Recent talks of games and censorship show politicians' lack of understanding

Since I came a part of video game press, scouring other gaming news sites and viewing reader feedback has taught me many things.  One surprising fact that I was previously unaware of is Australian's rather unfair censorship policies, which many of you have brought up in your comments.

Last night on ABC's Q&A, a panel of Australian policitians revealed just how little they understanding they possess regarding censorship and video game content.  GamePolitics included a clip posted on YouTube with their coverage of this televised debacle.

Interestingly enough, Fallout 3 initiates the discussion with a fan sporting a Fallout 3 t-shirt asking the first question.  The big issue here is that Australia does not have an 18+ rating and as a result, many video games are simply banned or "refused classification."  The brief description of Fallout 3 given by the announcer makes the audience member chuckle a little out of embarrassment for just how terrible it all sounds on paper, but politicians are supposed to be above all that, right?

Only Senator Mark Arbib maintained any semblence of good sense, appearing the most unbiased among his peers.  For those of you who don't feel like watching the clip, here's is a partial transcript:

Announcer: Okay, so here's the question... Should there be censorship of these things, or should people over the age of 18 be able to buy these things with an R rating and play them, even though, as we've just heard, they're obviously extremely violent?

Chief Executive of the Australian Industry Group, Heather Ridout: Look, I mean if they're over 18, they'll find one way or another to get hold of it, Tony, and they do. But, as a mother of three kids, two of whom spend an awful lot of time playing these sorts of games, I mean I just find the whole thing appalling, the minds that come up with this stuff. Now Grand Theft Auto is one of the more famous games that seemed to turn everyone into a car thief, you know?. My Jordan thankfully didn't do that. But... I mean I'm not a censorship girl... But violent games, violence breeds violence. It's not nice.

Sen. Nick Xenophon: I think we need to listen to the psychologists who've looked into this. And this is different in the sense it's interactive. People get immersed in these games and I think there's a real risk. I think as a society we can live without it.

Announcer: But does the risk warrant censorship?

Sen. Xenophon: Look, I think it does, when you look at some of the concerns of what it can trigger in some minds, then I think we need to be just a bit cautious about it.

Sen. Mark Arbib: To actually ban them they must be terrible games. So, personally, I'm probably thinking R rating over the age of 18 is fine because as you said, if you wanna play to game, you're going to get it somehow. But I haven't seen the games so I really can't judge whether they should be banned or not.

Announcer: ...these things are being banned because there isn't a rating system on video games... that means anyone of any age can buy them...

Sen. Arbib: As I said, I think there's a strong argument to actually have a rating system, for all games, no doubt about it. And not just an R rating, but ratings just the same as ratings for the movies... so yeah...

Sen. Barnaby Joyce: You can't just say you can see it, therefore you should be allowed to see it, otherwise you legalize snuff movies and all sorts of profane things which I don't think take our society ahead... we had the thing with avatars, is that the right term, where people can actually go out and rape people. Now, this is not acceptable. You have to draw a line... you must take into account... those who are vulnerable to influence, how they would be affected by that. And if you don't, well you suffer what comes next. I, too have four kids... I want these kids to grow up in quiet, unaffected streets. And if there's someone playing a video game where they're raping someone, I'm not feeling good about the place, so, knock it out.

Christine Jackman, Journalist: I agree, we urgently need a rating system. I'm not a pro-censorship person, either... (to the audience member in the Fallout 3 t-shirt who asked the question) Can I throw it back on you... why would you want to play it...?

Audience member: I want to play the game because it's a story-driven experience that you could experience in a movie... however the Australian government won't let me.

Christine Jackman: And how many hours do you think you or your friends would be playing those games a day?

Audience member: It differs between everyone... the average gamer is anyone nowadays. The Queen has a Wii... it's not a question of who's playing them or how long they're playing them, it's a question of whether we're allowed to as adults...

The announcer goes on to mention that the average gamer is around or over the age of 30.  Jackman tries to backtrack by mentioning that games are interactive and not purely visual experiences and as such, ethics is still playing catch-up with technology until they can better understand the effects video games may have on behavior. 

We'll ignore all the research concerning this topic that are now floating out there; what could they possibly hope to offer other than a clearer perspective on the subject?  Perhaps it would benefit the Australian government to look into some of those studies before making snap judgements.

As a non-gamer audience mentions, there really are greater threats to society and general well-being than video games, and he brings up gambling as one of these problems.  Clearly, pokies (slot machines) and gambling have a greater impact on Australian society, yet these politicians are busying themselves with unjust censorship of video games, which haven't been proven to have any direct effect on negative behavior or society as a whole.  The rest of audience then expresses its approval with a round of applause before Xenophon continues.

EA and DC Comics cook up a prequel to the game

Electronic Arts announced today that it will be teaming up with Wildstorm, an imprint of DC Comics, to create a Mirror's Edge comic book.  It's a little more substantial than the alleged Mirror's Edge movie on EA's to-do list.

The series will run a total of six volumes and serves as a prequel to the game, which is to be released this winter for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.  The comics introduce us to Faith and her fellow Runners who act as couriers in the world of Mirror's Edge, utilizing a series of skyways and rooftops to deliver messages from one point to another.  The comics will also explain events leading up to the game, such as how her city got to be the way it is.

Writer and story designer Rhianna Pratchett, also responsible for the game's script, and artist Matthew Dow Smith will be masterminding the project, and the first issue of this comic will be distributed at Comic-Con in San Diego.

