Pocket Gamer has the scoop on an upcoming iPhone game called Astro Ranch that's half Harvest Moon, half Animal Crossing—both games that require you to manage different resources on a day-to-day basis. We're not sure what other iPhone tech this would involve other than the panning for gold by shaking the camera like a prospector (and controlling the camera with your finger), but it will have multiplayer abilities insofar as you can exchange items and send presents to your buddies. This might just be the best iPhone game yet when it comes out in March 2009, but at the very least it'll be the best iPhone game that involves simulating a '49er.

http://gizmodo.com/5037045/astro-ran...moon+like-game ...

This is TuneWiki, the music playback app that shows Karaoke-like lyrics and album art on almost all the music on your phone. It's been officially ported to Android and looks very very impressive. They've added features like searching YouTube for videos of your tracks, plus searching their database for certain song lyrics if you only remember caught a part of a song. There's also the built-in Google Maps API for looking at other people using TuneWiki and being able to see what people are listening to around a certain area. Yeah, we're pretty excited.

http://gizmodo.com/5037290/tunewiki-...ery-impressive ...

Welcome to this week's Games Update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.

Catching onto the Olympics hype, a number of sports games are published this week. These include the hot Madden NFL 09 released by one of the leading game developers, Electronic Arts. The game is available on many consoles so footballers/rugby players, get ready for the game for there is no stopping it even if your family has hogged the TV for the Olympic events.

Other team sports you can join with friends is MLB Power Pros 2008 [Wii™ & PlayStation2™] and Women's Volleyball. While the Wii version of the baseball game makes use of the Nintendo Wii's motion sensing capabilities to give you a lifelike batting and pitching experience, Women's Volleyball depicts the excitement and red hot battle between atheletes that you can participate in.

Although the Olympics has directed most people's attention to sports, it is not the only activity you can participate in. For those who desires a bit more variety, the King of Clubs is a game for you.

Golf takes center spot with this game along with fashion taboos, and its actually encouraging you to play the game in the most unorthodox ways, so people who enjoy wacky games without constraining rules, pick up your Wii remote controls and get ready to wield it!

Take a break from all the sports and sweat and set off on an adventure, the Asian version of Tales of Vesperia has arrived this week amidst the plethora of sports games.

A journey to your memories is another trip you can take via your Sony PSPs. Memories Off: Sorekara [limited & standard editions] and Omoide ni Kawaru kun (kimi) [limited & standard editions] will take you through your teenage romance and let you relive the sweet times you have spent with your girlfriends.

As usually, here's a summary of all new releases from this week

Xbox360™
Madden NFL 09 US US$ 64.90
Madden NFL 09 ASIA US$ 49.90
Madden NFL 09 [20th Anniversary Collectors Edition] US US$ 99.90
Summer Athletics The Ultimate Challenge US US$ 34.90
Tales of Vesperia (Japanese language Version) ASIA US$ 49.90

PlayStation3™
Call of Duty 3 (Greatest Hits) US US$ 34.90
Madden NFL 09 ASIA US$ 49.90
Madden NFL 09 US US$ 64.90
Madden NFL 09 [20th Anniversary Collectors Edition] US N/A
Monster Madness: Grave Danger US US$ 44.90
MotorStorm (Greatest Hits) US US$ 34.90
Resistance: Fall of Man (Greatest Hits) US US$ 34.90
Warhawk (Greatest Hits) US US$ 34.90

Nintendo Wii™
King of Clubs US US$ 34.90
Little League World Series US US$ 54.90
MLB Power Pros 2008 US US$ 44.90
Madden NFL 09 All-Play US US$ 59.90

PlayStation2™
Akane Iro ni Somaru Saka: Parareru JPN US$ 69.90
Akane Iro ni Somaru Saka: Parareru [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 89.90
Analog Strike Wireless Controller Exteme 2 (Black) JPN US$ 39.90
Ford Racing: Off Road US US$ 24.90
MLB Power Pros 2008 US US$ 24.90
Madden NFL 09 US US$ 44.90
Summer Athletics The Ultimate Challenge US US$ 24.90
Women's Volleyball Championship US US$ 24.90

