Bill Gates may not appear to be intimidating, but he’s the last guy on Earth you want to mess with. The man arguably has more power than the president of the United States or Oprah, a woman who isn’t even required to have a last name by law. Some big-shot attorney by the name of Jack Thompson –you may have heard of him– isn’t looking forward to the release of Halo 3, and decided to write emperor Gates a nasty-gram demanding he cease production of said game. See, when Halo 3 is released to the masses on September 25, people will die! At least that’s what Mr. Thompson is implying in his letter.

Dear Mr. Gates:

As you know, the Federal Trade Commission has repeatedly found that games rated “Mature�? by the video game industry-captured Entertainment Software Rating Board are routinely sold to kids under the age of 17 despite the age rating. The most recent failure rate of the ratings on “Mature�? games, according to the FTC, is 42%. The entire rating system is a fraud, and “broken,�? the latter description aptly provided by Senator Hillary Clinton.

As you also know, Lee Boyd Malvo trained on Microsoft’s Halo to further enable him to become the remarkably efficient “DC Beltway Sniper.�? That was reported by NBC News at the time and was noted in Malvo’s criminal trial.

You appeared on CBS’ 60 Minutes II and rather revealing and usefully noted that “the cool thing about these games is that they transport you to a world you think is real.�? Precisely. Capcom has recently disclosed to investors that your video game industry’s violent games, sold to children, pose a real hazard to the health of the industry. Right on.

The hyperviolent Microsoft Xbox 360 game Halo 3 is scheduled by your company for commercial release in September of this year. The Beta version that was released last week shows us all just how violent the game is and how inappropriate it is for play by anyone under 17, as the “Mature�? rating it will surely receive indicates.

Here’s the deal, Mr. Gates: Either Microsoft undertakes dramatic, real steps, through its marketing, wholesale, and retail operations to assure that Halo 3 is not sold, via the Internet and in stores, directly to anyone under 17, or I shall proceed to make sure that Microsoft is held to that standard by appropriate legal means. I have done that before successfully as to Best Buy, and I shall do so again as to Microsoft and all retailers of Halo 3.

Regards, Jack Thompson

Would someone please explain to this man how the exchange of goods and services is conducted? In case you’re reading this Jack, retailers are responsible for ensuring the consumer is legally capable of purchasing a product, not developers. Even the power invested in Gates cannot stop a Best Buy employee from selling a copy of Halo 3 to a minor. That’s where the validity of your agenda looses its credibility. You better hope some very large men in well-tailored suits and dark sunglasses don’t come and find you for suggesting such a rickety case.

Summer’s approaching, and with that the summer blockbusters come with it. Having Michael Bay’s name inappropriately latched onto one of my fondest childhood memories nearly brought me to tears. His films are synonymously known for their over-the-top and sometimes unnecessary explosions, and also the co-starring of an obligatory hot chick. Having wiped my conscience clean of the potential failure of a movie that’s easily ten years too late, I plunged into what could be the suicide of one of the greatest TV shows ever, and viewed this trailer…

Freakin’ awesome!

This may be a gaming first. A video game based on a film is actually being remade. The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena is coming to the PS3 and Xbox 360 this fall. Amongst the countless games to spawn from a movie premise, Riddick was one of the few to translate from the big screen to the gaming market without absolutely sucking. Tigon, Sierra, and Starbreeze are all back to remake the gaming anomaly they created just three years ago.

Though Assault on Dark Athena is a remake, plans are to add lots of additional content to the single-player experience, especially that which was cut from the original game. Multiplayer is yet to be confirmed. Graphics had to cheat their way onto the original Xbox through normal mapping, and the PS2 couldn’t bench-press that kind of detail if it tried. Now with the technology of next gen consoles, the textures are being completely redone to take advantage of the new hardware. Vin Diesel is also reprising his role as everyone’s favorite Furian anti-hero, Richard B. Riddick. Low-pitched dialogue will no doubt ensue.

GameTrailers.com is hosting leaked footage of an internal Halo 3 beta test. Bungie must have a disgruntled employee in their midst, because the beta test has only been going on for a little over a week. The footage features a multiplayer test on a revised version of Zanzibar called “Last Resort“. The new bubble shield is shown off and has to be viewed to be fully understood. Take a gander and plug your ears. This sneak peak comes at the cost of horrible audio. Heed my warning.

The garage sale known as Sony’s price drop extends to European consumers on May 4th, only a month after price cuts in the U.S. Big brother always seems to get the best toys first, but eventually ends up sharing with everyone else. The PSP will retail for £130 / €170. Sony’s sudden generosity suggests the PSP is failing internationally, and it’s time for desperate measures. While the company would say connectivity with the PlayStation 3 is the main reason for dropping the price of the PSP, it’s obvious the popularity and dominant sales of Nintendo DS systems has forced Sony into swallowing their pride. They should hope the same fate won’t befall the PS3.

Not only has the hand-held unit become cheaper, but more platinum titles are emerging as well. UMDs are also growing wildly unpopular. If Sony doesn’t put more effort into supplying more quality games, the PSP may become the next VCR, and a once powerful gaming machine will be the next purchase at a dollar store.