“Rhianna and DICE have created an amazing game with a great backstory,” says Hank Kanalz, Vice President/General Manager for WildStorm.

“The characters have really come alive in the game, and we are pleased that we will be able to add to the canon of the Mirror’s Edge universe with this project.”

A little disappointing for those of us who won't be making it to Comic-Con but are looking forward to the game.  There's no word yet on when the other five installments will be published or where they can be purchased.  Mirror's Edge looks like a great game, and I'm hoping the first issue will eventually be available to the rest of us who couldn't make it to the convention.

Upcoming FPS showing off new screen shots and artwork

Publisher and distributor G4BOX is calling Cross Fire a record-setting military shooter, set to hit North America and the United Kingdom in fall 2008.

During its 2007 launch in Korea by Neowiz, additional servers had to be added within an hour of going live due to overwhelming traffic.  In March 2008, within three days of open beta in Vietnam, Cross Fire hit a personal milestone with over one million total subscribers.

Howard He, Chief Executive Officer of G4BOX is eager to show off their FPS, commenting on its popularity and awaiting fanbase:

"We have been bombarded with people wanting a sneak peek at Cross Fire before it comes out this fall so we are excited to release the first screen shots and details for the game.  Cross Fire is an innovative and compelling FPS and we have no doubt it will be a huge hit when it hits the market. But in the meantime people can whet their appetite with these first images."

Cross Fire is currently being developed by Smilegate for PC, boasting "fast and stable multiplayer action and graphics" with its "sophistocated game engine" that'll allow it to run on low-end PCs, ensuring no gamer gets left behind. 

The underlying story is a familiar one, revolving around two international mercenary corporations at war.  Players will side with either the Black Risk mercenaries or the Global Risk terrorists and go head to head in online matches with various modes of play, including Team Death Match, Exploder Match, Elimination Match, and Ghost Match.

As players progress, they can earn experience points and achievements that will advance their character up the ranks.  Other key features are as follows:

• An all-new match-type called "Ghost Mode" where Mercenaries play versus an invisible assailant
• Powerful and widely varying weapons
• Customizable in-game characters that can carry different equipment and weapons
• Duffle bag system that allows players to carry more weapons
• Runs on very low system requirements

It's a brief list, but it's all G4BOX is willing to reveal right now.  Until then, enjoy the pretty pictures.

Several games lined up for possible movie production

Sick of seeing games adapted for the big screen?  EA definitely isn't, as evidenced by their recent deal with United Talent Agency in a push for more game-to-cinema productions.

First on the list is their Sims franchise, for which EA is trying to renew movie deals.  In addition, EA wants to release an animated DVD to accompany the launch of Dead Space and a cartoon series based on MySims.

Patrick O'Brien, VP of Electronic Arts, commented on his company's recent activity:

"UTA is an ideal partner for us to bring the richness and story telling nuance of our popular games into other forms of media that give consumers more ways to experience these creative concepts.  Some of our teams have already made steps to expand our games into other forms of media like online, social networks and print publication. This partnership will help us take these efforts to the next level and match each of our titles with the right artists, producers and financiers."

That's right, EA isn't ready to stop at just Sims.  Other games lined up for possible movie productions, according to GamesIndustry.biz, include Mirror's Edge, Need for Speed, and Army of Two.  Wait, but Mirror's Edge hasn't even been released yet; guess EA just wants to get a head start on things.  No doubt Need for Speed will bank on the success of The Fast and the Furious.

Not surprisingly, UTA's Richard Klubeck sounded equally as upbeat about this recent partnership:

"We view EA as an emerging entertainment force, not just because they are a great untapped IP rights holder, but because at their core they care most about how viewers respond to their stories and creative vision.  We're excited to work alongside the EA team as they make this important expansion of their intellectual property strategy."

Whether video game based movies turn out to be any good is often a moot point in light of how much profit is made off weekend releases with the initial influx.  Between fan loyalty and general curiosity of other movie goers, there's apparently plenty of money to be made.

Another Metal Slug, another DS game

November fever has already struck many gamers, and now Metal Slug 7 has joined the already massive list of titles set for fall, set to come out November 18.

First announced in September 2007, more screenshots have recently arisen, perhaps an effort to get those hardcore DS gamers pumped up.  Prepare to run and gun in yet another Metal Slug installment, with new characters, missions, weapons, modes of play and vehicles.  Can any shoot 'em up get away without a set of wheels?

Ajay Chadha, President of Ignition Entertainment, had his own amusing input regarding this upcoming release:

"Truth be told, I have a pink DS and was embarrassed to play it in public. Now with Metal Slug 7 loaded, I have no qualms.  Needless to say, and in all seriousness, we are very excited to announce our partnership with SNK Playmore USA to give both core and casual gamers a whole new insight into the unique, all-action, eye-popping world that is Metal Slug."

Nice save there, Mister Chadha!  I have a black DS; does that automatically qualify it as a manly handheld?  Or do I need a PSP?  Oh nevermind because Metal Slug will apparently validate your masculinity.

Hirai touches several bases in interview

In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Kazuo Hirai, President and group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, made some rather telling comments in response to the questions posed to him.  Most of it reads like Sony patting themselves on the back, of course, because big corporations certainly aren't going to reveal their insecurities.  But GamesIndustry did make sure to address the much anticipated Home, PSN's community-based service.

