Here's a win for the video gaming industry: a judge from the US Court of Appeals issued a ruling to block a Minnesota video game law that was passed way back in 2006. The law proposed a bill that calls for US$ 25 fine every time a minor below 17 is caught renting or buying a Mature or Adults Only game. Read more about it in the full article.

EA Sports is taking its Madden NFL series off the cyber grass and into the real world with its "Ring of a Champion" promo in cooperation with Minnesota jeweler Jostens to award elite players a chance to get tokens that will show off their accomplishments.

Jostens has created roughly half the championship rings given out in the history of the Super Bowl. Now, players of the video game version can have the honor of wearing a ring from the same maker by accomplishing virtual achievements of cyber-athleticism. That and a little sum for the piece, of course.

Users will have to pass through three skill levels to prove that they've got game in them. Once the challenges are conquered, a code is given in order to unlock the Madden "Ring of a Champion" promo on the Jostens website. You can then choose a design you want and decide whether you want it in white or yellow gold. Those go for US$ 495, while the ones with real diamonds sell for a higher, undisclosed amount. Basic ones go for US$ 149.

Madden NFL 08 ships on August 11 for a wide array of platforms that include the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, Sony PSP, Nintendo DS, and PC.

For those who are thinking that the term "freedom of expression" has been wearing thin, think again. A law against selling violent video games to minors has been struck down by the Louisiana district court yesterday, as it was "deemed unconstitutional and a violation of the video game makers' and retailers' rights to free speech."

The law firm Jenner and Block are the champs in this fight, and they aren't neophytes in this war, either.

Since 2003, they have been defending video game makers in various states such as Oklahoma, Minnesota, Michigan, California, Illinois, Washington, and St. Louis.

The court said that "the government has no authority to limit minors' access to creative works based on the general belief that those works might be 'psychologically harmful.'"