Nintendo DS™ GRID US US$ 34.90
Little League World Series US US$ 34.90
Madden NFL 09 US US$ 34.90
Quick Yoga Training US US$ 34.90
Rock Blast US US$ 24.90

Nintendo DS™ Accessories
Chara Pure Cover (Jack) JPN US$ 12.90
Chara Pure Cover (Stitch) JPN US$ 12.90
Chara Pure Cover (Winnie the Pooh) JPN US$ 12.90
Charge Stand DS Lite US US$ 14.99

Sony PSP™ Crazy Taxi: Double Punch JPN US$ 48.90
Ford Racing: Off Road US US$ 24.90
Madden NFL 09 US US$ 44.90
Memories Off Sorekara JPN US$ 58.90
Memories Off Sorekara [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 69.90
Omoide ni Kawaru-Kun: Memories Off JPN US$ 58.90
Omoide ni Kawaru-Kun: Memories Off [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 69.90

Sony PSP Accessories™ Monster Hunter Multi Bag JPN US$ 29.90

Xbox™
Madden NFL 09 US US$ 44.90

PC Game
Hide & Secret 2 US US$ 24.90

Game Guides and Magazines
Charaberrys Vol.5 JPN US$ 12.90
Madden NFL 09: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Madden NFL 2009 Limited Edition Bundle: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 34.90
Nobunaga no Yabou DS 2 Guide Book JPN US$ 23.90
Sangokushi Taisen Ten Tactical Guide JPN US$ 20.90
The Madden Phenomenon US US$ 24.90
Weekly Famitsu No. 1027 (2008 08/22+29) JPN N/A
Zero no Tsukaima: Knight of Twin Moon Illustration Book JPN US$ 27.90

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...9-en-84-n.html ...

Finally, Hudson has heard our prayers and crafted a game that's not so much a game as it is work (World of Warcraft not withstanding). Hard Working People draws inspiration for its collection of mini-games not from rabbits farting or ring tosses, but from real life professions like dentist, EMT or ... haunted house crew.

That's not particularly impressive, as Japanese companies have horrible ideas for games all the time. No, what's notable is that this one is actually coming to the US. Heck, you can even vote on the name Hudson USA will give its North American counterpart. Why isn't "The Clearest Sign Yet That the Video Game Industry is Imploding" an option?

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/hu...north-america/ ...

Disney Interactive Studio VP Graham Hopper thinks Disney needs more role-playing games. Speaking with GameDaily, Hopper says the company has an RPG in the pipeline, but can't yet make an announcement. Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts series is probably the only RPG we can think of that uses Disney characters, but that was more of a dalliance on the house of Mickey's part.

Hopper goes on to say that RPGs fit with Disney because the company believes storytelling and character design are important. He notes the company isn't looking to make "the hardest core RPG," but a blend, which he believes the studio is fully capable of. May Diablo help us if Disney's answer to role-playing is something like High School Musical RPG.

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/di...ake-rpg-games/ ...

We already heard that third-party devs were nonplussed by Nintendo's surprise MotionPlus reveal at E3, but we really wanted to hear about one developer in particular: LucasArts. Game Informer follows up its earlier online posting with a writeup in this month's issue (the Arkham Asylum one) specifically referencing the Star Wars dev: "LucasArts in particular wasn't happy at being kept in the dark."

Something tells us that's an understatement. The developer's Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels game was not only built specifically for the Wii and shown off in Nintendo's E3 presentation, it was built in response to the intense clamoring from fans hungry for a 1:1 lightsaber game. With the game set to hit retailers this November, and the Wii MotionPlus arriving the following Spring, if you're holding out for 1:1 Jedi-ing, your only hope now is a sequel.

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/lu...ii-motionplus/ ...

We've be hearing a lot about the Thai cabbie killing lately and how it was (or wasn't) caused by Grand Theft Auto. In the wake of that tragic murder, there have been two major groups of outcries. The first has been the call to regulate games; one we have heard all too often. The other has been a call to revise criminal penalties; one which is not only new, but speaks to the core theory behind criminal law: the theory of punishment. Criminal law theory is something that is universal in all of our criminal codes, but isn't often discussed. It's this "theoretical" approach that we'll look at today. You may agree or disagree with my particular thoughts on the theory of criminal law, but it's more important for everyone to understand a theoretical approach to criminal law so that we can come to our own conclusions about true "justice."

