View Full Version : N.H. Boy Hit By Lightning Through Video Game Controls
owww! doesn't say if it was x-box or what. Good time to go wireless maybe. :D
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/4670416/detail.html
June 30, 2005
MIDDLETON, N.H. -- A 14-year-old boy was injured Wednesday afternoon when lightning traveled through a television set and a video game controller the boy was holding in Middleton.
A family member said David Robinson became disoriented and was taken to a hospital, but is expected to recover.
Oobgarm
06-30-2005, 11:39 PM
I love posting this story.
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6910
Phosphor Dot Fossils
06-30-2005, 11:43 PM
Force Feedback, baby.
Well, Force in a sense of the Emperor from Star Wars sending lightning bolts coursing through your body, maybe...
RetroYoungen
06-30-2005, 11:46 PM
LOL
We never get that kind of thing in CA, it's usually just somebody getting hit on the head with something during an earthquake or something. And not near me, I'm too high up apparently for a good shake...
Emily
06-30-2005, 11:53 PM
LOL
We never get that kind of thing in CA, it's usually just somebody getting hit on the head with something during an earthquake or something. And not near me, I'm too high up apparently for a good shake...
sorry to get off subject...
But I was in a hospital bed a few days ago all hooked up to an IV and heart monitor when my bed and stuff started shaking. Its pretty scary being completely incapasitated during an earthquake, especially on the 4th floor.
( fellow californians can call me a wussy now, it was a small one)
I guess I can say this is game related. I was within inches of my nintendo DS.
retroman
06-30-2005, 11:56 PM
that would suck....
Ed Oscuro
07-01-2005, 12:23 AM
Heh, I know (well, used to) know somebody who got hit by lightning through a controller - or, well, had the controller jump away from them.
Lightning + electronic equipment = bad. I've lost at least one modem to lightning, and then the computer wasn't even on :p
Gamereviewgod
07-01-2005, 12:29 AM
Let's see how the rest of the media handles it:
VIOLENT VIDEO GAME SHOCKS CHILDREN... LIERALLY!
Game maker to be sued. More on this story at 6.
I love posting this story.
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6910
You should've waited ten more posts :D
DeuZZ
07-01-2005, 05:38 AM
http://img167.echo.cx/img167/9837/ps2article9cq.png
This dude flew 12 feet when lightning struck his PS2 LOL
joshnickerson
07-01-2005, 08:21 AM
"He declared it the 'Best game EVER!!!'" LOL
ig88vsbobafett
07-01-2005, 10:29 AM
I wonder if that goes under sonys "Act of God" warranty :)
Or it might have been the dual shock controller :P
The problem there is the game featured 'crack US Marines'. And they specialize in 'crack lightning attacks'.
That part jumped out when I was reading it to, why be so specific to mention that?
googlefest1
07-01-2005, 10:47 AM
damn i thought that game consoles had to be electricaly isolated from the user -- sh*t , im so disapointed
AB Positive
07-01-2005, 11:21 AM
I saw that in our local papers, the storm in question was a wicked one, I had to turn my work computer off as it wasn't on a surge protector (short day that shift, heh). Still, I NEVER keep consoles on during a storm... I value them too much, even if they are on surge protectors.
-AG
Push Upstairs
07-01-2005, 11:30 AM
You unplug your valued eletronics...even if they are on a surge protector.
Where i live it is very prone to lightning strikes on two occasions ligtning has hit barely 50 feet from where i was sleeping and all i can say is that shit can wake the dead when its that close!
Over the years i have lost: 2 cordless phones, 1 modem, 1 VCR, & one Sat. TV reciever. All of these (except the corldless phones) were on *GOOD QUALITY* surge protectors.
I also had lightning strike and knock my corded phone in the kitchen completely off the hook and clear to the other side of the room.
So to recap today's lesson: valued electronics should always be unplugged. Lightning can't fry what it can't touch.
damn i thought that game consoles had to be electricaly isolated from the user -- sh*t , im so disapointed Just a bit curious, can you expand on that?
MegaManFan
07-01-2005, 01:12 PM
My parents have lost a fridge, a microwave, and several phones to lightning strikes on the farm. One actually exploded a radio in the kitchen - well at the very least sent the tuner dials flying off of it and left the rest an electronic blob of junk.
Chuplayer
07-01-2005, 02:59 PM
Bullshit. That kid was definitely Volgin.
Anyway, I haven't had anything fry on me ever. I never unplug anything. I use electronics through storms. I remember one time when I was playing Mario Kart 64 and I lost power and I was really ticked. But there was no damage.
Definitely use surge protectors, but unplugging is overrated.
Aussie2B
07-01-2005, 05:40 PM
Well, at least both kids are okay. Kinda stupid to play during a thunderstorm, though. Even without worrying about lightning hurting yourself or your consoles, what if the power goes out and you lose all your progress?
I wouldn't say unplugging is overrated... it depends on how much you worry about your stuff... I had lightning hit my house last year (I saw the lightning go through the wall and ground out on the lightswitch plate, and it left a hole in the drywall there). I was watching TV and had my computer on, it killed my TV, monitor, computer power supply and hard drive (although my mom's was fine which was also on)... along with some furnace circuitry (not on), entire house alarm system, washing machine (also not on).
BUT... it also killed both my xbox and gamecube power supplies, even though they weren't actually on... those both have a power supply that is always on, compared to the physical switch like the NES and SNES which were both also hooked up, but unaffected.
So anyway, maybe unplugging is a little overboard, but if the storm is VERY close, I'd definately at least hit the physical switch on the surge protector as this will isolate it from the wall outlet (unless it decides to jump the switch gap... which is possible, but not probable since there's much easier ways to ground).
DogP
Push Upstairs
07-02-2005, 12:05 AM
Definitely use surge protectors, but unplugging is overrated.
Believe me, unplugging is not overrated.
I haven't lost a single electronics device since i started doing that.
I'd rather go through the hassle of unplugging than have to pay for things again.
But i am in a very lightning strike prone area...so i have a good damn reason to unplug everything at the first sound of thunder.
maybe he was using one of those "dual shock" controllers *groans* :roll: :hmm:
Mianrtcv
07-02-2005, 02:46 AM
My friends mom was nuts with unplugging. No phone use during storms, tv's off etc. etc. Me, Nah. Long odds of it happening, though obviously it does.
hezeuschrist
07-02-2005, 02:47 AM
I ALWAYS unplug my computer during big storms. I don't bother with my TV/games, as they're all sub $200 pieces and replacing any of them wouldn't be a hassle, but I've dumped thousands into my system (which also contains some of the best memory in the world which has since gone out of production).
When my motherboard fried (no idea why) I was completely lost for the week I had to wait for my replacement to show up. I had no computer and *no* idea what to do with myself.
Unplugging is only overrated until you actually lose something.
Unplugging is only overrated until you actually lose something.
like a matress, more lightning mayhem since people are plugging (:P ) random lightning stories: http://www.thekansascitychannel.com/news/4673237/detail.html
"He said a bad word, and then Mom heard it, and then she went upstairs, and then she said a bad word, and there were lots of bad words around here," the 7-year-old said. LOL
jajaja
07-02-2005, 07:56 AM
My friends mom was nuts with unplugging. No phone use during storms, tv's off etc. etc. Me, Nah. Long odds of it happening, though obviously it does.
I always turn off my computer and TV when theres a thunderstorm comming. Eventho the odds might be slim I dont want to risk it. Sux if your PC or something should be damaged when you know the risk.