A Federal Communications Commissioner has said that online gaming addiction is a "top reason" for college drop-outs, using World of Warcraft as an example in a recent speech to the Practicing Law Institute.

"You might find it alarming that one of the top reasons for college drop-outs in the U.S. is online gaming addiction--such as World of Warcraft--which is played by 11 million individuals worldwide," said the FCC's Deborah Taylor Tate, according to GamePolitics.

Tate prefaced her gaming-related comment by declaring: "With the explosion of educational resources available online, one might think parents would be 100% pleased with the internet's role in their children's lives. But a late 2006 survey that showed 59% of parents think the internet has been a totally positive influence in their children's lives--down from 67% in 2004."

GamePolitics notes that the connection between World of Warcraft and college drop-out rates has been made before, not to mention this week. A Sunday report in the Duluth News-Tribune quotes a University... Read more

Update: In a response to Shacknews, an SCEA representative did not comment on the subject of Best Buy's alleged discontinuation of the 80GB PS3, but indicated that a post addressing the matter will soon be on the official PlayStation blog.

Original Story: Best Buy will apparently discontinue sales of the $499 80GB version of the PlayStation 3, according to an alleged internal store memo sent to PS3 Fanboy.

"The 80GB version of the PS3 is going closeout and won't be replaced at this time," the memo reads. "The 60GB version should already be gone from stores. Only the 40GB version of PS3 will be sold in Best Buy stores at this time."

The remaining 40GB model, currently priced at $399 lacks a handful of features available in the 80GB PlayStation 3, including a complete absence of PS2 backwards compatibility—which the memo itself notes.

Earlier this week, FCC listings for a white PS3 prompted speculation that the new color would be heading to North American shores. SCEA has been reached for comment, but has not responded as of this writing.

Update: A Sony Computer Entertainment America representative has responded to Shacknews' inquiry, insinuating that the filing was routine and is not necessarily indicative of a forthcoming release.

"There are many FCC filings like this each year," explained the representative. "We haven't made any announcements about upcoming PS3 plans, but are comfortable with our current two SKU strategy. We are continually evaluating the market trends and consumer input to determine the appropriate PS3 models for our territory."

Original Story: Recent FCC listings indicate that Sony Computer Entertainment will be bringing the white PlayStation 3 to North America.

Released in Japan last fall, the white PS3 is functionally identical to the $399 black 40GB model that arrived in North America at about the same time. It features built-in Wi-Fi support, two USB ports--down from the four of the launch PS3 units--and lacks the ability to play PlayStation 2 software. The white Japanese model included a 40GB hard drive as well.

The reduced feature list, along with the lower price point, have been... Read more

The non-stop rumors of a $399 PlayStation 3, which recently gained steam with the apparent uncovering of a new PS3 model, show no signs of slowing as more and more evidence mounts.

Earlier today, UK game retailer Play.com supposedly had a listing for a PlayStation 3 packed with a 40GB hard drive. The page has since been removed, but is said to have indicated that the cheaper SKU would lack the backwards compatibility of the existing PS3 models. If true, it would be a curious omission, especially since the recent $599 80GB PS3 MotorStorm bundle uses software, not hardware, to emulate older titles.

Apparent internal Best Buy documents acquired by Engadget also show a $399 PlayStation 3, described in the page as "PS3 40GB SPIDER" with an in-stock date of October 28. This would fit with earlier rumblings of a new unit ... Read more

An FCC filing uncovered by DailyTech may lend credence to the non-stop rumors of a $399 PlayStation 3.

Listed as model number CECHG01, the FCC-tested hardware revision features standard PlayStation 3 staples, including Bluetooth and WiFi. Interestingly, the FCC only mentions two USB ports--it's not known if the FCC only tested two USB ports or if the new hardware cuts the PlayStation 3's existing USB ports by half.

