RipTen Videogame Blog » australia

The Watercooler: Those Aussies Are Pretty Loose

Sam Naylor — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:00:55 +0000

Warning: The Watercooler is the best thing you will see on the Internet today, mainly because it is the best thing I saw on the Internet yesterday. Be advised that The Watercooler is not necessarily videogame related (it usually won’t be), and is often silly, controversial, and/or not safe for work (NSFW). If this type of content frequently offends you, please be aware that I just warned you — if you still click through and get offended, it will be your own stupid fault. Otherwise, please continue…

As a Brit, I can’t help but feel a certain affinity with the Aussies. For a start, they have a delightful array of accents, but the main reason is that they spell words properly. Now they have a certain reputation- that they live free and don’t give two hoots about anything.

We just thank fuck that they don’t play in the 6 Nations.

Think you have something that could be Watercooler material? Send it to me via email: sam@ripten.com or on Twitter: @greeneggsnam. If your submission gets featured, you will win a prize package full of pride and accomplishment.

Syndicate In Australia? Yeah, Ain’t Happening.

Justin Carter — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:31:25 +0000

If there’s one country worse than Germany when it comes to censoring things, it’d have to be Australia. Many games have been changed or banned in the AU because of the Australian government’s refusal to classify video games that are only deemed suitable for gamers over 15. Earlier this year, the Australian games industry decided to start up an R18 rating, but it looks like that’ll take a while. So if you planned on buying the futuristic FPS Syndicate reboot this February, you’re out of luck. Not just because Australia won’t rate it–EA themselves aren’t even going to change anything about the game. No changes, no seeking an appeal. EA’s Tiffany Steckler explained their stance on the matter:

“The game will not be available in Australia despite its enthusiastic response from fans. We were encouraged by the government’s recent agreement to adopt an 18+ age rating for games. However, delays continue to force an arcane censorship on games – cuts that would never be imposed on books or movies. We urge policy makers to take swift action to implement an updated policy that reflects today’s market and gives its millions of adult consumers the right to make their own content choices.”

Sorry to all you gamers in the land down under. Looks like you’ll have to get your fix for enacting corporate sabotage elsewhere. Everyone else will do so on February 21, 2012 when Syndicate launches for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC.

via [Joystiq]

Canceled ‘Avengers’ Game Footage Surfaces

Dave Oshry — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 03:17:05 +0000

Before THQ Australia was shut down, they’d been working on an Avengers game.

Today, some footage from said game has surfaced. It appears to be a first person brawler of epic proportions.

HULK SMASH!!

With an Avengers movie in the works for Summer 2012, let’s hope this project sees the light of day in some form… and that SEGA doesn’t end up with the license. *cough* Thor *cough*

Australia Passes $1.9 Billion Tax Break For Local Game Industry

Aaron Alexander — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 20:50:06 +0000

Australia and games often don’t go hand in hand, most notably when it comes to banning them. In a surprising turn of events, the Australian state of officials have passed a bill that will go into effect next month. The aforementioned Bill is going to provide local developers with a whopping $1.9 billion tax break, that they may spend on research and development.

Kudos Australian officials, not only from me, but from the developers you have tremendously helped. Hopefully we’ll see more projects on the scale of Team Bondi’s LA noire, and hopefully one day this country will allow me to buy Mortal Kombat in a store, rather then sneak it through customs in my private regions. Here’s for wishful thinking.

Source: Joystiq

The Witcher 2 to Be Censored in Australia

Bryce Wilson — Fri, 06 May 2011 01:59:37 +0000

In another slight kick to the balls (and ovaries) of Australian gamers, The Witcher 2 is set to recieve a slight bout of censorship before it’s released into the hands of clamoring fans.

Games On Net, an Australian gaming community, reported that The Witcher 2 is set to be censored solely so that Geralt cannot receive sex as a reward for successfully completing a side quest.

The title has now been slated for release under the MA15+ rating for “Strong violence, sex scenes, nudity and coarse language”.

To tide you over until the next installment of Geralt’s exploits, check out a bunch of kick-ass screenshots by clicking here.

