November 20 3:22 P.M.
This is only a test.
If this were an actual emergency, you should probably stop playing Modern Warfare 2.
But don't drop your virtual gun just yet. According to Information Week, this is simply a test of the Emergency Alert System (formerly the Emergency Broadcast System) conducted by New York State, which plans to one day soon issue national alerts through your Xbox 360, Playstation 3 or Wii in addition to traditional methods like TV and radio.
The move is part of the state's "Empire 2.0" initiative, the goal of which is to improve the state's communication infrastructure by expanding into new technology, including social networks like Facebook and Twitter and virtual worlds like Second Life.
By tapping into Xbox Live, Playstation Network and the Wii network, the state hopes to better reach younger citizens in the case of a natural or man-made emergency (other than the kind they might encounter while playing Modern Warfare 2, that is.)
The service is currently in the planning phase and has yet to be tested live.
 |
 |
 |
Posted: 20 Nov 2009