Having been in development since 2005, Home has drawn its share of skeptics as well as irritated fans who are simply running out of patience.  Three years and many delays later, Hirai assures PlayStation fans to hang tight because Home will be well worth the wait.

In this excerpt of the interview with GamesIndustry, Hirai dismisses the idea that gamers may be tired of the unfullfilled release dates:

Q: What's happening with PlayStation Home? We didn't see much more in the press conference, and some people are asking questions about how it will be received - are you concerned that when the product does come out that it will end up being an anticlimax?

Kaz Hirai: Well I would put it the other way around - because we got so much buzz, had we launched it before we thought it was the right time and the right features and functionality to launch it - with the high anticipation, people would go there in droves the first time around, they would check it out and say, "This isn't fun at all, so I'm not coming back again."

The other scenario, at least if I had a choice, that I'd like to go down - which is the path we're doing - okay, we've been dinged, I've been personally dinged many times, but if I know we're doing it for the right reasons and that once we launch the service this Fall it's going to be something that the consumers once they go there see that it's actually going to be a fun service, that to me is a lot better than doing it the other way around.

I've said this on many occasions, and right now we're aiming for a Fall open beta programme, but no beta should be opened before its time, and it's important enough of an initiative for the platform and for SCE, that we don't want to prematurely launch it and then be dinged for having a bad service.

So if Home winds up having bad service, you can always "ding" Kazuo Hirai again.  It seems that Sony is preparing for the long haul with their ten year (console) life cycle, which they are confident the PlayStation 3 will achieve. 

When asked who he thinks is winning this generation, Hirai replied:

I think that 'winning' and 'won' are two different things. Where I stand, we look at it in the context of a ten year life cycle as we've done with PSOne and PS2, which is certainly on its way.

So it's really a matter of looking back after ten years minimum and asking what you've actually accomplished in terms of the installed base, in terms of the business that you generated for the internal first party studios, in terms of the business you've generated for the third party studios, in terms of the business you've generated for the retailers…

And that's when you actually look back and say, "Yes, this platform was successful, it wasn't successful, it was so-so," - whatever the case may be. So we're still only two years into the PS3, and I think the true test is really like the situation we find ourselves with PS2, where nine years later and 130 million units later we can look back and say, "Yeah - it's been a pretty successful platform."

So I know some people have been talking about who will be number one in this generation, and what have you, but before we get into that question, what about the life cycle management? If we want to compare apples to apples, let's see a ten year life cycle, because I don't see that anywhere else.

If somebody wants to say that they're going to have a larger installed base, we should compare notes after ten years, because otherwise we're not talking about the same thing.

And we certainly don't do the consumer the disservice of basically saying that the consoles have gone by the wayside because we have a new one. Right now, a prime example? PS2 is nine years into it. Where's the Xbox? Where's the GameCube?

It always comes back to the competition, doesn't it?  In nine years, where will the PS3 be, I wonder.

ESA not happy with governor's signing

In June we heard that the New York State Senate was working on new legislation to better regulate console video game content.  Turns out, Proposition A11717 was signed into law last night by Governor David Paterson.

Paterson issued a statement in a press release, which GamePolitics has acquired a copy of:

"Governor David A. Paterson signed a package of bills, many of which are focused on public safety and protecting the rights of New York residents. [One of these will] ensure the State will explore the negative effects of violent video games.

'We have the obligation to be constantly vigilant about amending our laws to protect the residents of New York State. Many of these bills will do just that by closing loopholes or creating new laws to enhance the quality of life for all New Yorkers,' said Governor Paterson...

...A.11717 / S.6401-A [the video game bill] establishes an advisory council to conduct a study on the connection between interactive media and real-life violence in minors exposed to such media. This bill will also require new video game consoles to have parental lockout features by 2010, and mandate that games sold at retail disclose the ratings obtained from the gaming industry's voluntary rating system."

Previously, the ESA had been urging members of its Video Game Voters Network to oppose the bill.  As we first reported last month, A11717 is comprised of three major parts: parental control on new consoles, the establishment of a 16-member video game advisory board, and game packaging that displays ESRB ratings. 

At the time, we thought the bill would not go through because two of the three components listed already exist (cue skepticism), leaving only the advisory board.  As it turns out, two of the sixteen seats have already been promised to the ESA and EMA, respectively, so that the video game industry and its retailers are not without say.

Still, any video game law tends to annoy the ESA.  VP Richard Taylor expressed as much in a comment to GamePolitics:

"The state has ignored legal precedent, common sense and the wishes of many New Yorkers in enacting this unnecessary bill. This government intrusion will cost taxpayers money and impose unconstitutional mandates for activities and technologies that are already voluntarily in place. It also unfairly singles out the videogame industry over all other forms of media. One wonders where this overreach by government in New York will end. If New York lawmakers feel it is the role of government to convene a government commission on game content, they could next turn to other content such as books, theater and film."

No word of whether or not the ESA will be filing a court complaint -- as is their usual course of action when video game laws come to pass.

Deadline extended for a fifth time

Electronics Arts is proving to be quite persistent, having just extended their Take-Two offer to August 18. 

