Blog Posts by Chris Morris

While most cops protect and serve, former East St. Louis police chief Michael Baxton apparently likes to play.

Michael BaxtonBaxton pleaded guilty Thursday to stealing four Xbox 360 consoles from the FBI, reports St. Louis news station KSDK.

To be clear, the 360 is not standard issue equipment for the Feds these days. Officials had them in the car as part of a sting operation after suspicions arose about the chief's conduct.

Baxton, who faces up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000, came under suspicion of offering preferential treatment to some suspects and stealing/selling items from the evidence locker. That's when the FBI decided to test him.

Kids, take note: Your parents do have the right to discipline you.

Getty ImagesOne tyke in the Portland suburb of Lake Oswego decided to test this rule when he was upset with his mother's decision to take away his PlayStation 3. So upset, in fact, that he called 911 to get it straightened out.

The child, whose name has obviously not been released, had a day off from school thanks to the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, reports The Oregonian. His mother told him to practice the piano, but apparently he wasn't in the mood.

Worried that grandma or grandpa might be losing their edge? Get 'em in front of a game console -- fast!

Eldery gamers see benefits (Cay Anderson-Hanley/Union College)A new study published in the current American Journal of Preventive Medicine finds that select video games may have positive mental benefits for older adults, and could help stave off dementia.

As you might suspect, titles like Modern Warfare 3 and Assassin's Creed didn't make the list, but researchers found that exergames, like Wii Fit, resulted in better planning, memory, attention and problem-solving.

Fit Freeway (BitGym)The iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch might have some great gaming experiences, but they're all fairly sedentary, unless you consider pulling the Angry Bird slingshot a cardio workout (in which case, we salute your level of sluggishness).

A new developer, though, is looking to change those perceptions.

BitGym has launched Fit Freeway, the first title in what it says will be a portfolio of apps that blend fun and fitness. The game is meant to make a real cardio workout (technically, one that takes place on a treadmill or the like) more fun by adding gaming elements to engage people and help them stick by their now-faltering New Year Resolutions.

While December was a grim month overall for the video game industry, it was particularly brutal for Nintendo. Wii hardware sales were down a whopping 55 percent compared to a year ago, a clear sign that interest in the once-hot console has dried up.

All of the major consoles saw sales declines last month, but they were muted compared to Nintendo's drop. The Xbox 360 was off 8 percent and the PlayStation 3 saw sales fall 22 percent.

Video game retailers didn't have a lot to celebrate in 2011.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Activision)According to figures announced Thursday by The NPD Group, overall sales for the industry came in between $16.3 and $16.6 billion for 2011. That's down from $18.6 billion a year ago.

Physical retail sales, which make up the majority of software sold, were down 8 percent to $9.3 billion.

On the upside, though, hardware sales continued to show plenty of strength, climbing 9 percent, mostly on the strength of the Xbox 360, which led the industry for most of the year.

A group of Chinese workers that make the Xbox 360 are unhappy with their jobs. Really unhappy.

Foxconn Technology (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)Roughly 150 employees of a Foxconn Technology plant in Wuhan, China threatened mass suicide earlier this month in protest of job transfers. No workers followed through with the threat, though 45 did ultimately decide to quit, reports The New York Times.

At issue was a decision to transfer all employees to an alternate production facility. Workers insist they were initially offered severance pay if they chose not to relocate, but that Foxconn later backed out of that promise. Foxconn says they made no such severance promise in the first place.

ePawn Arena (ePawn)The Consumer Electronics Show isn't just about a bunch of drool-worthy TVs and doomed-before-they-launch tablets. Gaming is a big part of the show.

While new games aren't announced or showcased and major new hardware announcements by big industry players don't typically happen (even rumored ones like the Xbox 720), there's plenty of gaming on hand. Sony and Nintendo have been busily showing off the PlayStation Vita and Wii U, respectively, and many of those fancy sets and mobile devices are geared towards those who like to play.

[Photos]: New tech gadgets of CES 2012

But if you like your gaming with an extra helping of weirdness, it's a virtual smorgasbord. There's no end to the companies showcasing quirky, unusual, or downright head-scratching pieces of gaming technology. Here are five of the most interesting game gadgets of CES 2012.