news comes out of Taunton, Massachusetts this Father's Day as the Boston Globe reports on funeral services for Army Sgt. Shane Duffy, killed in Iraq:

Duffy, who would have turned 23 next Sunday, was killed June 4 in Tikrit, when his Army unit was attacked by enemy fire. Mourners described him yesterday as a spirited, fearless, caring person who looked forward to raising a family and becoming a firefighter like his father.

Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) spoke at Duffy's funeral:

Kerry... recounted how Duffy, on [recent] leave, had joined his family to play the video game "Rock Band," one of his favorites. "Shane [played] guitar with the trademark intensity of a man who wanted to be the best in everything he did in life, and at least for that moment he was Eric Clapton," Kerry said. Duffy's wife played the drums, and he held his rosy-cheeked daughter, Mackenzie, up to the microphone to sing along. "If Shane Duffy was intense, he was also tender," Kerry said.

Sgt. Duffy leaves behind a wife and an infant daughter.

Another member of the gamer generation has fallen while serving in Iraq, reports the Military Times.

US Army Specialist Kyle Norris, 22, a member of the 101st Airborne Division, died on May 23 after his vehicle was struck by an IED in Iskandariyah, 30 miles south of Baghdad. From an Associated Press story:

“He wanted to protect his country,” his brother, 27, said. “He wanted to protect freedom for his family and his friends.”

 

Kyle Norris also loved to spend time with friends, whether it was playing video games or playing a game of paint ball...

 

“If he was sick and they told him to take it easy for a few days, he wouldn’t sit back,” Norris said. “He wanted to be out there with everyone... He was an awesome brother. He was all about family,” said Michael Norris. “Everybody loved him. No one ever said one bad thing about him.”

Via: Connie Talk

Every gamer's favorite academic, MIT Professor Henry Jenkins, will be among the presenters at the 5th Annual Games for Change Festival which takes place June 2-4 in New York.

Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor will deliver the festival's closing keynote. Other speakers include Ben Sawyer of the Serious Games Initiative, Dr. James Paul Gee of Arizona State University, Prof. Ian Bogost of Georgia Tech and Heather Chaplin, co-author of Smartbomb.

From the GFC press release:

The only festival... will explore real-world impact, the latest games and funding strategies... Expert practitioners -- academics, activists, non-profits, funders -- will be called in to examine the impact of current games, evaluations planned and the ongoing work to build the field.

 

You will have a chance to see a variety of new games in development first-hand, and at the Games Expo sponsored by Microsoft, festival-goers can play the latest state-of-the-art games.

 

With video games now a well-established component of youth culture, it's safe to say that many US troops serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world are gamers.

Here at GamePolitics we've often reported on the relationship between games and the military, a nexus that is sometimes controversial. But whatever one may think about the politics involved, we can all agree that we wish safe passage for our military personnel and honor those who have given their all.

We've made it a practice to report on fallen gamers when we've been able to learn about them from personal remembrances shared by friends and family members. We suspect that there are many more who we don't know about.

Today, Memorial Day in the US, we remember them for their service and their sacrifice.

PICTURED: Eric Hall, George Howell, Randy Pickering, Jon Hicks

 

With so many elected officials bashing video games these days, GP naturally has a soft spot for any politician willing to get hands-on with our favorite pastime.

Kudos, then to Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert (R) who played a bit of the Pat Benatar anthem, Hit Me With Your Best Shot at a charity Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock marathon today in Dallas. The event is sponsored by Blockbuster and benefits Education is Freedom, a local nonprofit which is part of Mayor Leppert's Igniting Opportunity for the Children of Dallas Campaign.

The Dallas Morning News reports on hizzoner's performance:

Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert attempted to play Hit Me with Your Best Shot during a 24-hour charity event featuring the video game Guitar Hero.

 

Once the mayor began to play he handed the guitar to 11-year old game whiz Aaron Blockmon to play most of the song. At the end, the mayor grabbed the guitar, dropped to his knees and cranked out the last few fake chords rock-star style...

 

After the mayor won a coin toss, Blockbuster CEO Jim Keyes kicked off the event with School's Out. While Mr. Keyes was playing, the mayor stuffed his guitar strap with $5 bills.

GP: Awesome, Mr. Mayor. Simply awesome... The marathon runs through Saturday. Click here for details.

UPDATE: GP Correspondent Andrew Eisen has tracked down a video clip of Mayor Leppert's GH3 performance.

Although we know that John Tyler Hammons is a gamer, we're not sure which console he favors.

He seems to be an expert at the political game, however. As the Associated Press reports, The 19-year-old University of Oklahoma freshman, a political science major, was elected mayor of Muskogee, a city of 38,000. He will be sworn in to the unpaid position next week.

Hammons, who drubbed a 70-year-old challenger, wants to create an ethics commission and set up a campaign finance reporting system. From the AP report:

His ambition doesn't stop him from enjoying the typical diversions of a 19-year-old: video games, movies, fast cars and rock 'n' roll. As for dating, the skinny, baby-faced Hammons said he's waiting to see what kind of offers come his way.

Local cafe owner Gary Armstrong said:

He doesn't have the baggage. He doesn't owe anybody anything. It's sort of a fresh start for Muskogee.

I'll cop to an innate mistrust of most things corporate, but when a company does something this cool, honor must be paid.

So, my heart is warmed by a Macworld report that Microsoft will distribute hundreds of Xbox 360 game kiosks to US children's hospitals:

The first hospitals to receive the kiosks are Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York-Presbyterian, Children’s Hospital & Regional Medical Center of Seattle and the Children’s Hospital of Orange County in California...

The kiosks are set up with a variety of Y-rated TV programs, G-rated movies, and games rated E and E10+ by the ESRB. They come with headsets and Xbox Live Vision Cameras, and have been configured to communicate with other kiosks over a dedicated Xbox Live network designed specifically for this purpose...

