Independent video game developer Quest Engine Inc. announced today the opening of WiiPicross.com, an online site featuring logic puzzles and other mental fun challenges that can be accessed through Wii's Opera Browser. Those who don't have the console can also join the fun in their PC units through Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Aside from the games, another good thing about WiiPicross is that it allows users to make their own personal doodle into a challenging logic puzzle through the fully-featured online puzzle editor. Those who are interested to try this may use the Wiimote or the PC mouse in creating puzzles.

Anyway, WiiPicross is also home to other fun-filled activities like a daily Puzzle of the Day, a how-to-play guide, 16 exclusive feature puzzles designed to build puzzling skills from scratch, as well as custom made Link Puzzles.

If you're puzzle is really that good, Quest Engine might even feature it in the Puzzle of the Day section. Our Read link below will take you to WiiPicross' online site. Enjoy!

We recently checked the blog of one rather industrious script-maker, and we were surprised to see that he had another set of scripts up. Ethan, maker of the Virtua Tennis and Ocarina of Time GlovePIE scripts, came up with another one for DOOM 3, and another script for use with two of the most popular web browsers on the market.

The first script should presumably let you play Doom 3 using a Wiimote, though you'll really need a copy of the game to test it. He does link to a demo of the game for you to test it on, though, so we encourage everyone to give it a try. Also, he's put up another script that allows one to browse the web using Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Windows Explorer, calling it the "WiinExplorer" script for short.

That's some nice little bits of code with a lot of functionality there, and it's good to see people finding even more uses for the controller which some used to think was simply a gimmick.

As always, make sure you have GlovePIE installed so you can use these, and you might want to check the developer's blog of Carl Kenner for instructions on using GlovePIE, as Ethan doesn't have a strict readme for these beyond the basic directions.

View Ethan's instructions after the Jump!

Download: [Ethan's Doom3 and WiinExplorer Scripts]

We're reporting this as objectively as possible. No opinions. No spins. No nothing. And with lots of " ". As soon as this gets posted we're ducking safely out of the line of crossfire.

Remember the Bill O'Reilly article we posted some weeks ago? The one where he called gamers "junkies " and game consoles, particularly the PS3, as a "big, big problem" because "people get addicted to it, just like opium, just like drugs and alcohol."

Shortly after that, the "culture warrior" appeared on Oprah to air his views on the war that's tearing up America. The "culture war " is between "Traditionalists" like him who believe that "America is a noble country." On the other corner are the "Secular-Progressives" who he says think America is a "deeply flawed society that needs changes in every area."

And yes, we read it. Twice. And no, he didn't say anything about video games.

Anyway, this is not about the O' ranting on the O. This is about this video on YouTube featuring a little girl sassing back at O'Reilly's stand on video games and rap music. After watching this video we thought Cher donated her brain and this kid was the (good or bad) recipient. It turned out the girl was an actress and the whole thing was an ad for a band called The Bastard Fairies.

But that's not the end of it. Go check the rest of the story out (and a couple more videos as well) by clicking "Full Article"!

Did Microsoft software got too expensive that even the French government couldn't afford it anymore? Not that they really couldn't, but they are soon switching to open-source software because they're thinking Microsoft stuff is a waste of money.

Beginning June 2007, the French government would require members of parliament and their staff to use desktops and servers running on Linux, Mozilla Firefox Web browser, and OpenOffice.org. The latter is currently in version 2.0.4, and in direct competition to Microsoft Office System.

Given the nature of open-source software, it looks like their government would indeed save some money because of the switch. However, some software research groups are advising that it may prove to be costly as well. "There has been some evidence that companies have to spend a good deal on training and support after you deploy the operating system," explains Chris Swenson, Director of Software Industry Analysis for NPD.

The total cost, Swenson added, would be dependent on which flavor of Linux the French are planning to use. "If you buy your software from a Linux vendor, you obviously have to pay for licenses, support, and maintenance. The average company or organization can probably save some money by switching to Linux, but deploying software from an established Linux vendor certainly isn't free," argues Swenson.