The Supreme Court has recently decided to reconsider reinstating California’s ban on the sale or rental of violent video games to minors, a law the US Court of Appeals threw out last year on the grounds that it violated minor’s constitutional rights under the first amendment. The law was orignially signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is pleased to see the Supreme Court revisiting the issue. It prohibits the sale or rental of violent video games to any person under the age of 18. In this case, the term violent includes “killing, maiming, dismembering, or sexually assaulting an image of a human being.” Also, it would enforce ultra-strict labeling requirements for video game manufacturers and harsh penalties for retailers who violated the law.

Shortly after being signed into effect, the law was immediately challenged on the grounds that it violated the freedom of expression and speech under the First Amendment and was blocked by a US District Court after the video game industry sued. The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit threw out the law. The judge who wrote the decision that ultimately overturned the law cited no current research showing a connection between violent video games and any psychological harm to youths.

Opponents to the law claim that there is already an established ratings system (the ESRB) that warns consumers and parents about the content of the game and that it is the parent’s job keep the games out of their children’s hands if they don’t want them playing games of that nature. They also note that the rights of minor’s to free speech and freedom of expression need to be represented, especially those in creative works.

Supporters of the law claim that minor’s rights are not being trampled on, noting numerous laws that the Supreme Court has upheld barring minors from buying or having access to pornography, alcohol, tobacco, and drugs; all of which are unquestioned and unchallenged laws in our society. So why should excessively violent video games be any different. They also claim that the law does not bar parents from purchasing the video games for their children should they allow it. Additionally, they do not wish for manufacturers to stop making violent video games, just that they not be dropped directly into the hands of minors.

The choice to reconsider the law comes only weeks after the Supreme Court chose to convincingly strike down a federal law banning videos showing animal cruelty. The two laws both deal with the depiction of violence and the Court may be setting up to take a strong stand for the protection of free speech. The difference, however, is that the law is aimed at protecting children and minors.

Guest post by Kirby Williams. The author writes extensively on Wii video games, Wii accessories, and the entire video games industry at wiiaccessories.org.

There are many people who enjoy playing Wii games. You can buy these games at a cheap rate from the local markets or even online. In order to complete your gaming experience you also need to have the Wii accessories. There are numerous that sell these accessories. Where can you find inexpensive wii  accessories? Let us take a look at a few options.

What are the best accessories that you require for your games? Here are some of them. 1. Charge station – This will assist you for all your charging needs. If the charge of your remote is over, you will not need to run for a battery. All you need to do is dock your remote for a while and then continue to play your favorite game. If you have two emotes, play with one while you charge the other. The LED indicator lights will tell you if the charging is complete. 2. Wii Dual Charge Station & Turbo Cooler – A cooling system can be incorporated into your Wii. 3. Wii Wireless Sensor Bar – This gives you a better functionality without the connection of a wire. 4. Wii 512MB Memory Card – This can help your game with maximum performance. You can also download and store games. 5. 8 in 1 Wii Accessory Kit – It provides all the bare necessities that a gamer should definitely possess. These are the controller carry bag, 2 air filters, 2 silicon controller sleeves, 2 belt handles and a controller cord hub.

How and where will you find these accessories for a cheap rate? You can go to trade-in stores. Places like the Gamestop will let you make trad-ins which will help you buy the accessories for a cheap rate. You can bring in old movies or games that you do not anymore use and get your accessories at a cheap rate. Before buying you need to ensure if the option is available or not. You can also think of shopping online. You can take a look at some of the coupons offered by the stores and use their cash back facilities. Places like eBay may have this option. At the click of the mouse you can look at many online stores and choose the best deals. You also need to be careful about the shipping and handling charges. You can also look for off brand accessories that suit your Wii. Some brand accessories are quite expensive and you can look for some less expensive counterpart like the Mario Cart.

If you are very particular about the Nintendo brand, you can also think of wholesale purchase of the accessories. You can get remote controllers, Wii skins, covers, storage cases, memory cards etc. Even some discount websites like Techbargain.com offer good deals of the Wii accessories. You will be able to save about 80% of the expenses by buying from them. Another great place to shop is the eBay where you can buy the accessories for a bargain price. Also look for discount coupons using the search engines. You can also look in www.gamestop.com for printable coupons to buy your Wii accessories.

Video game console makers are always trying to one up the other companies.  When PS3 and Xbox 360 had high definition, the Nintendo Wii brought motion controls to make up for the lack of high definition graphics.  Then, Microsoft and Sony knew they had to respond with motion controls of their own.  While Playstation’s offering is quite similar to the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft came out with a whole new concept, the Xbox Project Natal.  Instead of just using a wand or a controller to wave around and control the on-screen characters with your hand motions, Project Natal takes it a step further and incorporates your whole entire body.  Now you can control various video games with your head, hands, arms, legs and feet, and even your voice!

This new type of gaming will bring about all new game experiences.  You won’t be limited by a handful of buttons and directional pads, and therefore it will definitely make some games really exciting.  I think that sports games will do really well with Project Natal, because Wii Sports did really well and helped grow the popularity of the Wii.  Being able to do full golf motions, boxing punches and dodging, as well as martial arts punches, kicks, and grabs will be pretty fun.

Another popular genre that I think will do well is with exercise and fitness games.  The Nintendo Wii Fit did really well at furthering the exercise video game genre.  The problem was that you were mostly limited by the feedback you got with the balance board.  Project Natal will be able to feature essentially real-time workout videos, allowing you to get feedback on the workout moves and positions because the camera will be able to see your entire body.  Yoga Natal will probably be really popular among women who are already going to buy Project Natal for their children or husbands, and they’ll be able to get in on the action by doing yoga poses and getting feedback about if they are doing the poses correctly or not.