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Child's Play Goes Live For 2006

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the go-make-some-kids-happy dept.

GiovanniZero writes "Child's Play, the Penny-Arcade based charity just kicked off their 2006 season. Stop by, donate and bring some cheer to sick kids all over the world. 'Since 2003, gamers have banded together through registered Seattle-based charity, Child's Play. Over a million dollars in donations of toys, games, books and cash for sick kids in children's hospitals across North America and the world have been collected since our inception ... Last year's drive raised over $605,000 for sick children, and we're hoping to smash that record total this winter. Check out the wish lists, read up on the local events and let's show the world what the gaming community is all about!'"

41 comments

  1. One small issue by ShadowsHawk · · Score: 1

    I understand the reasons, but I do wish that we could donate used games/systems. All the same, it's a very worthy cause and plan to donate again this year.

    1. Re:One small issue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They should at least set someone up to collect all the used games & systems and sell them on eBay or through PA or something. Then use the cash to buy new games for the hospitals.

    2. Re:One small issue by TekReggard · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The response to your comment is also a good idea, but at the core of this arguement is the fact its a hospital. They can't accept used games/systems for health reasons. I was kind of shocked when I found out they can't even accept things like teddy bears. Why? Because apparently they become germ ridden with time. I do agree though, you could always sell your stuff on ebay and use the funds to purchase stuff for the hospitals. I think part of the reason why you wouldn't be able to sell it though one central account just has to do with honesty. There would be very little accountability for someone who was using it with mal-intent.

    3. Re:One small issue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You can to a different organization, Get-Well Gamers (http://www.get-well-gamers.org). They accept all sorts of used stuff from the SNES on up.

    4. Re:One small issue by kalirion · · Score: 1

      Or maybe a trading system so that you can donate a new game and get a used one that some one else has donated in return. That way you still get to play the game you paid for :)

    5. Re:One small issue by GiovanniZero · · Score: 1

      You can donate videogame systems directly by mailing them to Child's Play address listed on their site. Thats what they've done in years past anyway. For more information about the best way to do this contact klindsay at penny-arcade.com (email)

      --
      Mod me up, mod me down, do your worst you modding clown.
    6. Re:One small issue by Weedhopper · · Score: 1

      The way you handle teddy bears in a children's hospitals is you give one to the kid and he or she takes it home. It's the model we use here in some of the NGO hospitals where I've worked. The downside of this is that when you have a toy company wanting to make a donation, you have to tell them that unless the toy can be easily sterilized, they should be prepared to donate a LOT.

      And I'm also glad that Penny Arcade was finally convinced to alter the red cross they were using as a part of their symbol. Although I admire and respect what Gabe and Tycho were trying to do, I tried for a while to convince them that it wasn't appropriate. While many assume that the Red Cross symbol (trademark in a way) is in the public domain but it is not. For a while there, PA/CP was in violation of the Geneva Conventions. There are some of us who use/have used the Red Cross as a symbol of protection in insecure areas and its inappropriate use diltutes that power.

    7. Re:One small issue by motoyugota · · Score: 1

      Yes, but you still can't give used systems and games. However, like someone else has pointed out by now, I'm sure, is that you can do this at Get-Well Gamers (http://www.get-well-gamers.org)

  2. Great idea but WTF? by Turn-X+Alphonse · · Score: 1

    Okay I adore the idea and I'll be supporting it, but I have to ask WTF is with some of the gifts. Theres a lot of cool stuff requested but maybe it's just me but is animal crossing and RPGs (Pokemon mysterious dungeon and mario and luigi) really the best idea? These kids arn't going to have very long with the toys let a lone enough time to really understand an RPG (and even so with mysterious dungeon one person could majorly screw your entire game up in 1 swift move change). Is it really the best idea to be buying these sort of games?

    Mario kart, Mario 64 and Lego star wars I can dig. Simple pick up and play games which are fun and get to the point. But RPGs seem a bad choice of games.

    I'm not saying don't support (infact the opposit), but I can't see a single reason to want RPGs for kids who will only get a couple of hours a week with the games and very unlikely be able to keep their save file let alone learn the mechanics.

