Gamers Evolved

The PSP is one of the more popular portable gaming consoles on the market and until now it has been sold to thousands of gamers with no problems or complaints. 12 year old – Henry Clay – was sitting in class trying to learn from his teachers when he felt his leg burning as if it were on fire. He discovered that the burn to his leg came from his PSP which was sitting in his pocket.

He was treated for second-degree burns to his leg in hospital. “He said it wasn’t a gradual heat. It really started heating up. He’s always been taught burn - fire - smoke, you drop and you roll. So, he dropped and rolled,” Sheila Clay – the victim’s mother.

“It was unbelievable, because it wasn’t on. It was just in his pocket,” said the victim’s father, Harold Clay. It seemed that even though the console – which had the EA’s Burnout on it (funny and ironic) – was turned off the lithium-iron battery had over heated while in his pocket. If the battery fluid is contaminated with bits of metal than it could cause sparks. Sony will be looking into this problem.