Take-Two still appears disinterested despite EA's earnest efforts.  Strauss Zelnick, Chairman of Take-Two Interactive, expresses such in a press release issued today:

"Take-Two's Board continues to be 100% committed to maximizing stockholder value and remains unanimous in continuing to recommend that our stockholders not tender their shares to EA. We are fully engaged in a formal process to evaluate strategic alternatives that have the potential to deliver greater value than EA's inadequate offer. As part of this process, we continue to engage in meaningful discussions with multiple parties, a number of whom have been conducting due diligence. We also remain absolutely focused on executing on our strategic and business objectives."

Ben Feder, Chief Executive Officer, stated that Take-Two's recent overwhelming financial success "demonstrated that [their] value-creation potential is greater than EA's offer," though EA's initial offer in February was rejected as inadequate. 

Since then, Take-Two has proven to be a powerhouse in the industry, fully capable of holding its own.  That being said, Take-Two's reasons for remaining independent are likely the very same incentive driving EA's unsolicited advances.  In light of other highly publicized mergers, EA might be concerned with keeping their high standing in the industry, with contendors like Vivendi joining with Blizzard Activision.

"What the hell?"

Do not roll eyes upon reading the title of this article.  If you're reading this, you were interested enough to click it, and I've at least partially completed my objective by drawing you this far.  This Sunday Special will be the third, and while E3 has taken most of my will to live, I have returned in time to provide everyone with what I hope will be another amusing weekend read.  Recent news of the Silent Hill variety stemming from Konami's conference has inspired today's selection.

As the title has already revealed, this Sunday Special features Henry Townshend of Silent Hill 4: The Room.  Like other Silent Hill protagonists from previous titles, Henry seems strangely lacking when it comes to emotional response.  Thrust into that other world where rust, mildew, and raw meat suddenly become horrifying -- it's a vegetarian neat-freak's worst nightmare -- our brave hero has only one thing to say: "What the hell?"

Granted, those familiar with Silent Hill 4 know that we don't get to see the trademark nightmare world until the latter half of the game.  Instead, Henry discovers a gaping hole in his bathroom wall after realizing he's been locked inside his apartment.  "The phone doesn't work, the TV doesn't work... I can't even get anybody to hear me when I yell," he observes while staring at his door.

I really jacked up the brightness level on these.

Silent Hill likes using holes as metaphoric plot devices.

I've heard many fans complain that Silent Hill 4 did not focus enough on character development, that we really don't find out anything about Henry.  Indeed, even the Translated Memories section on Walter Sullivan's recent victims has nothing about Mister Townshend.  As you can see, his page is blank and his photo has been conveniently ripped out, though this can be easily justified by the assumption that Henry was meant to survive the events of Silent Hill 4 rather than become another victim.  This is good news, really, because the ladies absolutely love Henry for being the oblivious dope that he is.  Remember how Cynthia, the latina bombshell, comes on to him upon their first meeting?  I'm not sure our cute little simpleton understood exactly how to react to a woman rubbing all over him and talking about "special favors."

Even better, we know Henry is really on top of things in emergency situations.

Henry is terrified by what he sees!

Aw, that's really sweet.  Except for one thing...

She's really, really not okay.

At least he thought to ask, right?  The guy really has a way with women.  He took such good care of Eileen when she was hobbling around with a broken arm, busted eye, and a limp; actually, that depends on the player, but I took excellent care of her.

Okay, it might not be fair to make so much fun of Henry.  I mean between Heather's laser eye beams and James' discovering the shiba mastermind (if you haven't seen that ending, I highly recommend it), Silent Hill is downright serious!  The bottom line is that we love Henry Townshend because he curb stomps monsters, doesn't know how to shave, combs his hair, and wields that rusty axe like nobody's business.

He also wears a very clean shirt.

Cue battlecry: WHAT THE HELL?!!

Walter Sullivan.  Because I can.

Can any of us claim to do any better in his situation?  Mostly likely not, because we're not quite so dead inside as the protagonists of Silent Hill.  Yet we've always learned to love them for their prosaic wit and desensitized reactions in the face of disfigured flesh wads, rabid undead dogs, epileptic nurses, and big dudes who wear pyramids on their heads.  When Silent Hill is after you, all you need is an old axe and a lot of Health Drinks.

What a stud.

Did anyone see this coming?

Genius Products Inc. and B1 Games have announced a board game based on Microsoft and Bungie's best selling video game.  Even Halo fans might find this idea a little bizarre -- a Halo board game?  More than one person must have thought of it and found the concept appealing enough to push forward.  Ladies and gentlemen, we give the Halo Interactive Strategy Game.

GameSpy's coverage of the press release explains that the board game "captures the edge-of-your-seat action and storyline of the video game as it gives players the chance to control UNSC Marine and Covenant forces in strategic battles for power."  The game is an attempt to make Halo more appealing to a broader audience "with its family-friendly features" and will be available in retailers this September. 

President and CEO of Genius Products Trevor Drinkwater appears to be a fan of the video game franchise:

"Halo is one of the most recognizable and successful video game franchise of all time and boasts a tremendous worldwide presence that continues to grow.  Fans of all ages are going to love this extension of the popular brand that offers endless game play. B1 Games has created an incredibly innovative game that mirrors the hit franchise and will truly resonate with fans."

The Halo Interactive Strategy Game boasts a "modular board that can be re-configured to create a virtually limitless game play experience" and features "fan-favorite elements" from all three games, including the game's soundtrack and exclusive DVD content.  Of course the game has Master Chief, Cortana, and the Covenant (perhaps the Arbiter as well).