Microsoft is partnering on the kiosk program with the Companions in Courage Foundation, a nonprofit that builds interactive playrooms in hospitals.

When we speak of positive uses of game tech, it doesn't get much better than Nothing But Nets, an online game offered by the United Nations in order to highlight the need for mosquito netting in Africa.

After all, World Malaria Day is April 25th.

In Nothing But Nets the player steers a motorcycle and delivers mosquito bed netting to needy villagers. As games go, it's not state of the art, but it does drive home the need to combat mosquito-borne illnesses with proper netting.

There are also opportunities for the player to sign up as a donor or a fundraiser, but these are not required to play.

Via: Kotaku

When students in Scotland use game tech to persuade peers that binge drinking is a bad idea, that would seem like a positive thing.

But a critic says that ThinknDrinkn is "irresponsible."

Compute Scotland reports that the game was created by a joint effort of students from Paisley Grammar School and St. Andrew's Academy along with assistance from the University of the West of Scotland's School of Computing. Binge drinking is apparently quite the problem in that area, with an estimated one-third of 15-year-olds getting drunk every week. From Compute Scotland's report:

In the game, the players have to find and help a friend who has been drinking and whose condition is constantly deteriorating. Game players will have to provide fluids and food to a drunk friend and either take them home or to hospital, avoiding obstacles including youth gangs along the way. They will also have to answer various questions related to alcohol misuse and can use links to useful websites to find relevant information.

Thanks to the success enjoyed by the game, variations are being studied which would address issues with drug abuse, gambling and sexual health.

But not everyone likes ThinknDrinkn. As Spong reports, Nick Seaton of the Campaign for Real Education objects:

It is irresponsible to confront children of just 11 or 12 with the idea of a friend lapsing into unconsciousness because they have had so much to drink.

Spong notes:

This is the same Nick Seaton who earlier this year told anybody who would listen that introducing Nintendo Wiis into schools was, "pandering to the views of the physically idle". 

Thanks to: GP Correspondent Colin "Jabrwock" McInnes for the heads-up on ThinknDrinkn...

While surfing Xbox Live this morning, GP noticed that the Inside Xbox section has posted a "Gamer Spotlight" on a user named borocouncilman. From the spotlight description:

He's an Xbox gamer and an elected official in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. He's also got a wife, two daughters, and a baby boy on the way.

And then, in one of those "small world" moments, I realized that borocouncilman is an elected official in my home town. How cool is that?

Borocouncilman's real name is Det Ansinn and he's actually the Borough Council President here in Doylestown. While I knew the name, I had no idea Ansinn was a gamer. His XBL chops are impressive, but his real-world bio is even more so:

[Ansinn] founded a successful technology company that has created and supported well-paying local jobs. On borough council, Mr. Ansinn chairs the Streets committee and serves on the Finance and Public Safety committees. In addition to his role as councilman, he is also actively engaged in the community and serves on the board of the Bucks County Free Library.

With so many anti-game politicians out there, it's great to find one who is not only tolerant of gamers, but actually is one.

So what does borocouncilman play? His profile lists a number of games, including Halo 3, Gears of War, Mass Effect, COD4, Crackdown, Burnout Paradise, Fight Night 3, Fusion Frenzy 2, Bioshock, Kameo, King Kong and TMNT...

UPDATE: TriXie from XBL has a detailed interview with borocouncilman.

GamePolitics readers may recall our coverage of David Hecq, the gamer and game shop owner who was running for mayor in the French town of Anzin Saint-Aubin.

Well, he won!

Longtime GP reader Soldat Louis, who often provides us with game-related news from Europe, has posted a message in the GP/ECA Forums about Hecq's victory:

Last sunday march 9th, there were municipal elections in France. And Hecq's team "Pour Anzin-Saint-Aubin : une nouvelle équipe pour de nouvelles ambitions" (litterally, "For Anzin-Saint-Aubin : a new team for new ambitions") received 57.18% of votes, against 42.82% for the former mayor's team. Details are shown on Hecq's campaign blog (in French)

...David Hecq is also credited for the creation of games retail store Objectif Games, which became Ultima Games, a chain of stores located in many French towns.

When last we saw artist and professor Joseph DeLappe, he was protesting the Iraq war - and infuriating other players - by typing the names of dead U.S. miltary personnel into the multiplayer chat window of America's Army.

While DeLappe continues to visit the Army recruiting game as part of his Dead in Iraq war protest, he has turned to a new virtual project, recreating Gandhi's 1930 Salt March within Second Life. As reported by GQ:

DeLappe will begin reenacting Gandhi's 1930 240-mile Salt March on a treadmill inside New York's Eyebeam gallery—all of which will be reproduced in real time on Second Life.

Yes, the self-parody is (kind of) deliberate. "I'm a spoiled American computer artist paying tribute to Gandhi's life and philosophy by taking on certain aspects of his march, like the walking," he says. "But at the same time, you know, I'm not going anywhere."

DeLappe writes on his blog that he will use a specially converted Nordic Trak treadmill to control his SL avatar:

Over 26 days I will walk throughout the confines of this internet based community to reenact Gandhi’s famous 1930’s march to protest the British salt tax in India... my steps on the treadmill will control the forward movement of my avatar...

The Telegraph reports on a touching memorial to British soldiers killed while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A virtual military graveyard in an area of SL known as Tribute Island features memorials to about 250 British war dead. Nik Hewitt of lasting tribute, creator of the memorial, said:

We've replicated individual tribute markers to all the UK soldiers and military personnel who’ve lost their lives in the continuing conflicts...

We have seen avatars - characters created by serving military personnel - wandering through the graves looking for fallen comrades.