If you really want to stick it to Australia, check out this very NSFW Playboy spread of Geralt’s #1 lady, Triss Merigold. Va-Va-Voom!

Source: [Joystiq]

Australia Introduces R18+ Rating… Sort Of

Bryce Wilson — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 06:02:52 +0000

The Australian R18+ rating saga is a story known to many, and known well. Many great games have fallen victim to the strict and outdated ratings system currently employed in Australia, however one state is set to blaze their own trails, with South Australia announcing it will introduce its own R18+ rating.

South Australian Attorney-General John Rau confirmed earlier today that he had taken matters into his own hands and would be introducing the adults only rating regardless of what the rest of the government decides at the upcoming SCAG (Standing Committee of Attorney-General) meeting in July.

The move comes after Home Affairs Federal Minister Brendan O’Connor said that if the no ‘other options’ could be agreed upon, there would be a possibility that each state and territory could introduce their own arrangements and laws – and that is exactly what South Australia is doing.

Rau, speaking to GameSpot AU earlier today spoke of his decision;

“I’ve been consulting very broadly on this [issue] for a year now, I’ve been listening to parents and gaming advocates and I have come to the conclusion that both points of view are legitimate and need to be accommodated. Recent moves by the federal government suggests that there will be an R18+ classification for video games in some form after the July [SCAG] meeting.”

Whilst there’s still no word on a nation wide ratings system being introduced, we will keep you updated on the matter as we hear more. That being said, a journey of 1,000 miles starts with one step, right?

Let us know what you think about the ongoing R18+ saga in the comments below, or voice your thoughts to me via Twitter – @DrjftGaming.

Has The Aussie Ratings Board Outed The New Burnout?

Murray Hibble — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 01:19:45 +0000

I remember the first time I played Burnout Paradise… the scars have lived with me ever since. Surgeons still don’t believe that it was a racing-game that caused my face to melt off, but I’ll forever remember Criterion’s greatest achievement every time I wipe the mucus from my eye-scars.

Destructoid tells us that the Australian Ratings Board has had their hands on an upcoming ‘multiplatform’ racing release titled ‘Burnout Crash’, we’re not sure that anyone saw this coming. With Criterion having published several successful (and awesome) DLC’s for Hot Pursuit I hope this means it’s being made by them. Because interestingly, the only name attributed to this title so far is Electronic Arts.

If this isn’t developed by Criterion let’s just hope it’s more ‘Burnout Crash’ than ‘Burnout Cashout’.

“The X Report” Episode 3 Now Live – Australian eSports Recap

Bryce Wilson — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 11:00:51 +0000

Looking for a dose of eSports action in a handy video format hosted by a couple of the coolest guys in the Australian eSports community? Well look no further!

‘EXC355UM‘ over at the GamerHold has released the third episode of his now weekly show “The X Report” and we’ve got it below for you to check out.

Covering all the happenings in the Australian eSports scene with a mix of humor and laughs in between, The X Report keeps you up to date and in the know.

Special guest and community figure “PyroZeroX” co-hosts this episode and does a great job!

Make sure to leave them some feedback in the comments below.

Australian Classification Board Reviews Duke Nukem Forever

Aaron Alexander — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 10:36:03 +0000

After Mortal Kombat was proclaimed banned in Australia, many people including myself were left wondering if Duke will ever see the light of day down under. The Australian Classification board have gotten their hands on Duke Nukem: Forever, releasing a review about the game, and giving the game a MA15+ rating. You can read the full report by the Classification Board here, or check out a few notable excepts below;

In various bathroom locations throughout the game, the player can have Duke “piss” in urinals and on occasion, in these same venues can also pick up faecal matter from a toilet bowl and throw it about.

In order to “spare” the women’s suffering Duke has the ability to shoot the women resulting in small blood bursts. Those he does not shoot are seen implicitly exploding as the alien “baby” matures.

In the level Titty City, Duke enters a strip club where he meets a stripper who invites him to locate (among other items) a vibrator and a condom.

Upon the successful completion of this level, Duke is given a “special” lap-dance by the stripper. The breast nude female is depicted in a first person perspective implicitly gyrating on Duke’s lap.

The Board notes a facility also exists for the player to “jiggle” the stripper’s breasts during this scene.