The idea struck me as goofy at first, but if Blizzard can successfully market a WoW trading card and board game, then why not Halo?  I'm mostly interesting in what sorts of people buy this game.  Will it predominately be the hardcore fans, or will the board game actually appeal to a greater audience?

Price drop down under

Rumors of a Xbox 360 price cut for American gamers have been lingering for a while now, following a price cut in Europe and Asia.

So we don't have our precious price drop yet, but Australia and New Zealand now have theirs.  As of July 2, all 360 models have been slashed, with the Arcade unit down 50 AUD, putting it at 349 AUD and making it cheaper than the Nintendo Wii.  The Pro bundle has gone from 579 AUD to 499, and the Elite is now 649 after dropping 80 AUD.

GameSpot AU confirmed all this with an Xbox executive.  Thanks to the cut, the 360's install base now totals over 400,000 units, making it second only to the Wii.  In an interview with the site, Jeremy Hinton, Microsoft's Xbox Group Product Marketing Manager in Australia, stated that the price cut really had nothing to do with competition from the PlayStation 3 and Wii:

GS AU: So can this be taken as a sign that--in the Australian market anyway--the 360 is facing a lot more competitive pressure from the Wii and PS3?

JH: No, absolutely not. This is a strategy we've had for some time. Decisions are made not necessarily around what the competition are doing. And from our point of view, the last 12 months have been very successful--more dollars have gone through retail tills on Xbox 360 products than both of our competitors.

According to Hinton, it's simply a tactic to sell more units because more consumers are relying on these price drops as deciding factors in whether or not they plan to purchase a console.

Each region is getting individual consideration from Microsoft, so the price cuts aren't simply a global trend.  Hence, just because Europe gets a cut doesn't mean the U.S. will see one so soon after.

Hinton says Microsoft is expecting to see a spike in sales after this move, and there's no doubt the Aussies and Kiwis are pleased with a cheaper machine made available.  Now if only they started getting the actual games on time too.

Independence Day and Hollywood magic combine

If any Guitar Hero III owners happen to also enjoy the hit movie Top Gun, they'll likely be bursting with excitement over this recent news.

In celebration of July 4, Independence Day, gamers will be able to download the Top Gun anthem for free this Thursday.  The track will be entirely instrumental, and available to European gamers as well.  Hey, Independence Day may be an American occasion, but the theme is really quite brilliant and will give plenty of exercise to your guitar-controller.  The anthem has, unsuprisingly, gained popularity on YouTube -- no doubt flooded by curious GHIII fans.

For those too young to remember, Top Gun is a 1986 movie directed by Tony Scott, starring Tom Cruise before he was claimed by Scientology.  Here's a walk down memory lane for those you do remember:

Ah, the 80's.

It's the principle that counts!

The state of Minnesota is being forced to own up to its politicians' errors.  As Team Xbox reports, the ESA announced today that the state has paid them 65,000 USD in legal fees and expenses "incurred as a result of their successful challenge to Minnesota’s unconstitutional video game law"; they've been awarded a total of $2 million in legal fees after prevailing over similar laws in nine other jurisdictions.

$65,000 may not seem like much in the context of an entire state government, but as we all know, all that funding comes from the people, who will be footing the bill this time as well.  CEO of the ESA Michael D. Gallagher has had plenty to say regarding the issue:

"Minnesota’s citizens should be outraged at paying the bill for this flawed plan. Minnesota’s public officials ignored legal precedent and instead pursued a political agenda that ultimately cost taxpayers money.  Courts across the United States have ruled consistently that video games are entitled to the same First Amendment protections as other forms of art, such as music and literature.”

The law that caused all this trouble for Minnesota does seem flawed, considering it penalizes minors for renting or purchasing Mature and Adult Only rated games.  On July 31, 2006, Judge James M. Rosenbaum issued a permanent injunction halting the legislative shenanigans, stating that there was no evidence suggesting video games alone caused any injury to children.  The Courts then investigated the matter and concluded the law unconstitutional:

"…several other states have tried to regulate minors' access to video games. Every effort has been stricken for violating the First Amendment....The Court will not speculate as the motives of those who launched Minnesota's nearly doomed effort to 'protect' our children. Who, after all, opposes protecting children? But, the legislators drafting this law cannot have been blind to its constitutional flaws."

Gallagher continues to chastise the politicans responsible, proposing "that the key to protecting our children from inappropriate media content is not haphazard legislation, but rather parental education" and that there really are far better uses for public funds than "unconstitutional legislation," which only works against the system in the long run.

I've personally never been carded by a game store, but retailers seem to make the call based on rough age estimation, perhaps by assuming that anyone over the age of 12 possesses enough common sense to deal with mature content.  Yet in my own experiences, the child beside me picking up a copy of Grand Theft Auto is almost always accompanied by an parent.  Should the store employee still ask for ID or be obligated to inform the adult of the game's contents?  If parents won't educate themselves with what the industry has given them (a pretty clear rating system), does it fall upon retailers to hold their hands?

Age of Conan knocked to third place

Less than two weeks ago, data showed that Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures was the U.S.'s favorite PC game.  If nothing else, consumers were obviously curious enough about the hype to pick up a copy and put Age of Conan at number one.  In fact, AoC recently hit 700,000 subscribers, which is quite an achievement (despite WoW's ten million).