Earlier in the month, Sony raised $2.9 billion by selling off a percentage of its insurance unit--a move some analysts interpreted as preparation for an impending PlayStation 3 price cut. Many in the industry feel that Sony needs to once again reduce the hardware's price in order to compete with Nintendo and Microsoft's offering of cheaper units and more games.

Unfortunately, the FCC neglects to mention the size of the hard ... Read more

Visiting the parents today and there aren't many pains greater than doing LNC on your mother's bloated Dell while she watches CBS' prime time crap-a-thon. But I persevere for you to bring you these bits from around the gaming world. Today has been a BUSY day with plenty of newly announced titles as publishers are juggling for position to get primo-coverage for their titles. Don't want your information lost amongst the spectacle of the event! Who would've thought of a portable Black & White, but it makes perfect sense for the DS. The handheld again shows its skill of being able to handle traditionally PC-only titles. Now it's all up to Full Fat to make it not suck.

It happened. At 21.4356 years of age, I had my first "Kids these days!" moment. It occurred earlier today when I stopped in at a local EBgames to check out the Nintendo DS. There were two, side-by-side, and noticed the person stationed on the right was fooling around with PictoChat. I joined the chatroom and drew a smiley face. He replied with a drawing of his own, one too crude to describe here for fear of FCC repercussions. It didn't take long for me to realize PictoChat is an amazingly cool app and I felt jealous that I wasn't in the 6th grade anymore. "Oh man, kids these days are so lucky!" I thought. I would've killed to have a wireless chat device when I was in junior high. Then when we got bored of drawing boobies, we'd fire up Metroid Prime: Hunters. I was very surprised at how comfortable it was to use the stylus to aim; very smooth and accurate. I expect the DS to soon be making headlines across the nation as school after school bans them from the classroom.
Console Game of the Evening: Sewer Shark for the SegaCD. "I spent hours and hours in front of the Sega CD kiosk at Montgomery Ward loving this game. Gotta love the naivety of youth :)" (submitted by wunderbred).

Our buddy Jason is gone for the holiday weekend, so here I am to fill in for the LNC post, and I'll be adding games to the Shack Reviews section this Sunday too. There won't be an LNC on Monday though, as it's unlikely there will be enough news to warrant a post.

	Metal Gear Solid 3 Interview Over at GamePro you can find an interview with Konami's Hideo Kojima, who is asked about Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes. MGS3 Q&As deal with reaction to MGS2, online features, the jungle environment, and the game's title while the Twin Snakes Q&As are about using Silicon Knights as developer, and why they are remaking a game instead of creating a new adventure for the GameCube.
	Xbox Wireless Adapter Tired of the extra network cable Xbox Live brought to your living room? The FCC of all places goofed up and posted on their website that they have approved an Xbox wireless adapter using the 801.22g specification (54Mbps). Microsoft confirmed the approval, but declined to comment further for now. Digitimes.com has a picture of the device. Thanks Slashdot Games.
	Your Own Arcade Machine GameSpot is reporting that Fry's Electronics stores will soon have the X-Arcade home arcade machine on display. This $999 product from XGaming allows you to hook up GameCube, PlayStation, PS2, PC, Mac, or Xbox and then play them using arcade controllers as if you were inside a real arcade machine. The machine also includes "thousands of arcade classics" already.
	Unreal 2 Multiplayer Q&A New on GameSpot tonight is this Unreal 2 multiplayer Q&A with Legend's Scott Dalton. Dalton is asked about the similarities between the free PC multiplayer addon and the included Xbox multiplayer options, unique features of the multiplayer mode, use of vehicles, map size and a few other things.
	Manhunt Site Live The guys at Rockstar Games have launched the official Manhunt website, offering what you would think is more info on this game..except it's almost impossible to navigate. There are several screenshots to be found though. Rockstar's survival action game will be released November 19.
	Misc. Media/Previews GameSpot has previews of Final Fantasy XI (PS2), Tony Hawk's Underground (Xbox, GC, PS2) and . They also have screenshots from Viewtiful Joe (GC), Morrowind GOTY (Xbox). IGN has also taken a look at Tony Hawk's Underground, and they have a preview of Tales of Symphonia (GC) as well. As far as screenshots they have new ones from Gran Turismo 4 (PS2), Bomberman Kart and Destruction Derby Arenas (PS2). On GameSpy can find a preview of Jak 2 (PS2). Lastly, HomeLAN Fed offers Project Gotham Racing 2 (Xbox) and Drake (Xbox) impressions.

