Atari has sent 'round a press release announcing that three of its upcoming titles will be available for hands-on demos at Gen Con Indy this year. All three of the games are RPGs, so you RPG fans out there who will be at the event might want to check them out. Here's the list of titles straight from the press release.

• The Witcher (PC). Returning to the roots of the role-playing genre with a fresh and modern approach, The Witcher emphasizes story and character development in a vibrant world, while incorporating tactically-deep real-time combat like no game before it.
• Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer (PC). Set in harsh, spirit-rich Rashemen, near the powerful nation of Thay, Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer presents players with an exciting new 20-30 hour campaign filled with meaningful choices, rich characters and surprising outcomes as an expansion to the top-rated NWN2.
• Dungeons & Dragons: Tactics (PlayStation Portable) offers an original storyline, filled with intrigue, set in a newly created D&D world. Alignment is critical, as it affects the end of the story and allows players to change from good to evil, or the other way around, depending on which quests they choose.

This year's Gen Con Indy will be taking place next week on August 16 to 19 at the Indiana Convention Center, 100 South Capitol Ave. Indianapolis, Indiana. Drop by if you have a chance. It should be one heck of an experience.


Buy: [The Witcher (PC)]
Buy: [Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer (PC)]
Buy: [Dungeons & Dragons: Tactics (PSP)]

 

Just a gentle reminder for the guys who have been keeping tabs on Gen Con Indy, set to take off this August 16-19. Badge (entry ticket) pre-registration for this hallowed gaming convention started last February 11, and will continue until Monday, July 9, 2007. Just make sure to have your cash ready: a pre-ordered four-day badge will go for US$ 65, with a pre-ordered one-day badge going for US$ 35.

It pays to pre-register: if you wait to buy either badge at the front door, then you'll have to pay 10 bucks more for either badge.

Gen Con is one of the larger gaming conventions known in North America, and is a favorite gathering ground for RPG fans of all shapes and sizes, be it a table-top classic like Dungeons and Dragons, or perhaps something as computerized World of Warcraft.

Then there's the comic (*ahem*, graphic novel) fans, the otaku, the trading card aficionados, the cosplayers... well, you get the idea. Now, if you're one of the 25,000 yearly visitors to this major event, check out the read link to see the full details on what will be going down this August. Just make sure to sign up early - with Gen Con So Cal gone, expect a significantly higher turnout for "The Best Four Days in Gaming" happening over at the ICC in Indianapolis.

Next generation reports that the state of Michigan has been ordered to pay the game industry over US$ 180,000 in legal fees associated with a failed video game law.

If you're memory is sharp, you'll recall that way back in April when Judge Steeh struck down the law, Saying that the proposed measure was "discriminating against a disfavored 'newcomer' in the world of entertainment media."

Well, Judge George Carem Steeh has recently ruled that the state is required to pay-back the money that the game industry spent fighting a game law that was supposedly meant to ban the sale and rental of violent videogames to minors. The legislation was found unconstitutional as it infringed on First Amendment rights.

This is another notch in the ESA win belt. Illinois has been ordered to pay the industry US$ 510,000; Washington state US$ 344,000; St. Louis US$ 180,000; Indianapolis US$ 318,000; and Michigan US$ 128,000.

As much as we don't want 8 year olds to get high on GTA, and discover the joys of puberty via extreme beach volleyball, bans are far from being the only solution.

After watching the GTA: Regent Park episode of Regent Park TV, I'm not quite sure what I'm supposed to feel. Yeah I did feel a bit bored during the thing, but that's because the start of it drags a bit. After having seeing the whole episode of the show that's supposedly made for youth by youth, I'm not quite sure if I should be annoyed by the fact that a lot of these kids are too young to purchase this from an ESRB abiding retailer, or if I should be amused by the odd reactions from the kids when they were interviewed.

Here, check the video out yourselves:

Personally, I'm wondering if these kids are even able to appreciate a lot of the humor and the references put into GTA games, but that's just me, and I'm old and out of touch.

The full article awaits after the jump!