As of this last week, with June 21 as the cut off point, the Spore Creature Creator is now at the top of U.S. PC game sales, with Sims 2 comfortably camping second.  EA must be so pleased with themselves.

It isn't all that surprising, with EA announcing last week that the Creature Creator's popularity spawned over a million Spore creatures within the first week of the feature's availability.

The complete list, compliments of GamesIndustry.biz, is as follows:

1. Spore Creature Creator (EA)
2. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe (EA)
3. Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures (Eidos)
4. World Of Warcraft: Burning Crusade Expansion Pack (Vivendi)
5. World Of Warcraft (Vivendi)
6. World Of Warcraft: Battle Chest (Vivendi)
7. The Sims 2 FreeTime Expansion Pack (EA)
8. The Sims 2 Kitchen & Bath Interior Design Stuff Expansion Pack (EA)
9. Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision)
10. Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (LucasArts)

No actual sales figures were provided, but based on the Spore Creature Creator's popularity, EA is probably expecting the game to do exceptionally well upon release.  If Sims is any indication, Will Wright obviously knows what he's doing.

"Sure I'm not human any more, but just look at the power I've gained!"

Who doesn't know Resident Evil?  Old as the series is, it has done quite well for one that makes so little sense.  If this game was present in your childhood, you likely remember those giant spiders quite well, and the shadows on the wall are scarier in your fabricated imagination than anything.

While I will admit that I've turned away from the RE series for a frightening good time -- thank Silent Hill for absolutely spoiling me -- Resident Evil 4 proved to be one of the most entertaining games I've ever had a chance to play (on a PlayStation 2).  Now Resident Evil 5 is flooding the news, stirring up controversy well before its release, dated for 2009.  It only seems fair that for this week's beefcake highlight, which will be shorter than the last week's (being focused on a single person), we turn to someone who is no stranger to the series: Albert Wesker.

Not the most obvious choice given Leon Kennedy's popularity after the release of Resident Evil 4 (face it, he wasn't nearly as cute in RE2), and the fact the Wesker is an absolute basta--.. I mean jerk following the events of the first Resident Evil.  Rest assured, Leon has gotten enough lady love, and one less blog-entry about him is not going to hurt.  Wesker, on the other hand, is usually overshadowed and overlooked (there's just less inappropriate Wesker fanart out there).  Yet no one denies how cool he is, as demonstrated by that godly thrusting punch in Resident Evil 4 Mercenaries.

I'm willing to bet those of you who played the game tried that technique over and over again.  No, don't deny it.

For those less than familiar with Resident Evil, Albert Wesker appeared alongside Chris Redfield in the original game as the commander of S.T.A.R.S. (like a fictional S.W.A.T.) and leader of Alpha Team.  Through a series of events, we learn that Wesker is actually working for Umbrella Corporation and was hired to lure his subordinates into a trap as a part of the company's research experiment. 

Luckily for us, some people never learn that playing with viruses and zombies is a bad idea, thus prolonging the Resident Evil series.

As the story progresses throughout the games, Wesker continues making appearances, next showing up in Resident Evil Code: Veronica where we learn of his superhuman nature.  At the end of the first game, the player is lead to believe that the traitorous leader is dead, but it is later explained that by injecting himself with an experimental virus, Wesker was able to survive the lab explosion (kids, sticking strange needles into yourself is not a good idea, despite what his situation suggests). 

The conspiracy continues on to Resident Evil Zero and number 4, with Umbrella Chronicles later introducing Wesker as a playable character. 

To be perfectly honest, there isn't much to talk about as far as character depth and background goes, and it's highly doubtful that Capcom would ever indulge fans with much more than what was revealed in their fictional documentary Wesker's Report.  At least we know the man started out wanting to be a lead researcher for Umbrella, changing his mind later when he met William Birkin.  In the timeline of Code: Veronica, he is no longer working for Umbrella, but rather a secret organization that is conspiring against them.

What Umbrella Chronicles did give us is a sleeker, better looking Wesker.

A trenchcoat?  He knows the secret: long overcoats will give the illusion of hip fashion sense, even when one lacks such.  There is nothing particularly suave or blatantly attractive about him at first glance, especially compared to Leon's boyish good looks and socially acceptable haircut:

What does Wesker possess, other than a really nice outfit?  Enough intellect to run a secret operation behind everyone's backs!  The know-how to drive Chris Redfield out of his mind!  Nevermind his bulging muscles.

Nice arms.  I'd hit that... or steal his shades.

Granted, he looks like a crazed cop, but in the whole span of Resident Evil, who doesn't?  Wesker just makes it look good.

We more or less know his role in the grand scheme of things (so far), but his appearance in Resident Evil 5 will more than likely shed new light on a rather dim scenario.  Hopefully, Wesker will get to see more action in the next game rather than merely taunting us from the shadows.

She couldn't actually find it, but it COULD exist!

This Wednesday, June 25, GamePolitics reported that Connecticut Senator Gayle Slossberg jumped the anti Grand Theft Auto IV bandwagon. 

Initially, the New Haven Advocate quoted Slossberg requesting confirmation for a rumored rape scene in Rockstar's smash hit.  To its credit, the same article also mentions that the scene is likely nonexistent, as "four out of five gamer geeks in the blogosphere" agree.  As one of the comments stated, it's really more like five out of five because -- read this carefully -- there is no rape scene in GTA IV.

