Say what?! Gaming is just "one notch up from porn"? Not literally, but seriously, the British parliament pays little attention to the gaming industry, treating it like some cultural minority. As a result, gaming in the UK has gotten so bad that developers from other countries are buying British companies out. More in the full article.

The recent Byron report released in Europe gave the different classification groups in the region something to think about. Despite advocating a medium between both the BBFC and PEGI rating systems, ELSPA had its own opinion regarding the matter by favoring the PEGI Age Rating System as the sole classification system for video games in Europe. Find out the reason behind this by reading our full article after the jump.

The recent review released by Dr. Tanya Byron regarding the rating standards of violent video games in Europe was met with a most positive response from the different media classification groups in the region. The BBFC, ELSPA, ISFE, and Tiga each gave their own statements, generally agreeing with the suggestions given in the comprehensive document released by the British psychologist. More on this in our full article.

The Independent Game Developers Association (TIGA) has just announced the list of their finalists for the upcoming TIGA awards which is going to happen in London on January 30, 2008.

Two new categories were added to the roster list for this year's awards. Finalists that are included can only win through the peer votes of TIGA members.

Catch the finalists and the additional categories after the jump!

With all the flak that Rockstar Games has gotten lately due to their controversial Manhunt 2 (PSP, Wii) game, two respected people have stepped up to the plate in Rockstar Games' defense: Tiga boss Fred Hasson and psychologist Guy Cumberbatch.

Read what these guys had to say about Manhunt 2 after the jump!