    --
    I like muppets.
    1. Re:Great idea but WTF? by Talisein · · Score: 2, Informative

      As I understand it the hospitals help make these lists. Second, a lot of these kids live at the hospital--their immune system is destroyed from chemotherapy and they are totally isolated; while they probably do have exams and tests and procedures at regular intervals, they undoubtedly have a lot of time to kill.

      --
      "The right to do something does not mean doing it is right." William Safire
    2. Re:Great idea but WTF? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Kids who are all but living in the hospital might be in bed playing on a GBA for hours on end, I would assume with several trucks of video games, the kids could keep the game throughout the entire stay, and not have any shortages. :P

    3. Re:Great idea but WTF? by Truman+Starr · · Score: 1
      I agree with the first response above. I can understand your line of thinking, Turn-X Alphonse, but a lot of these kids DO have a lot of time. Maybe not from our perspective, but 2 weeks in hospital can seem like 2 years to a child. I think they would be more absorbed by a good RPG than a standard 'action' game.

      It seems like you're thinking like these kids will be playing the game while in a waiting room for an hour or two. Think more along the lines of being in the waiting room for a few weeks (months, years...).

    4. Re:Great idea but WTF? by Turn-X+Alphonse · · Score: 1

      yea but DSes tend to not be given to kids, they tend to be in the playroom where kids get to spend a couple of hours a week. I spent a lot of time in hospital as a kid and I was never give anything to play with, just allowed in the playroom once in a while. I don't think it's changed since then, so these DSes will be ways for kids to escape for an hour or two, not keep them happy while other shits going on.

      Either way wouldn't mario kart still be better than mysterious dungeon with just 1 save file?

      --
      I like muppets.
    5. Re:Great idea but WTF? by PoderOmega · · Score: 1

      Maybe I am wrong, but I don't see an age range. When I was 10 years old I started playing RPGs, so I think an RPG is definately OK for a 10-12 year old. Children's Hospitals still have children up into teen years (up to 18 I think).

    6. Re:Great idea but WTF? by Turn-X+Alphonse · · Score: 1

      Ah but you see I'm looking at this in the "they will go in a playroom" sense, not given to a kid for a week or two.

      --
      I like muppets.
    7. Re:Great idea but WTF? by Truman+Starr · · Score: 1
      Turn-X Alphonse, maybe it's different from hospital to hospital, but from what I've heard/seen, many hospitals (esp Child's Play partners) are putting more effort into making things more "comfortable" for the kids. A lot of hospitals now have carts that can be parked in a kid's room that contain a gamecube/ps2/xbox and many games, for example. Also, with the increased risk many of these kids have to communicable diseases, I think the common "play area" mentality is in decline somewhat. That is one of the big reasons they cannot accept used games/systems. Therefore in many of these hospitals it is entirely within the realm of possibility that a child will have a system of their "own" for an extended period of time. YMMV

      just my 2 cents.

    8. Re:Great idea but WTF? by Turn-X+Alphonse · · Score: 1

      I still don't see them having them long enough to finish a good RPG. But you do have a point. :)

      --
      I like muppets.
    9. Re:Great idea but WTF? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Slashdot tip of the day: before taking the stance of an overbearing ass, make sure you haven't misspelled "meant" in your sig.

    10. Re:Great idea but WTF? by SoapDish · · Score: 1

      I started playing RPGs at 5. I have fond memories of coming home from my half day at kindergarten, and playing Dragon Warrior.

    11. Re:Great idea but WTF? by SoapDish · · Score: 1

      I finish most of my good RPGs in about a week (or less). I'm the type of gamer that will spend hours at a time playing a game.

      Considering many these kids are stuck in a bed all day, I think they'll have more than enough time to go through just about any RPG in a week or two.

    12. Re:Great idea but WTF? by PoderOmega · · Score: 1

      Good for you and your ego. Well, I was born in 79 and played Dragon Warrior when it came out in the US, but I wasnt sure what year. So maybe earlier than 10, but not as young as you, my elite friend.