Console Game of the Evening: Double Dribble for the NES. "This was the first sports game I ever played on a daily basis with my friends. There was always a seemingly "magic" spot on the floor where you could drain 3's all day long." (submitted by MannyM).

The next-generation console race (that's the next-next-generation console race, for those who still insist on calling this current generation "next-generation") got a bit hotter today, as IGN reported today that Nintendo has begun preliminary talks with developers about their post-GameCube system. While talks are a long way from an actual SDK, it's nice to hear that Nintendo's taking this next race so seriously, especially as Sony has suddenly (with the announcement of the PSX) started giving the impression that they will be milking the PS2 hardware for some time now. Nintendo's supposedly telling developers to expect their next platform in Spring of 2005, which is roughly in line with current estimates for the PS3 and Xbox 2. Still, as someone who's watched this platform race closely for several generations now, I can't help but imagine Nintendo toppling an overconfident Sony to retake the crown. After all, that's what happened with the 16-bit race, as Sega trumped an overconfident Nintendo with the Genesis, only to succumb to their own hubris a generation later. To date, only Sony has successfully held on to their lead for more than a single generation...and as anyone familiar with history will tell you, dynasties must always fall eventually.

	CELL Technology Info Speaking of Sony's future plans, some details and patent diagrams illustrating their CELL processor technology (which is most likely the core technology behind the PlayStation 3) have been posted to a Japanese blog I read, which were taken from an apparently in-depth Japanese language article.
	A Big Box o' Evil Famitsu (by way of GamePro) is reporting that Japanese retailers have confirmed a giant Resident Evil collector's box, which will include the GameCube original remake of the original game, along with RE0 and the ports of Resident Evils 2, 3 and Code: Veronica X.
	Kill Zone Details PSX Nation has posted details from Kill Zone (also known as Kin), the still-unannounced first person shooter from Sony. According to their write-up, this game will feature 16 player multiplayer, along with online co-op play, and voice chat will be available for both. It's also said to be the best looking PS2 game to date, and run at a steady 60 FPS (yeah, we've heard that before, haven't we?). We should find out some concrete details on this game in the very near future, as it's set to be unveiled in an upcoming issue of the Official UK PlayStation Magazine.
	A Slimmer Xbox? No slimmed-down Xbox was announced at E3, but nonetheless those rumors still persist...the latest time they've popped up is care of two Japanese magazines, who both claim to have heard murmurs of an "Xbox 1.5" system, which will be released in Japan along with a price drop (which has not been announced for that region yet).
	Acclaim Founder Steps Down Reuters is reporting that Gregory Fischbach, the co-founder of Acclaim has stepped down as CEO of the company, and will be replaced by their COO. As far as I'm concerned, anything they can do to keep the world from suffering through another Turok: Rage Wars is worth the effort.
	No Golden Sun 3. Seriously. According to GamePro, Golden Sun developers Camelot made another statement to reassure (or perhaps let-down) fans to let them know that Golden Sun 3 is not in development at this time, as they are already hard at work on both Mario Golf and Mario Tennis.
	Mace Griffin Gold GameSpy is reporting that Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter has gone gold. The PS2 and Xbox versions will ship in two weeks, while the PC and GameCube ports are due in September.
	Spider-Man Returns, FFCC Takes its Time Activision has announced that Spider-Man: The Movie has been selected by Sony's Greatest Hits, Microsoft's Platinum Hits and Nintendo's Player's Choice programs, and as a result the game will be available for $19.99 for all three platforms. And while it wont' affect us over here, SquareEnix has announced a slight delay in the Japanese release of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles.
	Misc. Media/Previews A new Japanese commercial for Viewtiful Joe (GC) is up at Games Are Fun tonight, while IGN has a look at the Japanese "Enjoy Plus Pack" (I can't make this stuff up), which is what Nintendo is calling their GameCube/GBA Player combo pack over there. Also, GameSpot has a new preview of the Xbox and GameCube title Metal Arms: Glitch in the System, and The Magic Box has some new shots from Mother 1 + 2 for GBA, as well as new shots from Ys I & II Eternal Story for PS2. And over at PS2.IGN they have new trailers from True Crime and Fatal Frame 2, along with impressions of Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior.

