VGN for July 15th, 2005

Friday, 15 July 2005

VGN for July 15th, 2005

Videogame news:

Sen. Clinton seeks 'Grand Theft' sex scene probe

By Peter Kaplan
Thu Jul 14, 4:06 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sen. Hillary Clinton pressed on Thursday for a government investigation into how simulated sex cropped up in a modified version of the blockbuster criminal adventure video game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas."

Clinton asked the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to investigate the origins of a downloadable modification that allows simulated sex in the personal computer version of one of the most popular and controversial video games in history.

"We should all be deeply disturbed that a game which now permits the simulation of lewd sexual acts in an interactive format with highly realistic graphics has fallen into the hands of young people across the country," Clinton wrote in a letter to the head of the Federal Trade Commission.

Saying the problem of explicit video games was "spiraling out of control," Clinton also said she was introducing legislation that would crack down on the sale of violent and sex-laden games to minors.

The legislation would impose a $5,000 penalty on retailers who sell adult-rated video games to underage children.

Clinton asked the FTC to look into whether Grand Theft Auto's rating of "M" (Mature 17+) should be changed to the rare "AO" (Adult Only), which would threaten to crimp sales at large retail outlets.

She requested the agency to study whether retailers' enforcement policies were adequate to keep adult-rated video games out of the hands of minors.

An FTC spokeswoman said the agency had received Clinton's letter and was reviewing it.

Video games have therapeutic potential -expert

LONDON (Reuters) - Parents take note -- video games are not all bad.

In young children and adolescents they can lead to excessive use and aggressive behavior but a leading expert said on Friday that the games ease pain, distract patients undergoing chemotherapy for cancer and help to develop dexterity.

"The degree of attention needed to play such a game can distract the player from the sensation of pain," Professor Mark Griffiths, of Nottingham University in England, said in an editorial in the British Medical Journal.

In patients with arm injuries, the games have been used to increase strength and dexterity while children with learning disabilities have played them to develop spatial ability.

"Therapeutic benefits have also been reported for a variety of adult populations including wheelchair users with spinal cord injuries, people with severe burns and people with muscular dystrophy," according to Griffiths.

Although the reported negative effects, which include wrist pain, hallucinations and repetitive strain injuries, have been widely reported, Griffiths said they tend to be temporary and could be caused by other factors.

MICROSOFT/MARVEL XBOX 360 DEAL

Posted: 13:28 on 14 Jul 2005
By: Jon Wilcox

MMO based in the Marvel universe set to appear exclusively on Xbox 360...

In an article reported by global news agency Reuters, Microsoft and Marvel have signed an exclusive deal to bring an MMO based in the Marvel Universe to Xbox 360. Set for release in 2008. No gameplay details have been announced and the terms of the deal have not been disclosed by either party.

Speaking to Reuters, Tim Rothwell, Worldwide President of the Consumer Media Group at Marvel Enterprises said, "This is our one and only," referring to the MMO deal.

"Online gaming is reaching a point of acceptance. We will use as many of the Marvel characters as we can" in the MMO game, said Peter Moore, Corporate Vice President of Worldwide Marketing and Publishing Xbox.

The news comes just days after Microsoft Games Studio, Ensemble Studios, launched a recruitment drive for people to join the development of an untitled MMO title, but whether that game is the Marvel MMO will of course have to be seen.

We’ll have more on the development of the Marvel MMO in the future…

What'll happen then?
Playstation Meeting 2005 – July 21st

Xbox Summit 2005 – July 25th

MS promised a surprise after Sony's annual meeting. What will it be? What info will come out of the Playstation Meeting 2005? Will Nintendo announce more info to counter? Listen to VGN in the next few weeks to find out!

What I've been playing:

Dark Watch Demo

Pirates!

Psychonauts--thanks Cybertron!!

Anime:

Anime Festival Orlando 6!

Anime Explosion--Naruto movie.

MXC taping this weekend!

Con Corner:

Tales of Dragon*Con!! The Ted Raimi story this week!

I'll have to re-host the pics, the old site's down.