Today's required reading: Wired's article citing quotes from the last 200 years about the potential damage to children and society as a whole by various new inventions. "The free access which many young people have to romances, novels, and plays has poisoned the mind and corrupted the morals of many a promising youth."

• The constitution really does make a difference: While game laws continue to flounder in the US, Western Australia has passed a bill enacting a $5,000 fine for anyone caught selling MA-15 rated games to minors.
• According to VGM, Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting will be available on Xbox Live by the end of April. The price will be between $10 and $15. Ick.
• New Half Life 2: Episode One screens.
• NPR does a segment on Brain Age.
• IGN's top 10 best gore effects.
• Reading this post is like looking through the scrapbook of a dead friend. Games that defined the Dreamcast.
• Best Buy and Microsoft join forces to teach parents about ESRB ratings.
• Street violence erupts in Northern Ireland over a Playstation.
• Tomb Raider: Legend delayed in US after nude textures discovered in game. Not Lara's, but some dancers in the background of a level. They're clothed in-game, but technically their base models with the clothes removed have nipples. Gasp!