Here’s another law that is set to create a stir among a lot of people. In New York City, a law was signed recently. This law is supposed to “force” all video games – existing and new – to undergo another label rating. This also requires all video games to be sold in the city to have clearer labels so as to inform consumers of their content.

Wired PR News reports:

The Governor of New York, David Paterson, signed the bill into a law. The New York Civil Liberties Union said that the bill has significantly raised concerns about free speech. The legislative Director of NYCLU, Robert Perry, said that they have reviewed the legislation but they have not yet determined whether they will take any legal action against the bill. The group also said that laws of similar type in other areas including California, Michigan, Illinois, Washington and Minnesota have been rejected and thrown out as they go against the constitution.

The US video gaming industry has submitted to a ratings system voluntarily which is similar to the ratings system of movies. The newly signed law makes it compulsory for all video games that have already been rated to be appropriately labeled and it also requires that new video gaming consoles need to be installed with lockout features controlled by parents. It requires this to be implemented by 2010.

While I am all for rating and labeling, I see this law as a redundancy of the already existing measures. Am I being too narrow minded here?

It’s about time for another casual game review. This time, it is a game with an agricultural theme. Not everyone has been to a farm, especially these days, but I suppose most everyone has had a hankering for a rural lifestyle. Well, at least, if a real life experience is not possible, a virtual one would do.

That is what Farmer Jane has to offer – a chance to manage a farm (or several farms, to be exact). The storyline isn’t that original, to be honest. Grandpa has problems with his farm, Jane and her brother (Joe, I think) help out and get suckered into working in other farms. The graphics are quite good, actually. Though there isn’t much by way of animation, the 3D graphics are pleasant enough to view.

As for the game play, it starts out easy enough, which is a good thing for newbies. Seasoned “rush” and “frenzy” players might find the beginning levels a bit too easy, though. However, I would have to say that the escalation of the difficulty is quite interesting. The game still has some surprises for those who have been playing these types of games for quite some time. As a matter of fact, I got stuck in January of the 5th farm.

The trick is to click real fast and to come up with a strategy that will allow for the maximum combos while keeping the customers happy all at the same time – which is basically what we do for these kinds of games.

I’d say give Farmer Jane a try.

It is just the middle of the year but it may be the time to get your presents already. That is, if you are planning on getting a Wii or two for your kids (or yourself!). Forbes recently published an article on the possible – no, probable, shortage of the Wii come the Christmas season:

Although it has been nearly two years since Nintendo’s latest videogame system went on sale, finding one is still a challenge for U.S. consumers. The hunt may get a little easier in the months to come, but bagging a new Wii is still far from a sure thing.

“We are really intending to increase the shipments to the U.S., especially compared to last year,” says Satoru Iwata, Nintendo’s global president and CEO. “However, I can’t give you a 100% commitment [that you'll be able to find a Wii this holiday season]. What I can commit myself to is that Nintendo is going to do its best to supply as many Wii hardware units as possible in order to meet demand there.”

Iwata says demand for the device in the U.S. is unusually high in contrast to either Europe or Asia. The company is on schedule to produce 2.4 million Wiis this year and will allocate additional units to U.S. retailers. Still, it has been caught off guard by the popularity of the Wii in America.
“We could not imagine it would be that high,” he says.

I understand how much in demand the Wii can be but what I really do not get is why the manufacturers just don’t make more of the consoles! They have been experiencing shortages for the past year and I am sure that they can somehow predict how many consoles they will be selling for the year. Why can’t make things easy and produce ENOUGH to meet the demand?

Photo courtesy of el3enawe

You probably know that E3 was held last week. For many gaming enthusiasts, E3 has become an event to look forward to, year after year. Each year, new video games are announced during this event. Announcements from major players in the video game industry are much sought after. At night, people who have flocked to the conference liven up the night life.

Well, at least, that is how it used to be. After the year 2006, things took a turn for the worse. The people behind E3 thought they were spending too much money on the event. Doug Lowenstein, the brains behind E3, left and trod a different path. The budget was cut and everything changed.

This year, people were actually hoping that the 2007 event would be forgotten and that E3 would regain its past glory. Alas, those who thought so were much disappointed. Look around the Internet and you will know what I mean.

Dennis McCauley wrote at Joystiq:

If anything, this year’s show was worse than Santa Monica. Not only was it poorly planned and poorly executed, but holding it in the LACC was a cruel, if unintentional joke. E3 veterans who recalled the glory days when the massive confines of South Hall and West Hall were filled to the brim with towering game exhibits stared blankly at the locked doors of those once-bustling rooms. This year’s show floor, such as it was, amounted to four rows of small booths in a drab room off the Convention Center’s main hallway.

I have to admit, I didn’t even really follow the happenings this year. I did download Sony’s segment but in my opinion, it was really boring. They must be missing Phil Harris right now.

Does E3 still have a chance to be revived? They’ll need something short of a miracle, I suppose.

Whoever said they were, anyway? Obviously, I am a BIG Guns N’ Roses fan and though Axl Rose may not be the man he was decades ago, the band still lives on in the hearts of the innumerable fans from the 80s and 90s. For those like me, it would be more than interesting to see what they have in store for us as they partner up with the popular video game franchise, Rock Band.