The concept of criminal law starts with some basic political philosophy. In order to have a society, there has to be a set of rules by which that society operates. Whether you want to view this as the social contract in a Locke/Hobbes/Rousseau manner or through some other philosophical lens, the basic need for rules and order in a society is more or less the same. This need for rules gives rise to the concept of the law, and one of those concepts is the boundaries of behavior that stray into what we, as a society, feel need to be punished. This is the basis for all criminal law, be it a crime against a person or a crime against property.

Once you've placed theoretical constraints on acceptable behavior, you have to decide what are acceptable punishments. There have been, over time, many theories on which punishment is based. One of the oldest is athe classic "eye for an eye," but more modern interpretations have attempted to balance the idea of actual punishment with the idea of deterrence, the concept that the threat of punishment will keep many from committing crimes altogether.

There is also the question of whom to punish and to what degree should all involved parties be punished. Remember, the actual criminal actor is not always the only one punished. This is the basis behind accomplice charges, among other criminal penalties that involve far more complex issues of mitigating and aggravating circumstances, or particular factors that make the punishment more or less severe. Which brings us back to Thailand and two particular thoughts I've seen presented with respect to game-related violence: games as a mitigating or aggravating factor; and liability for game manufacturers for crimes that copy games. "Both of these ideas border on lunacy."


Both of these ideas border on lunacy. First, games as an aggravating or mitigating factor in deciding punishment seems to be a loss. Does it make sense to punish a gamer more because he or she killed someone in a way based on a game? Of course not. The fact that the perpetrator is a gamer doesn't make the victim any less dead, nor does it make the crime any different from any other murder. So there's no benefit to giving the perpetrator an extra 40 years because they acted out a game. From the opposite approach, should a gamer be able to claim that the game made them do it? I say this is equally pointless unless it is tied to some concrete mental illness that would otherwise give rise to a potential insanity defense. If you can tell right from wrong (generally the standard for insanity), exposure to a particular game doesn't make right any less right or wrong any less wrong; it's just an excuse to attempt to reduce punishment.

The secondary thought, applying liability to game manufacturers for "copycat" crimes committed by those who play their games is a blatant contradiction to free speech in the US. That's not to say it can't happen in other countries, but the law is relatively clear in the US. In fact, the Supreme Court specifically invalidated hate crime laws that were in conflict with free speech in R. A. V. v. City of St. Paul. More importantly, speech has traditionally only been limited in the case where the speech itself presents imminent lawless action, such as yelling "Fire!" in a crowded theater, or consists of "fighting words," or words likely to instigate a fight. To think about this from another perspective, if game makers are allowed to be held accountable for the actions of players, then why not movie makers? Or authors? Catcher in the Rye has been tied to several people who have committed criminal acts, and yet not only is it still sold freely, to my knowledge no one has ever brought suit against J. D. Salinger, the publisher, or the book seller.

More importantly, these two ideas tie together. If you don't believe that the perpetrator should be able to claim the "game made him do it," then why should the game's maker be liable? On the contrary, if the game maker isn't responsible for what people do with their game, then does it really matter if the game motivated the crime in someone who can tell right from wrong? Doesn't the idea ...

For those of you (we know, pretty much everyone in existence) who already picked up a set of Pink Pig PC speakers a few years back, you can carry on with your daily routine. For everyone else that owns an iPod, hold it right there. Speakal is delivering the iPod docking iPig, a unique speaker system that packs five total drivers (including a 4-inch subwoofer), adjustable bass controls, 360-degree sound distribution and a very debatable design. You'll also find a 3.5-millimeter auxiliary jack for hooking up every other source, and the bundled remote makes it easy to switch tracks and such from your sofa. The only problem? That $139.99 price tag.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/13/s...ith-your-ipod/ ...

Buh. So, this is getting confusing. According to sources over at ShackNews, the Rock Band 2 Special Edition bundle that was originally set to launch on September 14 exclusively on Xbox 360 will hit stores on October 19. For you fanboys keeping score, that's the same date that the game will hit for other consoles. It's still not clear if the game and instruments will still show up on retail shelves on September 14, but if you were looking to get your groove on in September, you may want to chill.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/14/r...-19-according/ ...