It’s good to hear that Australians will get a fair crack at playing Duke with the rest of the world and going by the Classification boards review, this increasingly sounds like a game I want to play.

Let us know what you think about Dukes victory over Australia in the comment section below and feel free to tell me via Twitter – @iamaaronalex

Source: TheGameFanatics

Mortal Kombat – “Australian” Edition

Bryce Wilson — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 14:05:34 +0000

Australia is no easy walk when it comes to games coming through the classification system, and many a good game have fallen foul to the R18-less environment.

The latest in the long list is the upcoming gore fighter Mortal Kombat, and the reason solely being that some of the fatalities contained that was “unsuitable for a minor to see or play” according to the National Classification Board.

RipTen Reader Andrew Burdusel took it to himself to create more ‘child’ friendly versions of the fatalities so that Mortal Kombat may rise and shine in this fair country… Well, fair if your game is kid friendly… Even if it should be MA15+ and out of the hands of children anyway.

Check out the new and improved Mortal Kombat below;

Do you think this version will get past the tough ratings board? Let us know in the comments below or tell me via Twitter – @DrjftGaming.

Some of Andrew’s other work was featured on Kotaku (A Pictoral History of Australian’s in Video Games), so check it out and leave him a comment!

Nintendo 3DS Australian Price and Release Date Revealed

Bryce Wilson — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 08:56:30 +0000

At an official Nintendo event in Sydney, Australia – the price and release date of Nintendo’s upcoming 3DS handheld was revealed.

Slated for launch on March 31st at a not so wallet-breaking $349.95, the 3DS is looking to revolutionize the way people both think and play when it comes to 3D entertainment. If any more news comes from the event we will be sure to let you know.

PES 2011 To Be Nintendo 3DS Launch Title in Australia

Bryce Wilson — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 04:49:21 +0000

Konami announced earlier today that their flagship football series will be becoming a launch title for Nintendo’s upcoming and groundbreaking 3D handheld; the Nintendo 3DS.

With the 3D integration, PES 2011 3D is set to ‘put you at the heart of every pass’. The game is also to include full play-by-play commentary, as well as exclusive use of the UEFA Champions League, footballs greatest club competition.

PES 2011 3DS is also implementing a wireless passive mode to take advantage of the handhelds ‘Street Pass’ feature. Street Pass adds a competitve element to the Master League mode and will automatically detect when another Master League team is nearby and then engage them in a game of statistics, awarding a win to the statistically greater side.

Let us know what you think about the 3DS or PES 2011 3D below. You can also tell me directly via Twitter – @DrjftGaming.

EB Games Deliveries Delayed Due to Australian Floods

Bryce Wilson — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 06:48:40 +0000

Yes there’s flooding going on in Australia, and EB Games, Australia’s largest gaming retailer has posted a note letting everyone know that their online orders may be delayed.

The EB Games Webteam earlier posted an update on the website that read;

Due to major flooding of the SE QLD and Brisbane areas, there will be delays in dispatching ebgames.com.au orders from our warehouse in Pinkenba, Brisbane.

Unfortunately, until further notice, in-stock orders placed on ebgames.com.au after 11am AEST Tuesday 11th of Jan may not ship until at least Thursday the 13th of Jan.

Also, any email enquiries made through the ‘Customer Support’ section of the website may experience delayed replies from our Customer Service Team.

For up-to-date info on order shipping, urgent customer support enquiries, or you just need to chat, please reach our Customer Service Team via Facebook or Twitter:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EBGamesAus

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ebgamesaus

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience, things are a bit wet up here :(

Regards,

The EB Games Web Team

Follow me on Twitter if you have any questions or require any information – @DrjftGaming.

