The Week in Review

This week we learn that lecturers like to lecture, Anonymous plans to take on the whole internet and Sega is not going through their best times.

Fair is fair: It’s probably not a good thing to let an eight-year-old play Grand Theft Auto 4 for hours on end, every day of the week. But the Association of Teachers and Lecturers in the U.K. takes that point a little too far, I think; reminding parents that it’s a good idea to keep an eye on what their kids are playing is one thing, but suggesting that they’re making a mess of it, and that the government needs to step in as a result, is something else entirely. “It’s about reminding parents and carers that they have a very real responsibility for their children and that schools can’t do it alone,” said ATL chief Dr. Mary Bousted. (Link)

The days of the name “Australia” being synonymous with peals of derisive laughter are drawing to a close and it’s the Legislative Assembly of the Australian Capital Territory that’s pulling the string. The ACT, a self-governing enclave within New South Wales that encompasses the Australian capital city of Canberra, is introducing legislation this week that will implement R18+ ratings for videogames. It will be the first Australian territory to make the move following federal legislation creating the classification, which will come into effect at the beginning of 2013. (Link)

With rumors flying around from all sides about the next line up of next-gen consoles from Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo, a “credible source” has revealed to Kotaku several details about Sony’s next PlayStation console. The PlayStation 4 is currently code-named the “Orbis”, and will hit stores in late 2013 just in time for the holidays. Kotaku’s source stated that “select developers” have been receiving development kits for the new platform since the beginning of 2012, with the goal of having launch titles ready to go for 2013’s holiday season. (Link)

You might want to stock up on freeze-dried food and 5.56mm ammunition over the next day or so, or at the very least a book or two you’ve been putting off, because Anonymous, the wild ghost riders of the internet, are pulling the plug on March 31. “To protest SOPA, Wallstreet, our irresponsible leaders and the beloved bankers who are starving the world for their own selfish needs out of sheer sadistic fun, on March 31, anonymous will shut the Internet down,” a message on Pastebin warns. (Link)

In response to a massive 47.4% drop in projected income during the fiscal year ending March 31st, Sega’s board of directors has enacted a drastic plan to maneuver the company back toward fiscal stability. The company’s new strategy will involve shrinking the scope of its operation in an effort to “create a smaller company positioned for sustained profitability.” As part of this effort, Sega will halt development on a number of games and, in turn, presumably reduce the number of its employees to accommodate the plan. (Link)