Gamertell

The state of New York may become the first to make it illegal to sell violent video games to minors.

A bill was recently debated in New York state that, if passed, could make selling violent video games to minors a Class E felony.

Although the session ended last Thursday (June 21, 2007) without a resolution, lawmakers have agreed in principle on the measure and the bill is expected to become law when the session reconvenes next month.

The bill is a compromise between two separate bills proposed by…

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The American Medical Association (AMA) recently concluded its debate as to whether or not videogame addiction a legitimate medical condition.

The AMA had been debating as to whether or not “videogame addiction” should be classified as a psychiatric disorder akin to alcoholism or drug abuse. A report prepared for a vote at their annual policy meeting stated more than 5 million children were possible addicts.

“There is nothing here to suggest that this is a complex physiological disease state akin to alcoholism or other substance abuse disorders, and it doesn’t get to have the word addiction attached to it,“ said Dr. Stuart Gitlow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York.

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Nintendo, which once became infamous for being stingy with its own hardware licensing, is being accused of unlawfully using another company’s.  Texas-based Lonestar Inventions LP recently filed a suit against Nintendo, charging that the Wii has infringed on Lonestar’s 1993 patent.

Lonestar patented a structure for capacitors which took up less space by using parallel conducting stripes.  The suit alleges the same design appears in the Nintendo product. The company is seeking triple damages, though no specific amount was reported, and an injunction against Nintendo from using the disputed technology.

Lonestar has won suits against other companies for ...

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One of gaming’s most well-known titles will be celebrating it’s 20th anniversary later this month.

After two decades and more than 75 million units world wide, Square Enix will honor the land of chocobos with a special event in San Francisco, CA, on June 28, 2007. The Playstation store at the Metreon in San Francisco will hold the event.

Final Fantasy catapulted the role playing game from a niche market to mainstream.  While there are a varying degrees of opinion on if that is a good thing or not among many hardcore gamers, none can doubt the importance of the franchise.  The game saved Squaresoft back in the late 80’s and has since spawned many sequels, spin-offs, movies, action figures and more.

The event will be the debut of the PSP version of Final Fantasy II, set for release later this summer.

Originally released in Japan in 1987, Final Fantasy has been hailed by gamers and critics as one of the first RPGs to create a fantasy world that captured the imagination of players around the globe. Each game has brought new worlds and characters together with impressive graphics and storylines that have evolved into a one-of-a-kind series with a massive worldwide following. With unique characters, vast worlds and compelling storylines, the Final Fantasy series has generated its own subculture with the release of 30 console, online and handheld games, two CG-animated films and 49 music soundtracks worldwide.

Read [Square Enix] Also Read [IGN] Watch [YouTube: FF1&2 PSP trailers]

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Four months before the game hits game shelves, the prequel is already on a different shelf - the book shelf. Penned by Mass Effect lead writer, Drew Karpyshyn, who just also happened to spend some time on the New York Times bestsellers list, Mass Effect: Revelation tells the origin of Earth’s intergalactic exploration. It takes place 18 years before the event in the game and serves as a stand-alone story.

Plot lines will serve as backstories for the game and flesh out some details which won’t get a full explanation through gameplay. Sample chapters, including the prologue, are also available.

Mass Effect, the game, is an intergalactic RPG for the Xbox 360 in which players must lead a squad of freedom fighters in a struggle to restore peace to their land. The first will be part of a trilogy with an over-lapping story. Players can choose from six character classes, all of which can be customized through a deep character creation mode.

Read[Sample Chapters] Site [Mass Effect] Video [Bioware.com]

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Gametrailers has a video up of a teaser trailer for an upcoming Tecmo Bowl game.  In and of itself, this is nothing to be excited about, as it looks very amateurish and features only existing footage from the SNES version from 1993. Laughter can even be heard in the background, as if it was presented as a joke.

A quick search through various gaming sites resulted in a quick blurb on IGN stating that a new Tecmo Bowl game was announced at Tecmo’s Nite Out 07 and will be released for an unspecified console.  Additionally, there is info on the next installments of Ninja Gaiden and Rygar as well.

Video [Gametrailers] Read [IGN]

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With the recent releases of Punch Out and Ninja Gaiden on the Wii Virtual Console (see this week’s update for more information), I was spurred to pick up a Wii points card in order to download some nostalgia.  With old-school gaming on my mind, I opted to bypass the major chains and walk into a store specializing in games from all eras.  Browsing through a selection ranging from 2600 to 32X to PS1, I squealed with glee at the gaming goodness before me.  Reality soon crashed faster than the video game industry did in 1983, however.  My euphoria was crushed when I saw the highway robbery they called a sticker price. 

$90 for an NES? 

Probably worth it but not for someone with my budget.

I picked up the card and returned home.  I logged into the shop channel and my smile returned as I browsed the selection of titles from the Golden Age of Video Games.  I quickly ran out of points by adding classics such as Tecmo Bowl, Punch Out, Super Castlevania and more.  For a lot less than eBay, I was able to play such classics with little difference from the originals.  In fact, the only noticeable changes I have seen so far is the lack of real players in Tecmo Bowl and the difference in controller design forcing me to rethink moves long hardwired into my brain.

With the Neo Geo rumored to be added to the Virtual Console soon, I’m left with one question: Why did nobody ever think of this before?

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