Shadowloo-Showdown to Rock Melbourne December 11th & 12th

Bryce Wilson — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 14:07:43 +0000

A new major event has been added to the Australian fight game tournament calender for 2010 and it’s set to take place on the 11th and 12th of December (This weekend!). The scene is set and the best fighters in Australia and New Zealand are set to collide when they face off for recognition, respect and bragging rights. The event details are below:

Date: December 11th – December 12th
Venue/Address: Rydges Hotel Events Room – 186 Exhibition Street, Melbourne
Main Event: Super Street Fighter IV (1v1 – 3v3 – Melbourne v Sydney – Melbourne v The Rest)
Side Events: BlazBlue: CS (PS3) | Street Fighter 3: Third Strike (BlastCity Arcade Cabinet) | Tekken 6: BR (Arcade Cabinet) | Virtua Fighter 5 (Xbox 360)
Sponsors: TEC Gaming – BenQ Australia – OzHadou – Madman Entertainment – GodsGarden – Brokentier – QANBA – Nicks Sticks – CouchWarriors.

Not only will Australian and New Zealand players be at the event, but you will also be able to see Mago (2DGod) Tokido (MurderFace) in action as they test their skills against Australias elite. Make sure to follow my good friend Ali on Twitter (@EXC355UM) for more details, and if you’ve got any questions fire them off to him. There’s also an Official ShadowLoo Showdown Website where you can find all the event rules and various other tidbits of information. Follow myself on Twitter, too! (@DrjftGaming).

RipTen Radio Down Under – Episode 4

Bryce Wilson — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 10:02:48 +0000

Yepp it’s back after a week long hiatus (The most important member went on holiday!), and we’ve got the biggest show of the series, jammed full of news and our trademark style of Aussie humour. Myself and Aaron Alexander, or as Dave Oshry named him; the “other” Aussie writer, are back in action with discussions on Minecraft, the best Christmas gaming presents and even about games we think should be remade HD style.

I apologise for there being no show last week, but it was due to me being on holiday at my grandparents house. In return though, I give you the best content packed episode of 2010′s season of RipTen Radio Down Under. See you all again next week! Make sure to follow myself on Twitter (@DrjftGaming) and FaceBook (DrjftGaming). I highly recommend you follow Aaron on Twitter (@iamaaronalex) for his awesome tweeting capabilities!

A special thanks to our awesome sponsor, the Australian Cyber League, for supporting another podcast episode. Make sure to check them out for Australia’s best online community and console eSports league.

RipTen Radio Down Under – Episode 4
40 Minutes – 40MB

RipTen Radio Down Under – Episode 1

Bryce Wilson — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:53:56 +0000

Something new, amazing and perfect has been found. No it’s not the Holy Grail. No it’s not another ancient wonder of the world. Yes, it’s an amazing podcast. Myself and Aaron Alexander, the other half of the Amazing Australian Assault are recording a weekly show that will contain bite sized portions of news, reviews and all round humor. Each show is around 30-45 minutes and is the perfect companion for your boring romantic walks on the beach, or the train ride to work.

Episode 1 is our teething episode and was a hoot to record. Konami was also kind enough to provide 5 copies of SAW 2: Flesh and Blood and 5 copies of Pro Evo Soccer 2011 for the Xbox 360. Both are great games, and who doesn’t want to go into the draw to win free stuff. Make sure to come back for Episode 2, and every episode after that.

Ripten Radio Down Under – Episode 1
35MB – 35 Minutes
Right Click – Save Link As

To enter into the Episode 1 competition, email some feedback about the show to “brycewilson[at]drjft[dot]com”. This contest is open to Australians only. All entries are due November 8th, 11:59pm and the winners will be announced during Episode 2.

Castle Crashers PSN Coming To Europe and Australia Tomorrow

Dave Oshry — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 23:06:27 +0000

It’s about time. Us filthy Americans and those pesky Asians have enjoyed the goodness of Castle Crashers on PSN for far too long by ourselves!! Starting tomorrow, all of Europe and the land down under can enjoy CC PSN as well!!

Here’s the scoop from The Behemoth:

This is the day all the mighty knights of the various nations of Europe may begin their Castle Crashing quests on PlayStation Network. Australia can come too. The price to begin the adventure shall be 13.99 Euromonies or the roughly equivalent amount of Australiodollars or GreatBritainBucks.

We’ll be celebrating on the 3rd, stop by for some cake! (and contests!?)

This leaves us finishing up submission with only Japan, until the Whole World is rescuing Princesses and fighting sock puppet wielding dragons together as one.

You know what that means!? European version!!

