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A US Army press release sent out earlier this week (January 17, 2008)  is crediting Paxton Galvanek, twenty-eight, with saving a life last year because of skills he received while playing America’s Army, a first-person shooter based on and funded by the US military.

On November 23, 2007, Galvanek witnessed a sports utility vehicle loose control while driving west on I-40 in North Carolina with his family. Galvanek was able to remove two men from the wreckage and administer first aid to one of the passengers who had lost two fingers. America’s Army project director Colonel Casey Wardynski had this to say ((IN THE PRESS RELEASE?)) regarding Galvanek’s actions that day:

Because of the training he received in [the] America’s Amry virtual classroom, Mr. Galvanek had mastered the basics of first aid and had the confidence to take appropriate action when others might do nothing. He took the initiative to assess the situation, prioritize actions and apply the correct procedures…Paxton is a true hero. We are pleased to have played a role in providing the lifesaving training that he employed so successfully at the scene.

This causes a few interesting conjectures to drift through the brain, should the parties in thought be willing…

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Welcome to the first installment of Important Importables, a new column that will appear exclusively on Gamertell. Each weekend, Jenni Lada will point and stare like a giddy tourist at some the best, weirdest or simply her favorite videogame goodies not sold in the US. So get your PayPal password ready and clean out your mailbox, it’s time for some Important Importables.

If you own a PSP or a Nintendo DS, you probably know the great little secret behind each system. No, not that one, perverts. All PSP and DS games are region-free meaning that someone can buy a game from a different country and run it on their own machine. It also means that someone could purchase a handheld system from another country to use.  It’s complete and utter freedom.

The bad news is that there are a lot of incredible video games out there that never make it to North America for one reason or another. Not to mention the delayed and limited releases European and Austrailian gamers can get.

Console importing has also become quite popular. The Japanese PSPs and DSes are available in different colors and styles than North American ones, like the popular and recently released Crisis Core: Final Fantasy PSP in Japan. Plus, if someone wants to play a Japanese PS2, PS3, Wii or Xbox 360 game, they first have to buy a console from that region. (Of course they could mod the system they already own, but that can be tricky and voids the warranty.) The trick to importing is finding a safe, reliable, and well stocked online store that carries the games and systems you want.

Japanese Imports

I’ll begin with my favorite online store , Play-Asia. This site is the best for import gamers for a number of reasons. First, the service is incredible. If you have a problem or issue, you’ll likely get an email response that same day, even though the company is located in Hong Kong. Second, the shipping is dirt cheap. I always choose the cheapest option (at times it ends up being under $3.00), and yet it will always arrive at my home in a week. Next is the selection. They have games, domestic and import, for every system, including the classics. If there’s a game you want that is old and out of stock, they’ll even find it for you. Plus they also sell toys, music, movies, and magazines. I saved the best for last though: the Bargain Section. Many a day have I come home, popped on just to browse, and ended up with a steal. This week’s reckless splurge: the limited edition version of Audition Portable for the PSP. Normally its $99.99, now its $49.99.

Next up is NCSX, also known as the National Console Support, Inc. This company is located in the US, so your game will arrive a little faster and you won’t have to worry about your items making the overseas trips. Despite my rabbid fangirlism up there for Play-Asia, NCSX was the first place I imported from. Ever. That’s a special, sacred bond. NCSX doesn’t have as wide a selection as Play-Asia, and the shipping is a bit more, but occasionally they will have a game that Play-Asia doesn’t carry any more. They also have other video game related imported paraphernalia, like toys, books, music. NCSX really focuses on games though. Once again they have great customer service.

European Imports

The next site I have mixed feelings about. I’m including it because eStarland is really the only trustworthy site I have found for getting European imported games. (Occasionally Europe will get games North America should have gotten, but didn’t including Freshly Picked: Tingle’s Rosy Rupee-Land for the DS or Tales of Eternia for the PSP.) Like NCSX, eStarland is another online video game retailer based in the US. Their primary focus isn’t on imports, but they carry most of the really popular ones at reasonable prices. The bad part is their policy on constantly confirming the information you’ve supplied. It can be horribly annoying and can keep your purchase from being shipped for three to four days. The good part is that they carry European imports and also stock used copies of all imported games when they can. Since import games for the DS and PSP can run between $39-49, a preowned copy for $29-39 starts looking pretty good.

