Tag Archives: australia

Valve’s Chet Faliszek has confirmed the company is exploring the possibility of resubmitting Left 4 Dead 2 for an R18+ ratings classification in Australia.

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Game development newcomers in Australia could be handed a major boost with the creation of a game dev accelerator in Brisbane. Right Pedal Studios is offering to provide financial aid and guidance to new Android and iOS developers, even offering them a place to work.

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A paper outlining the options for the upcoming AUD$20 million budget for the Australian Interactive Games Fund has been released today.
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To introduce an R18+ video games rating in Australia, each state’s Attorney-General has to reach a consensus. Tasmanian Attorney-General David Bartlett has always been one of the most passionate supporters of the cause – until he unexpectedly resigned yesterday.

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Brendan O’Connor, Australia’s minister for home affairs, has said that the adoption of an R18+ rating for games in the country would create jobs. Consultation on the adult-only rating is taking place in July.

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The key ministerial roadblock to a R18+ rating for games in Australia – Senator Michael Atkinson – stood down from the front bench half a year ago. Yet Australian gamers of any age still cannot legally play games with content judged beyond a MA15+ rating.

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If you’ve been keeping up with the headlines, you could be forgiven for believing there were only two sides in the battle to create an R18+ games rating in Australia: South Australia Attorney-General Michael Atkinson and everyone else ever.

Well, good news, Aussie guys and gals. Mr. Atkinson has decided to step down from the front bench, effectively ending his status as the wicked witch in good ol’ Oz.

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They don’t make zombies like they used to. Pepper their paper skin with a shotgun blast or two and – boom – undead confetti. But not in Australia! Good ol’ Oz builds its zombies strong to last long. Limbs stay on and blood stays in, even when caught in the thickest of crossfires.

Even better, when Australian zombies finally bite the big one, their bodies immediately disappear – eliminating the need for cleanup. No muss, no fuss! How convenient!

There’s a trailer of Left 4 Dead 2′s Australian action after the break.

Thanks, Destructoid.

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Modern Warfare 2 lets you play as a terrorist. There are other bits in there too – something about “defending freedom” and “delivering a swift kick to terrorism’s hindquarters” – but those don’t matter. At least, not according to Australian lobbyist group Australian Council on Children and the Media.

“The consequences of terrorism are just abhorrent in our community and yet here we are with a product that’s meant to be passed off as a leisure time activity, actually promoting what most world leaders speak out publicly against,” council president Jane Roberts told the Sydney Morning Herald.

“If that material was on the internet about how to become a terrorist, how to join a group and how to wipe out people – that would be removed because it would not be acceptable.”

Roberts and her group have demanded that the Australian government re-rate Modern Warfare 2 from MA 15+ to “Uncensored Left 4 Dead 2.” Aka, “probably banned.”

Infinity Ward told us yesterday that the scene in question is skippable, but that obviously hasn’t stopped Roberts and co. from going on the warpath.

Well, we’re sure you all have some words for Miss Roberts. We’ll just leave you two alone now.

Hello there, OFLC website. How are you doing? Oh, hey, what’s that you’ve got there? Is that… why, it is! It’s an MA 15+ rating for Left 4 Dead 2! Guess the game’s coming out in Australia after all.

Gabe, you crazy rascal. What’d you do? Oh… oh my. Wanna talk about it? Come here. Give us a hug.

According to this, DS has now sold over 1 million units in Australia, with Wii selling more than 300,000 units. The data, compiled by Gfk, also shows that DS was the biggest selling console in the country last year, moving 509,000 machines. Wii sold more than 73,000 consoles in the same month.

EB Games Australia has outright denied any kind of fight with Microsoft over the corporation’s refusal to take back AU$10 million worth of faulty Xbox 360s, says this.

EB Games Australia and New Zealand merchandising director Shane Stockwell said shortages of the machine had “nothing to do with defective issues whatsoever… We’ve just sold all of our stock.”

So there you go. Glad we got that cleared up.

According to this, a row appears to be developing between Microsoft and EB Australia. The retailer is seemingly throwing a “bit of a fanny” in private over the fact that Microsoft is allegedly refusing to honour AU$ 10 million on faulty Xbox 360s. From the story:

According to the transcript, EB Australia has $10 million worth of defective Xbox 360s gathering dust, as Microsoft is unwilling to take them back. As a result, EB is no longer stocking the 360, except as second-hand or pre-owned units. A search of the EB Games website for “xbox 360″ confirms this.

“There have been threats of EB dropping the Xbox range all together,” says the transcript.

To recoup its losses, EB is trying to repair the defective units and offer them as second-hand. However these units are often returned dead, the transcript states. It also mentions that EB lost $85 per console sold once Microsoft introduced the standard three-year warranty, as EB was unable to offer its own.

Microsoft has since issued a “no comment” on the situation. Kotaku AU will no doubt stay with this to the death, so we’ll let you know what happens.