Update (May 5, 2008)

Unfortunately, no new reviews or articles this week.

However, I did stumbled across a browser-based game creator. It's a creation of Microsoft's Popfly development tools, which has a what-you-see-is-what-you-get format that allows less tech-savvy folks bypass learning how to write lines and lines of complicated code and still create a rather professional-looking product.

Popfly does offer other tools such as web design or a multimedia/widget creator, but I focus on the Create a Game tool because it would be great for a kid who wants to be a games designer. I think a lot of gamers pass through the phase where they want to try out making their own games, and this presents a simple, viable way for wannabe designers to do so without dropping lots of dollars on game design software or books. All you need is Mozilla Firefox 2.0 or higher, or Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher, and Microsoft Silverlight to get started.

If you're a student or administrator at a university or college, you can collect on more Microsoft freebies. Through a program called DreamSpark, university students or administrators are allowed to download free, full versions of Microsoft software. All you need is a Windows Live ID and any student login information typically used at your university:

• Expression Studio
• Sql Server 2005 Express
• Sql Server Developer Edition
• Virtual PC 2007
• Visual Basic 2005
• Visual C++ 2005
• Visual C# 2005
• Visual J# 2005
• Visual Studio 2008
• Visual Web Developer 2005
• Visual Studio 2005 Professional
• Windows Server 2003
• XNA Game Studio

I hate to hawk Microsoft's wares, but when there's free stuff abound on the Internet, it has to be shared.
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Next week:

• Patapon review (PSP)
• Super Mario Galaxy review (Wii)
• Assassin's Creed review (Xbox 360)
  

Update (April 29, 2008)

New this week:
Four new game reviews in one week! A new record!

• NHL 2008 review (Xbox 360)
• No More Heroes review (Wii)
• Rayman: Raving Rabbids (Wii)
  
• Super Smash Bros. Brawl review (Wii)

Check below this post later tomorrow for our GTA4 media wrap-up and coverage, which is all aimed at answering the big question: is GTA appropriate for the kids?

Grand Theft Auto 4

Violence, sex, drugs, and swearing all in the midst of an extremely popular games series that's dubbed "revolutionary" by the games media. Start the hype machine and fire up the presses because GTA4 is finally available to the public. But should your kid play it?
Today, Grand Theft Auto 4 was released. There has been and will be an unreasonable amount of media coverage of this game, mostly from the gaming enthusiast press, but also a handful of articles from the mainstream media. No matter what media coverage you may trawl through in trying to determine if you should allow your child to play this game, I suggest you bear two things in mind:

• The Grand Theft Auto series simply is not designed for younger audiences. Yet, GTA isn't all sex and violence. The story has some intelligent, satirical commentary. Its open-world format is declared revolutionary. Still, this is not for the 13-and-under crowd. The most startling aspect I've heard about GTA4 is that you can drive up to a prostitute and choose which sexual act you'd like. The game doesn't show explicit details, but it's very obvious what's going on. High-school-aged audiences might be mature enough for this content, but no lower.
  
• There is no proven, causal link between videogame violence and real-life violence. From the Surgeon General's report to the more recent Byron Report, studies agree that more research is needed on this topic.
  

News links and observation/analysis forthcoming (check back Tuesday in the P.M.). Sorry.