From time to time you might also be able to find European versions of games on the NCSX site. The thing is, when they are on the site they won’t be marked as European under region, so you need to be aware of what titles are European exclusives. It isn’t too bad when they are PSP or DS games, since those are region free, but European games won’t run on the North American console systems. Also you will usually have to search for the exact title, because the game might not show up in the normal game list. A good example is the Tingle game for the DS mentioned earlier. If you look through the general DS game listings, it won’t show up, but if you check for it with the site’s search engine, you’ll find it. Another thing worth noting is that a European game at NCSX will cost more than the identical game at eStarland, provided eStarland has it.

Other Sites to Consider

These are just my favorite sites and they aren’t the only shops online out there. YesAsia is also a great, reliable site for importing video games, music, books, toys, and other items from overseas. The only reason YesAsia doesn’t have a paragraph up there with the other Japanese import sites is because they tend to focus focus on other imports.

If you’re an eBay fan, a lot of import games and systems can be found there as well. You have to be cautious when dealing with vendors there though - you never know what condition the game is or if it is a legitimate copy and not a knock-off. Sure it looks like a good deal initially, but it won’t be once you get it home and discover it is a knock-off. At times it is worth the risk though, because eBay sellers will have the lowest prices.

JBox/JList is also a great retailer who I have personally purchased items from, but like YesAsia they specialize in items, accessories, computer games, toys and magazines. So at JBox/JList you will find many licensed Nintendo items, video game related novelties and Japanese iTunes card, but you won’t find any actual games (except dating sim PC games) or systems. In fact, J-List/J-Box is the only site I have come across so far that carries the Japanese iTunes cards, which, when purchased, allow you to download music from the Japanese iTunes store.

Coming Next Week

Next week we’ll start talking about some import DS and PSP games which are worth your money. First up, the best import game available for the best handheld console on the market, the Nintendo DS. The great thing about this game is if you look carefully online, you may just find it on sale.

Site [Play-Asia] Site [NCSX] Site [eStarland] Site [RenChi] Site [YesAsia] Site [JBox/JList]

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It’s no surprise that scriptwriters for radio, television and movies are at a stand-still with the current Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike. After three weeks without work, those writers are starting to look for writing positions in an industry that has become an unexpected competitor. Videogames.

“Vidgames may be one of the prime reasons network TV doesn’t draw as many viewers as it used to, but it also represents a new market for screenwriters,” said Ben Fritz, technology and videogame reviewer for Variety magazine. “While the WGA has made no secret that it would like to eventually cover videogame writing, it hasn’t pushed the issue yet and is allowing members to work on games during the strike.”

The WGA is a union of writers who work in film, television and radio broadcasting. The reason the writers have all gone on strike in the first place is that they demand an increase on residuals for DVD sales and a healthy cut from new-media profits.

Naturally, the WGA has not hesitated to remind us that it plans to create a special category for videogame writers at the next Writers Guild Awards to be held in February 2008.

“Video games are written and many are written very well” said WGA West President Patric M. Verrone. “By recognizing the skill and craft of video game writing, the Writers Guilds intend to raise the profile of these writers so that they can get WGA contracts and benefits for this work. We aim, we shoot, we score.”

Veteran game and film writer, Flint Dille, said times have changed and games have come the new market.

“I’m certain some kind of union situation is going to evolve for this industry, including the writers,” Dille recalls. “Then as budgets went up, they realized they need designers and some actual art. Today, it’s unusual if a writer is not brought into the process at some point. Twenty years ago, games were all about the engineers. Over the next 20 years, I’m certain some kind of union situation is going to evolve for this industry, including the writers.”

Read [1UP] Also Read [Variety] Site [Writers Guild of America]

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