PSXExtreme followed up on this big mess, and it turns out Slossberg wants to clarify everything as a big misunderstanding:

"The article in the New Haven Advocate misrepresented my off-the-record-comments during an informal conversation about parenting. I was in no way announcing a legislative proposal, announcing intent to introduce legislation or taking a public position on restricting the content of video games."

So it turns out the Senator isn't planning to join the ranks of other politicians promoting federally enforced video game censorship.  She has yet to retract her statements regarding the fabled GTA IV rape scene, but we'll assume she got the message from the gaming community backlash.  Slossberg's no Jack Thompson, I'll give her that much.

Nintendo still being forced to pay up

Following a ruling in May ordering Nintendo to pay 21million USD to Anascape, a Texas company, a judge denied Nintendo's appeal for a lesser penalty.

This must come as an unfortunate surprise for Nintendo, considering Nintendo spokesman Charlie Scibetta was quoted saying he expected the courts to "significantly" reduce the penalty during appeal.  However, on June 26, a Texas District Court "denied the defendant's motion for a reduced verdict, finding that the jury's award is supported by the evidence."

The lawsuit was originally filed in 2006 against both Nintendo and Microsoft "for twelve different game hardware and controller related patents, primarily centered around the use of force feedback and analogue sensor technology within games controllers," according to Gamasutra.  Microsoft opted to settle with Anascape, but details on this arrangement have not been made available to the public.

Anascape Ltd. sued Nintendo over the technology utilized in GameCube and WaveBird controllers, with the Wii Classic Controller and Wii Remote joining the list of infringements later.  Needless to say, the plaintiffs are pleased with the court's ruling.

"We appreciate the Court's thoughtful consideration in upholding the jury's decision. Although not a giant corporation like Nintendo, Anascape has every right to protect its technology," stated Anascape's lead counsel.

After only one week Alone in the Dark is the number one Xbox360 game in Europe

One week after its release, Alone in the Dark for the Xbox 360 nabbed the number one spot in the two of the countries with a very large Xbox 360 market, so there was obviously tough competition.

The first Alone in the Dark was released well over a decade ago. It had the simple story of a mansion owner mysteriously dying, and you being sent in to comprise a list of valuables on the estate. However, unnatural horrors awaited you once you were inside -- and they wouldn't let you get out so easily. This was one of the first games in the survival horror genre and it helped kick-off many other titles and series in the same genre with similar plots. In this incarnation, you will still play as protagonist Edward Carnby and you must unravel an age-old mystery in Manhatten about the famed Central Park.

The gameplay is comprised of "episodes". In each of these episodes, roughly 30 to 40 minutes of gameplay can be obtained while you reach objectives. At the start of each episode, a recap of what happened during the last episode occurs so you'll be quickly pulled back into the game. Also, similar to how some television series ends their episodes, a cliffhanger will be at the end of most of these episodes. Eden Studios' Twilight technology and rendering engine creates the detailed graphics that displays even down to the light sources and moisture on a surface.

Will Alone in the Dark enjoy similiar success on the PS3 later this year? Not much has been released about any changes made between it and the already released versions. Changes about the movement, damage and healing system, and in-game inventory haven't been said to be altered, so will it just be the graphics getting a possible boost? Maybe a few more episodes added to the story?

New scans of upcoming Konami fighter

Gossip surrounding the new Castlevania game have finally been clarified.  Yes, Castlevania: Judgement for the Nintendo Wii is going to be a 3D fighter, featuring familiar faces from the series. 

French video game and media magazine JeuxFrance.com published a brief article introducing the game and included a number of image scans credited to someone called "Blissteria" (the name also appears in a GoNintendo post). 

Based on a rough translation through Google, we know that Dracula, Simon, Alucard, Shanoa, and Maria Renard will be in Judgement, and the game utilizes various weapons and spells that Castlevania fans might have seen in the past.  The fighting environments will be "destructable" and "monsters may even come to interfere fighting."  The article also states that gamers may connect their Wii to the DS and unlock characters for Judgement through the series' DS title Castlevania: Order of Eccelsia.  There may also be online play.

While clicking through the images, there appears to be something off about the characters.  It looks like Ayami Kojima's designs have been tweaked and altered for this game.  They bear some resemblance to her original designs, if you follow the series, but there's definitely something amiss here.  Rumors of a new character designer are floating all over the place, and all signs are now pointing to Takeshi Obata of Death Note fame.

XBLA may be getting some new oldies

In light of all the news surrounding Soul Calibur IV, Xbox.com has posted pages for Soulcalibur as well as Schizoid, which suggests that the two games will likely be hitting Xbox LIVE Arcade soon.  However, neither have a set release date.

Technically, all this is just speculation right now, but Joystiq has mentioned a certain trend, comprised of Xbox.com posting pages for games that invariably wind up on XBLA shortly after.  Developer Torpex has already confirmed that Schizoid is due for LIVE next month, so there is merit to one half of these rumors.

Additions to XBLA will be revealed this coming Monday, and hopefully, the original Soulcalibur will be on that list.  If so, 360 owners can all take a trip down memory lane before Soul Calibur IV hits the shelves.

New device goes beyond login and password

MMO players knows that account security is always an issue, especially when login screens and in-game tips often remind us not to give out our login information to anyone.  When accounts do become compromised, the company is rarely able to compensate players for lost content.

