Microsoft to double reward for missing Xbox gamer

(story by Michael Comte, AFP)

US software behemoth Microsoft has doubled a cash reward for information on the whereabouts of a Canadian boy who ran away from home after his father took away his Xbox game console, it said Tuesday.

Brandon Crisp, 15, took off on his bicycle from his Barrie, Ontario home on October 13 -- Canada's Thanksgiving holiday -- and rode east along an old rail line.

He has not been seen since.

His father told local media he had removed Brandon's Xbox, built by Microsoft, after noticing changes in behavior since Brandon started playing "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare" online.

The boy started skipping school, stealing money and ignoring his studies, his father said.

A local newspaper, the family's Internet service provider and Child Find offered a 25,000-dollar (19,500-dollar US) reward for information leading to his return.

Microsoft topped it up with another 25,000 dollars, the company said Tuesday in an email to AFP, "hoping for his swift return."

"Like everyone, we are deeply worried about the disappearance of Brandon Crisp," the company said.

Exhaustive searches have not turned up a single clue beyond the boy's bicycle, found last week with a flat tire.

Police are said to be examining who Brandon played with online. "Law enforcement has contacted Microsoft about this matter and we are cooperating fully with them," said Microsoft.

On Sunday, 1,600 volunteer searchers packed up their reflective vests and ended their efforts to find him, while police stopped their air and water search.

In an interview with the daily Globe and Mail, the boy's father, Steve Crisp, said he had not known how important the gaming system was to his son and how he would react when it was taken away.

Experts commented that gamers may form bonds with fellow online players.

"This had become his identity, and I didn't realize how in-depth this was until I took his Xbox away," Steve Crisp told the Globe and Mail. "That's like cutting his legs off."

"This is such an issue that hits every parent out there, with video games that are starting to control our kids' lives," he said.

"I just took away his identity, so I can understand why he got so mad and took off. Before, I couldn't understand why he was taking off for taking his game away."

Now, Brandon's father says he just wants his son to come home.

Copyright (c) 2008 Agence France-Presse. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AFP report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of AFP.

I'm completely floored. BTW, if you go to the original Yahoo! article here, you'll notice that there's an ad for the new Call of Duty game. Brilliant.

Red vs. Blue Rock The Vote PSA: Election Night

Have you registered yet?

Gamers - Early Voting Has Begun

PSA: Early voting has begun - tell your friends you'll be right back, pause your game, and head down to your local city hall, school, post office, or neighborhood polling place. If you're not yet registered to vote, you still have time, albeit not much. Go here, here, or here to register or to double check to see if you are in the first place.

Remember, Election Day is on November 4th. It may not be a good idea to write "Caboose" for your write-in candidate. We're looking at real world candidates to be our next President.


To learn more about the ad above, read more about it here.

Max Payne

Starring Marky Mark and Meg from Family Guy. Out in theatres Oct. 17, 2008.

We Didn't Start the Fire

How'd I miss this piece of the pie? An overheated 7-year old Xbox is to blame for burning an apartment in Clio, Michigan to a crisp. The console was apparently left running for four days straight in the apartment, igniting a spiral-bound notebook near or on the console, and the rest, as they say, is crispy.

Well, this could've easily been avoided. First of all, don't leave any electronic device running for more than the amount of time needed (e.g., leave the console on for the length of ONE game = one hour max, 'doku). Second, can you recall of any recalls for your console? Not sure? Google "(name of console) recalls." Everyone knows (well, not everyone, apparently the folks who left the Xbox running weren't aware but I'm sure they are now) that Xboxes out on the market before 2003 were recalled for defective power cords. Not too many were recalled...about 14 million.

Read more about it here and here. Please note: my favorite part of the report is that the kid's parents mention he's autistic. I just want to clarify to everyone that his being autistic is NOT the problem; the problem is that the console WAS NOT turned off, thereby setting the apartment on fire.