In what is altruism at its most sublime, Child's Play organizers announced that the charity has raised nearly 36,000 rupees in 2008, which at the current exchange rate equals more than a million dollars – all to help sick children in need of both fun and games.

While not discounting the impact of tedious school bus excursions, the milestone owes much thanks to the recent Child's Play Charity Dinner Auction in Seattle, which took in an impressive $200,000 over the course of the evening. It warms our hearts when gamers can put down their guns and spread a little cheer for a good cause. Bravo.

We got a little note today from Ensemble Studios, best known for the Age of Empires series and currently creating Halo Wars, stating that the company created an auction on eBay with all proceeds going to Child's Play. The auction involves everything you see above (essentially the whole Age of series), signed by the Ensemble development team. Estimated value is $300 and as of this writing the bidding was at $280. You guys can push that up -- it's for charity!

We spoke with Ensemble Studio's Producer Brian Lemon to find out why the company decided to do this. He explained that the studio already donated something similar to the Child's Play auction which occurred in Seattle, but wanted to give its fans around the world a more public opportunity to win the package. To show its commitment, Ensemble made worldwide shipping of the bundle free. A nice idea for a good cause.

We love helping sick kids as much as the next staff of surly bloggers, but even our moral compass is being tested by this eBay listing for an incredible Keyblade replica. We'd like to say the best part is that 35% [Update: In their FAQ, the seller says 100%] of the funds raised are going to Child's Play. But alas, we're pretty sure that the best part is the above video from the listing that features one of our favorite things: Cosplayers who've just lost the game of Chicken they've been playing with e-infamy and insanity and have ended up splattered all over the internet. Happy holidays, kids.

Of all the images the video, we're especially terrified of Pikachu holding a sword. Because, you see, even if you're properly grounded and insulated against electricity -- he's still got a sword.

[Thanks everyone who sent this in.]

The guys behind LoadingReadyRun have a very unique way of contributing to this year's Child's Play charity: they're playing one of the worst games of all time.

Desert Bus is one of several mini-games included in the never-officially-released Sega CD game Penn and Teller's Smoke and Mirrors. The Desert Bus mini-game challenges players to drive Penn and Teller's tour bus from Tuscon, Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada... in real time... and at a maximum speed of 45 mph.

It's a task that takes 8 hours to complete, and earns players one point in the game. The task can be completed back and forth as many times as the players can stomach, each time earning one point. The LoadingReadyRun team has pledged that the more money they receive, the longer they will sit and endure this painful, painful game. Over $1,000 USD have already been donated, which guarantees the masochists at least 64 hours of play-time. To see just how crazy they are, check out the gameplay footage after the break.

[Thanks, Graham]

Child's Play organizers have announced that the annual charity drive is now underway. The drive was first launched some five years ago by Penny Arcade masterminds Gabe and Tycho as a fundraiser for the Seattle Children's Hospital, and has since grown to become a global hub of good will for those in need, while simultaneously demonstrating that gamers by and large are not the anti-social jerkwads the media would make them out to be.

Those interested in contributing to the drive, which now includes hospitals in more than 25 states and five countries, can easily donate items though purchases made via Amazon, and officials note that the tax deductible gifts will be sent directly to those hospitals in need.

In addition, the annual Child's Play Fundraider Dinner is scheduled to take place on December 11 at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle, and will as always include both a silent and live auction, with all proceeds going towards the charity.

We really wish this wasn't an eBay auction item, but it's still incredibly cool nonetheless -- and 15% of the final sale goes to Child's Play, so we don't feel that guilty featuring it. Anyway, this is an actual modded PSP which, beyond the accoutrements, was painted in an "18-step process" and then tarnished to match Kratos' armor. Currently the system is up to $590 so it's inching to the combined cost of four PSPs; but it's the labor, detail and charity aspect that make it a nice deal.