Well, Blizzard is taking extra measures with its MMO World of Warcraft with the release of a Blizzard Authenticator, a keychain that also acts as a code generator.  According to Gamasutra, this device will give users a six digit code in addition to their login and password to "help prevent unauthorized account access."  The keychain costs 6.50 USD and generate a unique code per user valid only once for a limited time.  This code would then be required to access a WoW account once linked to it.

The code isn't meant to replace the player's existing login and password, but add extra security in case players feel they need to take this precaution.  If the code is ever lost, Blizzard's account services team can help retrieve it by verifying some secure information.  Blizzard co-founder and CEO Mike Morhaime explains, “It’s important to us that World of Warcraft offers a safe and enjoyable game environment. One aspect of that is helping players avoid account compromise, so we’re pleased to make this additional layer of security available to them.”

For now, the Blizzard Authenticator will only be available at the Paris Blizzard Invitational between June 28-29, but it should soon be available for purchase from Blizzard's online store.

Digital Comics will be featured for download through WiiWare service

Today, comic publisher Sun Denshi announced something special for the Japanese WiiWare service: digital comics. You will download them like you do WiiWare games, so most will be familiar with it and nothing new will need to be learned. For the amount of Wii Points the comics will cost is so far undetermined, and a release outside of Japan also has no word on it yet.

Sun developed a special viewer for the Wii that will allow you to read the comics. The details for the special viewer are sparse though. It is still unknown whether it will feature it panel by panel, on the whole screen at once, or what other possibiltiy it will pursue. With the new viewer, a new branch has been opened known as Sunsoft Books, which will be exclusively for managing the digital comics and other content related to it.

With the launch will be an original manga from Reiji Matsumoto, a famous manga artist best known for the "Space Battleship Yamato" series (the North American equivalent is "Star Blazers").

First week of Spore evolution reaps one million new creations

Electronic Arts studio Maxis proudly announced that in the first week of its availibility, the Spore Creature Creator has produced more than one million creatures at the hands of its users. 

The Spore Creature Creator is a stand-alone product that includes about 25 per cent of the creature-building features from the actual Spore game, and is currently available for purchase or as a free online trial.

Lucy Bradshaw, executive producer of Spore at Maxis, was pleasantly surprised by the figures:

"Maxis is excited, humbled and inspired by the explosion of creativity that we've seen with the Spore Creature Creator online.  I'm amazed at the creations I see getting uploaded to the Sporepedia - whether it's a realistic looking bird or animal, a 10-eyed alien, or something completely bizarre and unexpected like a creature that looks like a motorcycle, it's clear that people have an innate desire to be creative, and we're thrilled to help them express themselves."

No mention of how they're handling the more "adult" creations, but GamesIndustry.biz cites another source that claims EA has been cracking down on these naughty creatures of the overactive imagination.

Creatures made from the Spore Creature Creator can be imported to the game later.  Spore will be shipped worldwide in September for PC, Mac, and the Nintendo DS.

In the meantime, if anyone has had a chance to try out the Creature Creator, feel free to share your experiences with the rest of us.

No legal action will be taken

Last week, rumors of a lawsuit over an Alone in the Dark review filed by Atari against German website 4Players.de found their way to a number of news sites such as this.  However, today Atari has debunked the gossip in a response to SPOnG.com's earlier inquiries into the matter.

An company representative has stated, "Atari is not and will not be taking legal action of any kind against anyone relating to the reviews of Alone In The Dark. We are happy to clarify the situation in response to current inaccurate and misleading speculation."

All this talk of legal action started when 4Players.de posted an editorial last Thursday saying they had received a fax from Atari's lawyers telling the site that by running a review before the embargo set to end that Friday, they were "breaking the law and violate the rights of [Atari's] client."

The 4Player website, roughly translated by Google, confirms the conflict has been resolved peaceably:

"The dispute between 4Players.de and Atari was settled today.  In a personal conversation between the two parties, Atari Germany's accusations against 4Players.de in all respects withdrawn.  In addition, the legal action against 4Players.de.  Thus, the differences in the case of Alone in the Dark overcome by mutual agreement.  Atari and 4Players.de looking forward to the future cooperation."

Alone in the Dark has been released in North America, but the PlayStation 3 version has been delayed until Fall 2008.

Miyamoto throwing sparks on to petrol?

In a recent interview by Wired with Shigeru Miyamoto, Miyamoto seemed to have let it slip what he really thinks about Sega.

While the interview was about the Wii, whether the original JoyStick was dead, and if his biggest titles were more software than game, the final question may have raised a few eyebrows.

Wired asked: "Nintendo is huge now. How do you maintain quality control?"

To which Miyamoto responded,

"I'm always instructing my game designers on the history of the characters and worlds we've created. Often we're in development and I'll say, "Oh, this looks like a Sega game. We need to make it look more like Mario."

"Oh, this looks like a Sega game. We need to make it look more like Mario" ?!

What's with this sudden jab at Sega? Though it could have been unintentional, it would have certainly poured some salt on the wounds that are already tender from Sega's poor history in the gaming industry ever since the Dreamcast, which wasn't successful at all. Though most of the gaming community loved the Genesis/MegaDrive, I know I loved playing the Sonic games as a kid.

We could be looking at this totally the wrong way, but maybe the King of Nintendo really doesn't like Sega? Or it could be mistranslation. Either way, I'm sure Sega won't be too pleased with his remark.

The full interview can be read by clicking the source below. Photo is by David Cheung.