According to various news sources around the web, Guns N’ Roses are set to release a new song this September. Following the footsteps of Motley Crue, Metallica, and other icons in the rock music scene, Guns N’ Roses is releasing their single Shackler’s Revenge, which is part of an album that the band has been working on for many years now. This is indeed good news for their fans, especially those who happen to love playing Rock Band 2.

From the perspective of a video gamer, this is merely something that highlights the influence of the video game industry. It used to be that radio was the main means of promoting a song. Now, video games are being used by major names in the music industry.

I like this excerpt from The New York Times:

Perhaps more important, Rock Band is introducing young listeners to older bands they might not know. Mr. Kovac said that Mötley Crüe’s exposure in the game helped it sell more albums because gamers spend significant time with the band’s music. “I credit Rock Band for bringing in the younger audience,” Mr. Kovac said. “The people who downloaded that song aren’t just listening to it, they’re interacting with it.”

Indeed, those who may have missed out on these great bands have this chance to experience great music.

I know a lot of people who scoff every time a new video game comes out which is based on a movie or something similar. They especially become skeptical if the game takes only a few months to create. More likely than not, they say, the game is going to suck – if only because they did not really put much importance on the game itself. The rationale is that these video game developers only want to take advantage of the popularity of and the hype surrounding the movie. The result is a poor or mediocre video gaming experience. And these people are actually right. Take The Transformers and The Sopranos. I don’t need to go into detail about how these games could have been much better.

Anyhow, here’s another of those video games that might just not meet our expectations. The 2008 Beijing Olympics is just around the corner and everyone and their moms have been jumping into the Olympics bandwagon. From souvenir sellers to travel agencies – we have all sorts of products relating to the event. Why not video games?

SEGA of America announced on Monday that Beijing 2008 – The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games is out. In fact, copies of the game – for both the Xbox360 and the PS3 have been shipped out to retailers in North America. PC gamers need not feel left out. Their version of the game will be out later this month.

I haven’t had the chance to try this game out and for some reason, I have no real desire to.

Kids from today’s generation may be left a bit confused as to who that person in the title is. I am sure that those who were teenagers – or maybe even in their tweens – way back in the 90s would recognize this name, though. Noel Gallagher is the other half of the famous (and infamous in many ways as well) Gallagher brothers, who fronted the British band Oasis. Ring a bell now?

I will not argue with anyone who says that Oasis is one of the best bands of all time. Yes, I love many of their songs. That is not to say that they are experts in psychology and social behavior, is it? Apparently Noel Gallagher thinks he is. BBC reports:

Noel Gallagher has waded into the debate over youth knife crime while picking up a prize at the Silver Clef music awards in London.

The Oasis guitarist said it was a “pity scumbags are taking over our streets”, and claimed video games were partly to blame for violence.

He said: “In my day, status was trying to be somebody, do you know what I mean, not trying to kill somebody?”

The star said knife crime was a problem across the UK, not just in London.

And how do you explain the connection between video games and the knife crimes in the UK today, Mr. Gallagher? Come on now, I am sure you have more concrete reasoning than that, don’t you?

Oh well, I guess some people would point at the easiest thing they can lay their eyes on.

When financial problems set in, the first thing to go is usually the non-essentials. For different people, the non-essential things may be different as well. To be honest, I always thought that for many families, entertainment (this include video games) would be the first to go.

Well, I couldn’t be more wrong – at least when it comes to the situation in the United Kingdom. The Telegraph reports:

Video games are experiencing a surge in popularity as families affected by the credit crunch shun
expensive trips to the cinema and restaurants in favour of staying in.

New figures show that the video industry is defying the economic downturn thanks to a host of best-selling titles, including Grand Theft Auto IV, the Wii Fit, Mario Kart and Metal Gear Solid IV.

Game Group, the video games specialist, reported that pre-tax profits for the six months to July 31 would be at least £33 million – 32 per cent ahead of the City’s most optimistic forecasts.

Now that makes sense, doesn’t it? I do not know much about the prices of movies over there but I am sure they are considerable as well. If you have 5 members in the family, movie ticket prices would be a lot to handle. Add to that the gas that you have to spend going to the movies and then the popcorn and then eating out. It is but understandable that families would just choose to stay home and have a good time in front of their favorite video game console. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear the same trend in the United States pretty soon.

If you like casual games, then I am sure that you have played at least one of the installments in this casual game series. In some respects, Tradewinds Caravans is much like its predecessors. Still, it has some new additions to the gameplay which makes it quite engaging.

The basic idea is the same. You play a character, which you can choose at the beginning of the game. Using this character, you wander around the Silk Road trying to make money trading goods while trying to stay alive battling the numerous bandits that ply the road. Of course, you still have to accept and complete tasks. One of the main things I like about this game is the dialogue. You have numerous dialogues with other characters in the game and they are simply witty. I think this is a trademark of the series. Even the old Tradewinds were known for their humorous lines.

A new aspect to Tradewinds Caravans is how you conduct the battles. You can now hire various guards and mercenaries to keep you safe but they will not add to your goods capacity. For that, you have to buy pack animals at the stable. I think this aspect has made the game a bit more difficult than its predecessors.

I have finished the game and I have unlocked 2 special characters. I will not be a party pooper and tell you about these 2 characters. Why not try out the game for yourself and experience it for yourself?