I never thought I’d say this, but Nintendo has joined the global fight against terrorism. Or at least it will have if a new project funded by US Homeland Security ever sees the light of day.

The acronym-friendly Future Attribute Screening Technology scheme aims to bolster airport security by identifying would-be terrorists via heart rate, breathing, eye movement, body temperature and… fidgeting, which is where Nintendo comes in.

Researchers have constructed an improvised “fidget monitor” from a Wii balance board, altered to monitor shifting weight. CNN reports that studies are now under way to determine whether a certain level of fidget suggests a jumpy terrorist with an IED stuffed into an available orifice. Hmmmm, or it could suggest fear of flying, really needing a piss, too many pre-flight coffees or a seething, impotent rage at being de-jacketed, de-shoed, forced to discard that refreshing bottle of Evian and held up by yet another nonsensical, fear-mongering security precaution. Just saying likes.

What I like most about the Nintendo Wii is the way it manages to span so many different demographics in providing good clean fun. Witness exhibit A above for proof.

Donut loving police officers from an anti-drug task force raiding the home of a friendly neighbourhood dealer in Florida decided they couldn’t resist a few frames of Wii bowling in between ransacking the house for baggies of meth. Unfortunately for them however, they were unaware of a surveillance camera which had been set up before the raid.

Bit of a gutter ball there (sorry, but at least I didn’t say “game over”).

Via AP

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“Sony has had a difficult year and I think they had to do what they had to do to try to be profitable. They have their own financial issues to solve and lowering the price of the console would probably have made their situation worse.”

He did add that a price drop would happen at some point and that the media conglomerate would “be just fine,” which will no doubt come as a relief to Sony. Even if it doesn’t, they might find solace in the fact that the PS3 is enjoying strong sales in the Middle East, according to Emirates Business. In a touching, and frankly, suprising turn of events it also seems that Microsoft and Sony will team up to organise a series of gaming events through a new Middle Eastern gaming association.

Rein has obviously been getting about a bit recently, he told IndustryGamers that Epic would be standing by it’s policy of not developing for the Wii, and even accused adult-oriented games of being “huge financial flops” on Nintendo’s box.