If you're into the business side of gaming, you might be interested in this piece of news: in BusinessWeek's list of The World's Most Innovative Companies, Microsoft ranked above its competitors in the video game industry, Nintendo and Sony. Guess who topped the list? Apple. (Cue whooping from Mac users.) Details in the full article.

A lot of people in the gaming circuit have already made up their minds on the question of which gaming company is the most innovative of them all. However, it's a different take in the eyes of business executives around the world as Business Week conducted a survey on which companies did the most to bring new products that made sense to consumers.

Apple led the bunch with a comfortable margin over second-placer Google. As far as game-related enterprises are concerned, Microsoft led the way. It was fifth on the overall standings by virtue of software advances. Amazingly, there was no mention of games in the explanation.

Sony was at the tenth spot powered by its new PlayStation 3 console.The magazine says that it took gaming technology to the next level by transforming the game system series into a gateway to a virtual world. The reference was probably aimed at the PlayStation Home system, but hey, hasn't that been done by Second Life and Miis by Nintendo already?

Nintendo lagged behind at the 39th spot with its independence from sequels and its ability to appeal to all age groups.Yes, we know what you're thinking. Go ahead and post them in the comments section.

As campaigned by himself almost a year ago, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer is now making good on his promise to make way for violent videogame legislation. As reported by Business Week:

Gov. Eliot Spitzer will take a shot at violent videos and video games as part his remaining 2007 legislative agenda that includes campaign finance reform, streamlining the courts, and energy development.

Spitzer said he will soon provide a bill that would target the ratings of video movies and video games "that are often violent and degrading" and can hurt children who repeatedly use and view them.

The BusinessWeek report later notes that:

Spitzer said he wants to restrict access to these videos and games by children, similar to motion picture regulations which prohibit youths under 17 from being admitted to R-rated movies without a parent or adult guardian.

Under Spitzer's proposal, retailers who sell violent or degrading videos or video games to children contrary to the rating would be sanctioned.

The Democrat said his approach would be similar to greater enforcement in recent years to stop the sale of cigarettes to minors.

GamesPolitics noted a year ago (back when they were still in LiveJournal) that Spitzer also mentioned in his campaigning that he wishes that there be a uniform rating standard for multiple forms of media. He said then: "industry leaders like the... the (ESRB) for videogames... should come together to set uniform rating standards across all forms of media."

Well two things we should point out. First off, what if there is indeed a universal ratings system, and then violence still occurs because parents still buy (the big problem with this "retailers sell only to 18 and up" suggestion) their kids violent videogames, what then?

Moreover, cigarettes are proven to be harmful to the health of human beings, minor or not. The harmful effect of videogames on the other hand, is still an assumption.