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Next week brings the unveiling of a new rating system for mobile applications, akin to what the video game industry has used for the past 17 years.

The CTIA-The Wireless Association today said that it's taking the wraps off a new mobile application rating system early next week with with the help of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). That's the self-regulating body that reviews and assigns age appropriate ratings to video games.

The original initiative (PDF) behind a mobile apps rating system was launched by the CTIA near the end of March and calls for "voluntary self-certification of apps." The program seeks to have app-makers define the content within their creations based on a specific set of ratings and guidelines. The end result is a system the CTIA hopes will give consumers "more informed choices" when using applications on mobile devices.

On the docket to talk at the unveiling, which takes place on November 29, are U.S. Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), and Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), alongside CTIA President and CEO Steve Largent and ESRB President Patricia Vance. … Read more

Note: We've been informed by the ESRB that download-only games have been getting ratings for some time, this news just changes the way these titles are assigned actual ratings. We've edited the post to reflect the correct story.

Starting today the ESRB will let publishers automate the ratings process for titles available on storefronts like Xbox Live Arcade, Nintendo Wii Shop, DSi Shop, and the PlayStation Network Store.

Publishers will be able to complete an online submission form that consists of multiple questions related to a game's content--a completely different process than traditional disc-based console games.

The … Read more

Our guest on today's episode of The 404 Podcast is Russ Frushtick, the games and tech editor for MTV Multiplayer, but the ESRB has assigned him an AO rating for Adults Only, so he won't be visiting Australia anytime soon. Similarly, Australia also refuses to welcome the latest Mortal Kombat game due to excessive violence.

The real story, however, is Australia's outdated rules for video game classification that currently only accommodate a maximum MA15+ rating, so video games that surpass these limitations are automatically banned in the country.

Since Australian adults still have access to mature media in its other myriad forms, it doesn't make sense that local gamers can't also enjoy video games with similarly "explicit" content.

And speaking of risque video games, a U.K.-only Nintendo Wii title is promising "flirty fun for all" with its latest adult-friendly release, called We Dare. The trailer for We Dare illustrates gameplay in the form of four consenting adults using the Wii remote to control virtual versions of party games like Spin The Bottle, Kiss Under the Mistletoe, and the ever-popular Take Off Your Clothes.

The We Dare trailer is a perfect example of vendors using viral marketing to hype up the release of video games that may not be as fun as the videos suggest.

The Dead Island trailer is making similar waves for two reasons: because of its graphic nature that makes sensitive babies like Wilson and me squirm, but also because it doesn't show footage of actual gameplay in Dead Island.

Game previews often show cut scenes or, worse, videos exclusively created for the trailers, which leaves plenty of gamers feeling cheated when the gameplay doesn't even come close… Read more

February 11, 2011, is truly a game-changing day. Hosni Mubarak's autocratic reign in Egypt is over, it's Jennifer Aniston's birthday, MaGaga dropped her new single Born This Way, Justin Bieber's "Never Say Never 3D" is now in theaters, and New York Fashion Week has officially begun.

Last year Erin Lee and Lani Nguyen from the fashion blog SugarRockCatWalk.com joined us in the studio to report on Fashion Week, but we're tackling the runways ourselves today and apparently the hottest trend is "belted satchels"-- a fancy name for fanny packs!

Sartorial designer Diane von Furstenberg has already released a $325 version of the "hands-free bag" that fastens around the waist, but don't call it a fanny pack--international designers are trying to edit the lexicon to "bum bags," since the word "fanny" is slang in the U.K. and Australia for the female genitalia.

The French have already started calling them "le sac banane," which references the banana-shape in the pouch, but something tells me Americans already have that area covered.… Read more

Hundreds of Appleheads lined up last summer for the release of the Apple iPhone 4, but the turnout for today's Verizon iPhone 4 offering is significantly more dismal thanks to the frigid temperatures. Nevertheless, our CNET TV team braved the weather to bring you coverage, so check it out!

HP announced three new WebOS devices yesterday, and shoppers can now pick between small, medium, and large: the HP TouchPad, HP Pre 3, and HP Veer.

The Veer is essentially a microscopic version of the Palm Pre, with a QWERTY keyboard, and we like its 3.6-inch capacitive screen, but we're mostly excited about the latest version of WebOS.