    13. Re:Great idea but WTF? by Turn-X+Alphonse · · Score: 1

      again I'm assuming the kids are newbies and don't have their own games.. :)

      --
      I like muppets.
    14. Re:Great idea but WTF? by Truman+Starr · · Score: 1
      I started playing RPGs at a young age, too. However, my parties in the original FF inevitably consisted of FART, POOP>/b>, and some other, more unmentionable, 4-letter names.

      Needless to say, I didn't experience the game as it was intended until some time later. But I have been hooked ever since.

    15. Re:Great idea but WTF? by Truman+Starr · · Score: 1
      *sigh* I fail at the Internet.

      Karma: Retarded

    16. Re:Great idea but WTF? by SoapDish · · Score: 1

      Yes, I thought you would likely be older than me (6 years as it turns out). My goal was to further your point that age range is not an issue. I did not want to say my elite gaming skills were more impressive than yours.

      I looked it up, and Dragon Warrior was released in 1989, so your 10 year guess seems accurate. I'm certain I was 5 because my brothers got their turn before me, so it took me longer to get my hands on it.

      I will attempt to be more tactful in my future posts.

    17. Re:Great idea but WTF? by AcidLacedPenguiN · · Score: 1

      some kids like RPGs?

      --
      disclaimer: I've been known to store numbers in my ass for which to dig out when quantities are required.
    18. Re:Great idea but WTF? by PoderOmega · · Score: 1

      Heh sorry, I am bad at reading tone in text.

      Now GIT OFF MY LAWN YOUNGIN!!!

    19. Re:Great idea but WTF? by jandrese · · Score: 1

      Yeah, but one thing they do tend to have is a boatload of free time. A game that takes 80 hours to finish will take me several weeks to complete, but a kid that has to stay cooped up in a hospital room all day with not much to do or anyone to talk to for big streches of time will probably go through it a lot faster.

      --

      I read the internet for the articles.
    20. Re:Great idea but WTF? by Brigade · · Score: 1

      Have you ever been to a kid's cancer ward? My fiance's daughter had a tumor (successfuly removed, she's fully recovered) when she was 4, and we visited all the time. True, there are a lot of kids that won't be in there for long (day, few days, etc.) but when you're undergoing treatment, a lot of kids can kill a good 4-8 hours a day (at least) not sleeping, bored to tears watching TV or doing schoolwork via tutoring. Now apply that logic to cancer kids undergoing long-term in-patient treatment .. they live in those hospitals for sometimes weeks or even months. RPGs (teaching critical thinking, encouraging problem-solving, engaging reading skills) would be excellent for them, keep them engaged, entertained, AND using their brains.

    21. Re:Great idea but WTF? by motoyugota · · Score: 1

      The other thing that you're forgetting is that a lot of these gifts are, in fact, GIFTS. These are not things that are just there for the kids to use. In fact, I think that the GBA's/DS's were like that last year, which is why there was such a high number requested at each hospital. Or at least that's what the plan was.

  3. Get some PRIORITIES! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    There are sick kids dying in hospitals all over the country and you guys are on the Internet talking about video games?

    You people disgust me!

    1. Re:Get some PRIORITIES! by Truman+Starr · · Score: 1

      There are sick kids dying in hospitals all over the country and you are trolling guys that are on the Internet talking about video games?

  4. This is not charity.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    ..it's a PR exercise. They'll sell x more shirts and other merch because of the free publicity this shit generates. Charity should be anonymous, not plastered all over a hugely popular website in a grandiose display of self-back-patting.

    1. Re:This is not charity.. by Truman+Starr · · Score: 1
      Who are you AC, Jack Thompson?

      I am not going to validate your argument, but even if it is true, I guarantee you that the money raised for the sick kids is several orders of magnitude greater than any related merch revenues. Hell, the t-shirts they sell for Child's Play are going 100% to the charity. How would you suggest organizing and promoting a charity of this size without some type of name behind it? Do you also deny the legitamacy of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation?

