2024-01-17 12:25 United News Network 24 Hours Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture, is one of the areas most severely affected by this disaster.Photo/AFP
Nintendo repairs consoles for free for victims of the Noto Peninsula disaster: During the earthquake in Japan, what are the magical functions of video game consoles in disaster prevention?
“Nintendo repairs consoles for free in disaster-stricken areas. In fact, video game consoles are useful during earthquakes?” It has been more than two weeks since the earthquake in Japan’s Noto Peninsula. As of January 17, a total of 232 people died and 1,037 were injured. Subsequent issues such as resettlement of victims and secondary evacuation are still severe challenges. Nintendo, the world-renowned Japanese game manufacturer, announced on the 16th that if people in the disaster area have Nintendo consoles or hardware products, they can receive free repair services. It also donated 50 million yen for disaster relief. Immediately after the news was announced, it aroused topics and praise in the Japanese online community. In addition, some people discovered that the Nintendo Switch can be used as a mobile power supply and can also be used temporarily in disaster areas. In fact, portable consoles have been used during earthquakes in the past because of GPS. Japan also uses game consoles popularized in households as one of the channels for transmitting disaster prevention knowledge.
The Noto Peninsula earthquake occurred on January 1. As of January 17, a total of 232 people died, 1,037 were injured, and a total of 22,374 houses were damaged. Among them, the worst death toll and house collapse occurred in Ishikawa Prefecture. Suzu City and Wajima City. There are still 21 people missing and their lives and deaths cannot be confirmed. They are all located in Suzu and Wajima. A total of 16,070 people have taken refuge in the disaster area. Since many areas in the disaster area are still without water and electricity (as of the 17th, 8,150 households are without power and 52,210 households are without water). It is difficult to return to their homes in a short time. In a country with limited supplies and living resources, Under such circumstances, some victims have been moved to other shelters or hotel facilities for “secondary evacuation.”
Post-disaster relief and support work is still in progress. On January 16, Nintendo, one of Japan’s most representative game manufacturerspublic displayIf a victim of the Noto Peninsula earthquake has a damaged Nintendo game console or related hardware product, he or she does not need to provide a product warranty and does not need to be within the warranty period. Nintendo will provide free repair services. At the same time, Nintendo has donated 50 million yen (approximately NT$10.75 million) through the Japanese Red Cross Society for disaster relief.
On January 16, Nintendo, one of Japan’s most representative game companies, publicly stated that if there are victims of the Noto Peninsula earthquake… As of January 17, a total of 232 people died and 1,037 were injured. Subsequent victims Resettlement, secondary evacuation…
Although the repair service is applicable to the models that Nintendo can still apply for repair currently (mainly Switch, some other consoles such as 3DS no longer provide repair services), but after the news was announced, in Japan immediately Discussions and praise arose in the online community. On Twitter, people in the disaster area could also be seen saying that it was really sad to see their Switch in tatters after the earthquake. I am glad that Nintendo provided such a free service in a timely manner. “I hope it can Return to the daily life where you can play video games at home as soon as possible.”
Nintendo is not the only one to provide special repair services to disaster victims. Zojirushi Corporation also does something similar. As long as people pay the postage, Zojirushi will repair products for free. Other manufacturers such as Panasonic, SONY, SHARP, etc. also provide similar services.
Although in the eyes of some outsiders, “repairing video game consoles” after the earthquake is not a top priority, for players or some families, video game consoles may be a symbol of daily life and one of the ways to relieve stress during evacuation life. one. In particular, Nintendo’s Switch is loved by many Japanese families and parents. It is a best-selling console with cumulative sales exceeding 30 million units in Japan and more than 125 million units worldwide. It has symbolic significance as a daily entertainment device.
What is the connection between video game consoles and earthquakes? Just after the Noto Peninsula earthquake, some Japanese people recently discovered that the Switch can be used as a temporary mobile power supply. As long as the connector is ready, it can charge mobile phones in reverse. This information quickly spread on Twitter. Japanese online media “Lmaga” asked Nintendo for confirmation and confirmed that it can indeed charge mobile phones. However, Nintendo officials made it clear: “It is not recommended to use Switch as a power bank.”
The most well-known case in the past was the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011. At that time, many people discovered that portable video game consoles such as Nintendo DS and SONY PSP, etc., had built-in GPS positioning. It can actually function after a disaster. People in disaster areas even use NDS to search and find other nearby victims who hold NDS. Others include NDS and later 3DS consoles. With external accessories, they can also receive TV signals and use the console as a tool for receiving information in disaster areas. However, the current Nintendo Switch does not have built-in GPS function.
People and dogs evacuating from the disaster area on the Noto Peninsula.Photo/Associated Press
Also due to the high popularity of NDS and 3DS, some Japanese companies have turned disaster prevention information into game software, hoping to promote the popularization of disaster prevention knowledge through games (such as “Earthquake DS72 Time”, or “Parents and Children Learning” on Switch) Disaster Prevention, etc.).
2020 Switch’s “Assemble!” “Animal Crossing” (referred to as “Animal Crossing”) was a hot seller, setting off a phenomenon-level trend during the epidemic. In July of the same year, the Tokyo Fire Department in Japan took a fancy to the popularity of “Animal Crossing” and made special use of the island production of “Animal Crossing” Function, a “Disaster Prevention Island” (ボウサイ岛) was designed, disaster prevention information was integrated into the game, and was shot into pictures and videos for publicity on the Internet.
This time around the Noto Peninsula earthquake, in addition to Nintendo, other major Japanese game companies have donated money for disaster relief. CAPCOM, which recently sold 3 million copies of “Kombat 6” globally, donated 120 million yen (approximately NT$25.71 million). ; The Pokémon Company and Square Enix each donated 50 million yen, and KOEI TECMO, which is widely known in the Chinese circle for the “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” series, donated 10 million yen.
Today, January 17, is also the 29th anniversary of the “Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake” in 1995. At that time, a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3 occurred in Kobe and Awaji Island in Hyogo Prefecture, killing 6,434 people, injuring 43,792 people, and injuring 680,000 people. 9,776 houses were destroyed, and the overall damage scale exceeded 10 trillion yen. On the day of the Memorial Day, Kobe City held a moment of silence at 5:46 in the morning – the time when the earthquake occurred. The Noto Peninsula disaster area in Ishikawa Prefecture is also scheduled to hold a commemoration on the evening of the 17th, and also pray for the Noto Peninsula earthquake.
Today, January 17, is also the 29th anniversary of the “Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake” in 1995. At that time, in Hyogo Prefecture… Past 24 hours Japan
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2024-01-17 04:25:23