Unfortunately, former Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein announced yesterday that due to hardware constraints, HP had to break its promise that the first-generation Palm smartphones (Pre, Pre Plus, Pre Pixi) would get the 3.0 update. They won't.

So, basically, you'll need to buy into the new HP ecosystem if you want to benefit from new features like instant sync and the ability to receive and answer texts and calls on your HP TouchPad.

HP's newest tablet PC sounds good (for now) with a Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 9.7-inch touch display with the same resolution as the current iPad, and a single 1.2MP front-facing camera, but we're wondering if it's too little, too late for HP to enter the market, especially since there's already chatter about an Apple iPad 3 coming this fall.

We hate to spend so much show time speculating, but the Wall Street Journal published an article yesterday that confirms the next iPad 2 will not feature the the iPhone 4's retina display, which could mean that the iPad 2 upgrades will be to the original as the iPhone 3GS was to the 3G. It's all speculation at this point, but we're excited to see how app developers will respond to WebOS diving back into the mobile market.

Much thanks to Sean from Vancouver for saving us from a video voice mail drought! He left us this message that features impressive production value and a live guitar. Thanks, Sean!

We were also flooded with voice mails responding to yesterday's discussion about how much detail to include with the ESRB rating on the back of video game boxes, so thanks for your input!

More importantly, the Internet is not without vigilante justice, as the good folks at Reddit and Rock, Paper, Shotgun have already taken up arms against John Brandon, the original Fox News "reporter."

Valentine's Day is around the corner, so we're sure a lot of you are scrambling to schedule dates so you won't be alone with your toy pet Lulu on February 14. The problem is that first dates are almost always awkward, especially if you met on a dating Web site.

To help, OkCupid analyzed user survey data to glean the best questions to ask on a first date that actually correlate to sexier issues you won't get to until the fifth or sixth outing.

According to the site, if you want to get a clue into whether the first date will end in the bedroom, you should ask if your date likes the taste of beer! Or if you want to determine the long-term potential of your future relationship, you inquire about the person's taste in horror movies. And lastly, if you're curious about your partner's political affiliation, the best question to ask is his or her preference for simplicity or complexity.

The Catholic Church just approved an iPhone app that invites followers to run down a sinful check list prior to ease the process of confession.

The Church hopes that wayward souls will be inspired by the app to seek out the church for redemption for the bargain price of $1.99. To our Catholic listeners: don't worry, our resident skeptic Jeff Mubakalar deliberately says very little in this segment.

Finally, we wait until the second half to unleash Jeff on John Brandon, a Fox News reporter who penned an article titled "Is Bulletstorm the worst video game in the world?"

That's unquestionably, absolutely, and without a doubt the most bombastic link bait headline IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD, and Brandon starts off the conversation with a quote from a psychologist that claims "the increase in rapes can be attributed in large part to the playing out of (sexual) scenes in video games." Let the twilight's last reaming begin.

The author also stumbles on the issue of ESRB warnings on the back of games not containing the full reason for the rating; instead, parents only see a truncated version of the objectionable content and are encouraged to go online to get the full justification.

I'll let the hosts speak for themselves, because I know it won't be the last time we get into a fiery debate about who is responsible for video games and the adverse effects they may or may not have on kids. Tune in for the full discussion!

The game industry's software rating board has updated its iPhone app and unveiled a new, identical Android app to try to make it easier for parents to decide if a title is right for their kids.

A new feature in the the Entertainment Software Rating Board's Rating Search App, allows people to snap a picture of a video game box to get more information about the title. According to the ESRB, the app identifies the title in the game and then displays a "detailed, straight-forward explanation--including specific examples--of the content that factored into a game's rating.&… Read more

It's our last episode of 2010 today on preGame and we end a great year of gaming by wrapping up some of the debut trailers from this weekend's Video Game Awards show. Tune in for some high-quality cinematics from Uncharted 3, Batman: Arkham City, Mass Effect 3, and SSX Deadly Descents.

Next we'll talk a bit about a new iPhone and Android app from the ESRB that allows customers to take a photo of a game box with their smartphones and retrieve valuable ratings information within a matter of seconds. It makes a great holiday-buying companion and … Read more

We're hearing from more folks that AT&T is giving our free microcells to make up for its lousy service. Oh, and so is Verizon. Plus: Apple's Toyota moment, Windows XP gets a reprieve until 2020, and the undead crash their car.