    2. Re:This is not charity.. by Temuar+Skylari · · Score: 1

      First, the people donating are anonymous. Anybody can donate money to this PARTICULAR charity. Donations are anonymous, the charity is an organization. Second, the PA merchandise is not generally the type that's going to be purchased by sympathetic people who buy it "because of that nice charity they sponsored", so I doubt they'll make that much. Third, there's probably a fairly significant organizational cost in running Child's Play, which might be slightly compensated for by a few more Cardboard Tube Samurai shirts sold.

      --
      USE colorful confetti ON heavily-armed clown
    3. Re:This is not charity.. by GiovanniZero · · Score: 1

      Thats funny. The fact is that Penny-arcade is huge and Child's Play is the kind of charity that their readers would contribute to. It would be VERY detrimental to the charity to disassociate it with something as popular as Penny-Arcade.

      --
      Mod me up, mod me down, do your worst you modding clown.
    4. Re:This is not charity.. by Mike+Fehlauer · · Score: 3, Informative

      Hi, I help run Child's Play for PA. Granted that the "anonymous coward" OP is retarded, but sadly his affliction isn't rare. That's why we've set up Child's Play as a seperate entity, a charitable nonprofit 501c3 corporation registered in the state of Washington. Aside from email addresses, image copyright notices, and the historical info in the "about" section you won't find any mention of Penny Arcade. The cartoon characters are on there because we want to reassure those familiar with the comic that, yes, this is the "real" Child's Play site. But we don't call them out, or introduce the site as "Gabe and Tycho bring you... Child's Play". Unless you're ALREADY familiar with the characters, they could just be random cartoons of gamers.

      I realize the OP is a troll but the fact is, CP is it's own thing. We could all die in a meteor strike tomorrow and CP would continue. Advocating CP on Penny Arcade, or on Slashdot, or on a personal blog, or on any site isn't self-back-patting. It's giving kids a bit of comfort while they're stuck in hospital. No more, no less.

  5. Don't forget ads! by Warbringer87 · · Score: 1

    They have a page with banner graphics. Donating is great, but if your site/blog whatever can have a banner, place one of the Child's Play banners for a while. Already did that with my own site. It's great if you can donate money, but really spread the word, so more people can donate. I plan to put up a few flyers as well at school.

  6. Front page! by Alizarin+Erythrosin · · Score: 1

    I realize that Penny Arcade is a gaming comic and all, but Child's Play is something that all nerds can get behind! This should be on the front page!

    --
    There are only 10 kinds of people in this world... those who understand binary and those who don't
  7. A Modest Proposal by EddieBurkett · · Score: 1

    If everyone is talking about how these kids have 8 - 20 hours a day to do nothing but play games, isn't there some way we can put them to good use? Why not get them PC's and WoW accounts and let them spend all that time power-leveling? Then the hospital can keep a cut of the profit they make when they sell their characters. Heck, maybe if people in WoW knew they could donate their gold to a good cause, people could help them that way. I can't believe we're missing out on such an opportunity!

    --
    The only thing I hate more than hypocrites are people who hate hypocrites.
  8. Re:One small issue --- issue solved by Mike+Fehlauer · · Score: 2, Informative

    Hi, I help run Child's Play for PA. The hospitals don't want us to send them used items--too many germ issues. We do have a solution: sell your stuff on eBay. We're all set up with eBay's "Missionfish" program, which lets any user selling anything to donate a portion of the proceeds to Child's Play. When listing your item just select that you want to donate. You'll be taken to a popup with a list of charities and a search box. Just search for "Childs Play" and click on the result. Done. The process sounds a little weird, since eBay/Missionfish is set it up in such a way that the charity doesn't get screwed: when the item sells, eBay charges the LISTER'S credit card for the designated percentage. Then the lister collects the full amount from the buyer. So once you're set up, you can list a million items and never have to worry about calculating the % and mailing checks--eBay handles each % donation automatically. Like I said, a little weird but it makes sense. Bottom line is that people have expressed a wish to donate used systems, and this is the easiest and cleanest solution. Thanks for all the support, by the way. You all should be proud of the success of this charity. Being completely fueled by the gamer/geek community, Child's Play just wouldn't exist without you.