It seems that the situation in Australia concerning video games ratings isn’t getting better any time soon as the debate will be dragged along again by the South Australian Attorney General, Michael Atkinson.

We previously reported that the Australian government was soliciting public opinions concerning an R18 rating for video games. The government released a paper with arguments for and against the new ratings system so people would be informed before casting their vote. This seemed to be a fair and objective method for consulting the Australian population about an issue that affects them but, now, the whole thing will be moot thanks to Michael Atkinson.

Atkinson said that the public consultation isn’t fair and the anticipated overwhelming vote in favor will be biased because only gamers will vote. Additionally, Atkinson said that because he has received death threats and abusive emails he won’t change his posture on the subject…

The industry seems sharply divided on how much of an impact digital downloading will have on the future of game sales.

There has been speculation about whether the next Xbox or PlayStation will even feature any kind of disc drive. EA Sports President Peter Moore doesn’t think it’s time to put away the plastic cases and shrink wrapping just yet.

At the recent Berkeley Digital Media Conference, Moore gave his take:

“[The industry is] at least a decade away from saying goodbye to a physical disc. The more important question is what does the next generation of console look like?”

In the latest installment of our gamer-vs-gamer debates known as 2Bits, a pair of Gamertell writers ponder the possibility – and possible necessity – of a major video game industry award.

Would an awards ceremony the size and spectacle of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Science’s (AMPAS) Oscars be a positive and beneficial annual event for the industry or would it simply implode due to politics and overt commercialism?

Read opposing takes on the possibility (or actuality) of such an industry event…

Welcome to the latest installment of Gamertell’s 2Bits, where writers debate opposing sides of video game issues.

For this round, Gamertell writers ponder the Entertainment Electronics Expo (aka E3) and whether or not it should be an industry-only event or open its doors to the public.

While most debates have two sides, we’re adding a third for your reading pleasure because, let’s face, some people simply don’t care if E3 is open to the public or not. Sure, we should probably call it “3Bits” this week but, hey, who ever said we have to follow the rules?

E3 – Open, Closed or Who Really Cares

• E3 should open its doors, let the people flow
• Keep those E3 doors closed
• It doesn’t matter whether E3 goes public or not

E3 should not be open to the public. It is a convention for people in the gaming industry. Period.

Though it would be nice to let anyone go to this convention, if they allow that to happen then E3 will basically end up becoming the next Comic-Con which means thousands and thousands of people, crowded around an already cramped convention center (many carrying pointy sticks, mind you).

People go to E3 to have intelligent conversations with…

Not all shovelware is completely bad.

Sure, games that fall into the shovelware category, like Chicken Shoot and Elf Bowling, are often designed to purely to generate quick revenue. And yes, the quality of shovelware is more often than not rather atrocious. But that doesn’t mean that the mere existence of it is entirely bad.

Not only is shovelware a videogame tradition but its proliferation is a positive sign for gamers. Below are three important reasons why shovelware games are actually good…

Earlier this week (January 21, 2008), Fox News’ “Live Desk With Martha MacCallum” segment focused on the sexual content in the Xbox 360 game, Mass Effect. In the segment, titled “SE’XBOX,” it pointed out that portions of the game includes some nudity (though that is debatable) and claimed the game has been marketed toward kids (even with the “Mature” ESRB rating).

According to Kotaku, Jeff Brown, EA’s VP of corporate communications, contacted Fox News, describing the report’s claim that the game was marketed toward children as “flat-out false” and asked Fox News to issue a correction.

Here’s the video of the segment…