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The UK is all set to revamp the videogame rating system according to the recommendations made by Dr. Tanya Byron, who is heading a review into the ill effects of games and the internet in the U.K. Byron told Next-Gen that the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has assured her that the government will adopt her recommendations in full.

Byron also talked about the appreciation her report has drawn from British parents but her suggestions might be…

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PS3 sales have picked up the pace in the UK and, for the last four weeks, has outsold the Xbox 360. Sony has also confirmed to Market for Home Computing and Video Games (MCV), a leading British industry journal, that PS3 has gone past the 1 million-sales milestone in the UK and at a rate faster than its antecedent console, the PS2…

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Scottish newspaper Scotland on Sunday has claimed that the British government is set to introduce stringent video game regulations based on the Byron Review, a study on the subject by Dr. Tanya Bryon. Contrary to the paper’s claim, the Department for Children, Schools & Families - the government department conducting the review - has denied any leak of the Byron Review.

The report claims that video games will be regulated just like movies using an age based rating system. Also, according to the British industry journal Market for Home Computing and Video Games (MCV), its anonymous source was present at…

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A new advertising campaign for Big Tom Spiced Tomato Juice has given birth to Spice Invaders, a beverage flavored Space Invaders. The game, which plays exactly like the classic Space Invaders, features a bottle of tomato juice destroying other drinks. The best part of the game is exclusive to residents of the United Kingdom though.

A contest began on November 5, 2007, when the site was launched, and all UK residents over 18 who play the game get the chance to win prizes. There isn’t much variety though, as the available prizes are 26 t-shirts, 6 cases of tomato juice and a trip for two to Spain’s 2008 La Tomatina Festival. The person with the best score of the day gets a shirt. The best score of the month gets juice. When the contest ends on March 3, 2008, the best score of all gets the three day trip to Spain and £250.

At least its an interesting Space Invaders clone for people ineligible for the contest to try. There’s something strangely satisfying about a bottle of tomato juice taking out glasses of soda.

Read [Gamez] Site [Spice Invaders]

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]

The land of the stiff upper lipped has officially received its long-awaited Xbox 360 price cut. Microsoft today announced that the Xbox 360 would be cheaper, effective August 24, 2007, to coincide with the launch of the title Bioshock.

Both the Core and Premium versions will be cheaper at £179.99 and £249.99 respectively, making the Core 360’s price identical to the Wii’s. This should appease the Brit gamers who were sobbing about not getting a 360 price-cut along with the US. There is more in store for them as the Xbox Elite will also launch on Friday, August 24, 2007, at a lower than expected price point of £299.99.

Microsoft hopes to woo more mainstream and first-time gamers with…

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