Console Game of the Evening: Final Fantasy for the NES. "The original grand daddy that started it all. It sucked you in from beginning to end. The story was deep, the enemies varied considerably and character classes that would change further into your journey was pure fun." (submitted by IG-89).

According to this press release, the Infinium Phantom is a new "console" in the works, which will be the "most robust gaming console, with "state of the art design and architecture," and feature "up to 50,000 games to choose from." This dream machine will be the first system to ship with a wireless controller, have online compatibility with PC games, and will use the Internet as its sole means of game distribution. Are you laughing yet? It gets better...there's "seamless upgrades and patch management," and "a multi tiered subscription service that meets the needs of casual, moderate and hard-core game players." Hoo boy. I'm waiting for the part where it says it runs on Linux. Here's a Q&A with more facts about this thing. I hate to belittle someone's hard work, but this is so ridiculous a notion that I'm having a hard time containing myself. So I make this pledge: if this is for real, in the sense that it's a legitimate gaming console, which stands a chance at surviving for more than a year after launch, I will be the first in line to buy one. Prove me wrong guys, and I'll happily humiliate myself by admitting I was wrong.

	Jeff Minter on GameCube! The latest issue of the UK magazine EDGE apparently confirms that Jeff Minter, the insane genius behind Tempest 2000 and the Virtual Light Machine (among other insane projects), is working on a new GameCube game with funding from Lionhead Studios. Here are some details, and here's a post from the Llama-master himself.
	Xenosaga English Voices As part of their unusually late update tonight, PS2.IGN has posted some clips from the English version of Xenosaga, offering the first chance to hear the English language voice actors.
	Halo Action Figure Prototype Last night I posted that Ertl was working on Halo action figures...well tonight a look at one of them has hit the web. Over at Bungie's official fan site, there's a prototype shot of the Cortana figure. Pretty cool, but let's see what the Master Chief looks like!
	Activision Signs with Dreamworks Activision has signed a multiyear deal with Dreamworks to develop games based on several upcoming movies from the studio. This could be kinda cool if it included things like The Ring, but it sounds like it's only their animated movies, which will probably mean we'll see lots of mediocre kids games.
	Godzilla on Xbox Atari announced today that Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee will be released for the Xbox sometime this spring. The Xbox port will feature support for ripped soundtracks streamed from the Xbox hard drive. The first person to make a suitable "Godzilla-sized console" joke wins a no-prize.
	Contra Paper Cut-Outs Having already posted that cool Contra comic, the Japanese Contra: Shattered Soldiers site has been updated with paper cut-outs of one of the characters. Sadly, extra outfits are not included.
	The Getaway Reviews GameSpot's review of The Getaway is online, and sadly, it's not overly complementary, saying "the game just isn't fun." IGN's doesn't fare a whole lot better, giving it a 5.5 for gameplay (although there's a 9.0 for presentation). If you're interested in what other Shack readers have to say, the game will be added to the database this weekend.
	Tomb Raider Delayed Eidos announced their financial status today, reporting good sales for both TimeSplitters 2 and Hitman 2 (proof that solid games make for solid sales -- Acclaim should be listening), and announcing that Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness has been bumped again to the spring. Anyone else remember when this was going to be an episodic title?
	Misc. Media GameSpot has posted new shots from Army Men: Sarge's War and RTX: Red Rock for GameCube, along with new shots from Brute Force for Xbox.