Yes, they should play this in Ikea.

Australia Sees 100% Price Markups for Halo: Reach

Bryce Wilson — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:31:42 +0000

Australia is no stranger to messed up video game based occurances. Whether it’s Left 4 Dead 2 being edited beyond recognition, or games just being entirely banned, nothing raises an eyelid anymore. Well this definitely should. Bungie is parting ways with the Halo series soon, we all know that. But does that mean a game should be marked up 100%? Definitely not.

Well EB Games, Australias largest video game retailer seems to think otherwise. Gamestop has Halo: Reach (Standard Edition) listed for $59.99 USD ($67.10 AUD), including a $20 USD extra bonus for any further pre-order.

Gamestop owns EB Games, and EB Games has the standard edition of Halo: Reach listed as $105.45 USD ($118.00 AUD), with no twenty dollar bonus. Upon discovery of this I tweeted it, and tagged EB Game Australia’s Twitter account. Later on I recieved a Direct Message that read;

“Exchange rates aren’t the only thing that dictate prices in Aust. there are many other factors involved.”

And be prepared for an MSN style exchange. I replied to that;

“I’d love a transparent explanation then. Specifically from someone at Head Office. It will be going into a journalistic piece.”

Shortly after I got another reply that read;

“The vendors set the pricing for the region. You will need to ask them what factors affect the RRP of their products.”

Well I thought something seemed a bit suspicious, because there’s two other large retails in Australia: JB HiFi and GAME. JB HiFi sells TV’s, Sound Systems, DVD’s, Music, Games and Consoles, it’s like the Walmart of entertainment. GAME is a video game specific retailer, and has no way to offset their prices. I say that, so you understand something shortly. I replied to their answer of RRP and Vendors with;

“RRP is actually that, recommended. Hence GAME and JB HiFi being cheaper. Or is there multiple vendors, and if so, why take the most expensive one. Doesn’t seem logical. Which points to price raising.”

The exchange finished up with this final reply from EB Games (3 Direct Messages Are Below);

We do not raise our prices. Our price is the RRP set by the vendor. Our vendors are the main distributers in Aust. – EA, Activision etc. Many other retailers reduce their price’s below RRP & use other non-gaming, high profit products to support the loss. eg DVD’s, Manchester. This is why we offer our price match policy, so that our customers are able to obtain these products from us at the same price as a competitor and still benefit from our great service and fantastic 7 day return policy.

Well to that I say what a load of crap. JB HiFi I can understand, they have TV’s and Sound Systems to offset their pricing with, but GAME? They sell one thing, games and consoles, and are nearly ALWAYS cheaper than EB Games. In the case of Halo: Reach, GAME is retailing it for $99.00 USD ($88.46 AUD). EB Games can deny it all they want – something just isn’t right.

Australian Fallout: New Vegas Pre-Order Incentives

Bryce Wilson — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 11:18:02 +0000

On my adventures throughout the consumerist fun-fields, I stumbled across something quite interesting. It’s a poster detailing the Fallout: New Vegas Australian pre-order bonuses. The retailer displaying this is JB HiFi, a quite reliable and accurate retailer. Take a look at the image below and tell me what you think.

You get a “Mercenary Grenade Rifle” as well as “Lightweight Metal Armor”, and as a added bonus for pre-ordering you get three Super Stimpaks and three Doctors Bags.

Left 4 Dead 2 Australian Censorship Sucks Hairy Kangaroo Balls, Nicole Kidman Doesn’t

Chad Lakkis — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:39:05 +0000

As a teenager I used to have the biggest crush on Nicole Kidman. In fact, I told myself that if the majority of Australian girls looked even half as hot as her I was going to move there when I grew up. Lucky for me and my unhealthy gaming addition, I never grew up.

The Australian Game Ratings Board has struck again pretty much rendering Valve’s Left 4 Dead 2, a terrifically gore-filled zombie hacking blood fest, into a body vanishing mess that even a trained CSI couldn’t extract DNA from. Bravo Australia, I will never eat at another Outback restaurant again.

As you can see below in the Left 4 Dead comparison video featuring pre-censorship and post-censorship gameplay, the experience is pretty much garbage now.