Beyond the paint job, the unit also features red LEDs in the shoulder buttons which stay lit through playing and charging time. The modder says he used Sony's premium rechargeable power pack so the accent lighting didn't hurt the battery life. Beyond that there's a bunch of hand sculpted elements so that it fits "comfortably in the hands." It also comes with a second faceplate which mimics Kratos' tattoos. Certainly a nice piece of art and an obvious, albeit nerdy, conversation piece.

[Via PSP Fanboy]

Inspired by the craftsmanship and generosity of Morpheon Mods' Zelda-themed Wii and DS Lite auctions, Australian Michael Page hacked together a Hylian GameCube of his own to sell, pledging a portion of the proceeds to Penny-Arcade's Child's Play charity.

The black-and-gold-painted system (PAL) features 11 bright LEDs in total, four of which light up through the holes drilled above the controller ports to indicate their player numbers. Additional LEDs have been installed next to the vents and inside the disc tray. According to Michael, the image of Navi on the transparent cover "looks amazing" when the blue glow hits it.

The Legend of Zelda's phoenix and Triforce emblem have also been slapped onto the controller panel for extra effect. All that's missing now is the trademark "secret" chime whenever you open its lid. Hop onto Epona and gallop past the post break for more photos of the mod.

When aliens come to lay waste on our planet after an interstellar decree to rid the galaxy of our race before our warlike nature spreads to other solar systems, this Nintendo DS Lite case mod could be humanity's saving grace. At the precipice of mankind's extinction, the extraterrestrial army will stay its advanced armaments, realizing that any society capable of producing such an awe-aspiring object deserves to continue its existence!

Forged by the same hands that brought the Legend of Zelda-themed Wii mod to life, this gold and black beauty's metal die-cast Master Sword/Shield crest rotates to match your handheld's orientation and illuminates when being charged. Buying this one-of-a-kind DS Lite will also net you a custom charging dock, two painted styli (silver and dark blue), and the admiration of your peers and cosmic beings alike. Proceeds from the auction will once again be donated to Penny Arcade's Child's Play charity.

Head past the post break for more photos of the DS Lite mod. It's a good preview of what we'll spend the rest of our enslaved lives assembling after our alien overlords decide to spare our pitiful race.

If you like the adjacent postcard, created by VG Cats' Scott Ramsoomair, it's part of a set of four holiday postcards designs done by webcomic artists from Apple Geeks, Staccato, and Angry Zen Master. You can view and purchase the set here; all proceeds go to Child's Play.

Speaking Child's Play, those interested in owning a print and a sketch of the Phoenix Wright parody can bid on it, knowing all proceeds from the auction go to Child's Play.

Here are our picks for the week's best gaming webcomics, be sure to vote for your favorite!

	The Next Step
	Game Boy
	Snap, Crack, or Pop
	Reindeer Games
	Mmmph! Hah!
	Video Game "Rewards"
	Obvious Decision
	A series of unfortunate decisions (an oldie, but goodie)
	Wii?
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Update: It didn't take long, but the maximum number of donations has now been reached. If anyone managed to make it into the raffle, we're sure that Child's Play appreciates your generosity.

GameTrailers.com has come up with an innovative way for gamers to give to Penny Arcade's Child's Play charity, and be entered into a raffle for an Xbox 360. Since 2003, Child's Play has given toys, games, and overall assistance to children's hospitals around the globe. And now, through GameTrailers, you can even donate without spending any money at all. GameTrailers is now allowing users to donate its special currency, Game Trailers Dollars (GTD) directly to Child's Play. Every 20 GTD donated equals $1 for Child's Play. Also, for each donation, users will be entered into a raffle to win an Xbox 360.

In order to donate, you must be a member of GameTrailers (register here) and earn GTD. There are a number of ways to earn GTD (the simplest is just to watch and rate movies). For more information on GTD click here. If you are already a member of GameTrailers, we encourage you to donate. Who knows, you might even win a 360. You'd better hurry, there are just over 800 spots remaining in the raffle as of this writing.