Console Game of the Evening: Vid Grid for the Jaguar CD. This game really was quite lame, but I must admit, I played it more than a few times. Maybe I just wanted something else to use with my JagCD besides the VLM's trip-o-tron?

Although it seems as though the whole video games making kids psycho killers being untrue point is slowly being made (recent story), we've still got a few people out there hanging on to that whole thing. Here's a really interesting article by Henry Jenkins who has testified in front of the Senate Commerce Committee and FCC among other places about media influence (or lack of) on younger kids. He pretty much blew it recently on a Donahue showing, but here's what he feels he should have said..

I was ready to tear them apart on the evidence. Despite all of the publicity about school shootings, the rate of juvenile violent crime in the United States is currently at a 30-year low. When researchers interview people serving time for violent crimes, they find that they typically consume less media than the general population, not more. A 2001 surgeon general's report concluded that the strongest risk factors for school shootings centered around the quality of the child's home life and their mental stability, not their media exposure.

It's one of the better collections of information about the topic I've seen in quite a while.

Looks like the ever wise FCC is mulling over some possible changes to the DSL markets which could affect quite a few people here. What it basically amounts to is possibly no longer requiring phone companies to license out their lines to competitors. You can read about it here and some more here. Thanks Do_Or_Die

"We are faced with the grim reality that the government likely will not, and probably cannot, cover much of the hefty price tag associated with building out one or more broadband networks that can eventually serve all Americans," Powell said yesterday. "Thus, our greatest challenge in promoting broadband is deciding how best to stimulate enormous private sector investment." Consumer groups and independent Internet access providers argue that this policy will leave the country with a tiny number of broadband providers that would wield tremendous power over the availability of Internet service and content. Localities typically are served by only one cable company and one telephone carrier. The nation has only two major satellite providers, and they are seeking to merge.

Since there's pretty much nothing news-wise this Saturday morning that will make you say "Shit! that's the best news I've heard in my entire life", here's a collection of a few random items that might, or not, interest you.

- More US political madness. The Republican party is seeking an injunction against the manual recount of votes in Florida. Of course the Democrats are all pissy.
- Verant's massive multiplayer action game PlanetSide will probably be pay to play. Not much of a surprise there.
- Gamebasement has a few screenshots from the single player training level that's included with the retail version of Counter-Strike. Voodoo Extreme has a new looking at the mod which is oh so popular. It's more geared to the people who haven't tried it out yet, and there are probably still one or two sinners who haven't.
- A potential set back for the AOL/Time Warner merger, at least for the FCC. A judge in Florida has overturned a decision that would have required AT&T to open its cable network to competitors. The judge says its a violation of the First Amendment, and thus has invalidated an earlier ordinance. Of course this isn't the first thing in Florida this week that has been invalidated ;) One of the FCC's requirements to agree with the AOL/Time Warner merger is that Time Warner opens up its cable network.

Ok this story is being sent in by way too many people not to post. The MPAA and a few others are working on getting a new standard pushed into VCRs and other recording devices (TiVo anyone?) that would prevent people from recording particular broadcasted shows. There is of course quite a bit of objection, the HRRC is leading the charge.

copyright holders want the FCC to require that circuitry be built into nearly every digital TV device - receivers, VCRs and set-top boxes - that will prevent recording programs carrying copy protection information set by the program's owner.

Damn it, and I just figured out how to program my VCR to record those 3am Skinemax flicks.

Some good news to put to rest those rumors that seem to float around the net about per-minute internet charges every few months. The US House of Representative just passed a bill preventing the FCC from ever imposing those kinds of charges on consumers. Now what about that goofy email tax? :)

Your daily dose of 'the government is evil' story to check out. It seems the FCC is contemplating a modem tax which could impact online game players quite a bit. We've all heard this one before, and pretty much just blow it off as never gonna happen. It isnt dead for sure though...