techAU Podcast Episode #56 – R18+ NBN
Posted Saturday, July 23, 2011 at 11:36 am by Jason Cartwright
The latest episode of the podcast is now available. The show notes and download links are available below. If you prefer to stream it live, then the YouTube version is available at the bottom of this post. Don’t forget you can subscribe to techAU via iTunes and Zune.
Download
HD 720p version (481MB)
iPod / iPhone version (188MB)
MP3 version (21MB)
Internode announce NBN pricing higher than ADSL2
http://blog.internode.on.net/2011/07/21/nbn-retail-pricing-pressure-points
http://www.internode.on.net/news/2011/07/236.php
Sponsor: iOS Developer Conference – One More Thing (Saturday 13th August, 2011)
The aim of this conference is to give an insight into how Australian developers are achieving success on the App Store, and forging full-time jobs and careers out of cultivating their ideas and publishing their creations on Apple’s App Store. For more information and details about the event, please visit http://onemorething.com.au
Apple releases new Macbook Air, Mac Mini, OSX Lion
- White Macbook discontinued
- Core i5 / i7 processors, SSD’s, no Optical drives
- OSX A$31.99 – LaunchPad, Mishion Control, Multi-touch gestures, Inverse scrolling, Full-screen apps, not all apps are supported, hosed Bootcamp Win7 partitions
ManaBar Melbourne Opening
- 4hrs there, 4hrs back, 30 minutes inside
- Small, but awesome place, made by the people
Google + a few weeks in.
- 10M users confirmed.. reports of closing in on 20M.
- Hangouts the best feature
Australia getting R18+ rating for games
- In-principle agreement from all states except NSW.
- http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-07-22/games-rating-agreement/2806200
Mortal Kombat 2011 dealt a flawless victory by ACT. R18+ needed
Posted Friday, February 25, 2011 at 5:45 pm by Jason Cartwright
This afternoon some sad gaming news arrived, the latest edition in the long running, super-popular Mortal Kombat series will be banned in Australia. Kotaku are reporting that it received an RC, refused classification rating from the Australian Classification Board.
Once again Australians are suffering as a result of the lack of a R18+ classification for video games. Essentially if a game can’t be rated below MA15+, it can’t be sold in Australia. This long running battle to get an R18+ classification has lasted for years and although we’d love to see a resolution soon, it seems doubtful.
When one of the worlds oldest and most successful video game franchises cannot ship their latest product to Australians, there’s something glaringly wrong. Admittedly the game is uber-violent, but that’s the fun of it, particularly the creative fatality sequences.
As with every other title blocked for sale in Australia, the conversation turns to how to import copies from overseas. Ignoring a issue doesn’t make it go away ACB.
Check out what your missing in this Mortal Kombat 2011 trailer.
More info @ Kotaku
O’Connor wants R18+ guidelines voted on by July
Posted Monday, February 21, 2011 at 6:54 pm by Nick Ayre
Like anything trying to get pushed through government it takes time and the issue of R18+ game classification has been rattling around for years with many broken promises of resolution.
The latest in this on going issue is an interview GameSpot Au had with Federal Minister for Home Affairs Brendan O’Connor. O’Connor told GameSpot AU that he would like to vote for the new guidelines in the July SCAG (Standing Committee of Attorneys-General) meeting.
Really there is no reason why a voting shouldn’t take place in July, the dead line for the proposed R18+ guidelines is at the March SCAG meeting, but voting cannot take place because the NSW attorney General, John Hatzistergos is unable to attend because of the NSW state election on March 26th. Though O’Connor does think the March SCAG meeting will be a good chance for review of the new guidelines by ministers and decide on how to continue.
O’Connor is positive that Australia could have an R18+ classification for games before the year is out because all the arguments are in favour of change.
Finally O’Connor said “We can’t continue to have an out-dated arrangement, which doesn’t reflect technological changes, just like we can’t continue to deny the rights of adults. We simply can’t continue to justify the current arrangement,”
In reality this could possibly be just be PR stunt as the NSW state election nears.
More @ GameSpot Au
Sorry kids, go game some more, the adults are still fighting R18+
Posted Friday, December 10, 2010 at 5:00 pm by Jason Cartwright
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/babyparentingguide/41589909/
So today was supposed to be D-day for a decision on the R18+ game rating classification. One way or another, the Attorney General from each state were supposed to vote on wether there should be a new 18+ rating introduced into Australia. Unfortunately they couldn’t decide and the twitter-sphere erupted with frustration.
Rightly so considering this campaign has now continued for years without a result. Seriously guys, GT5 shipped before we got 18+ games. If you want to see just how disappointed adult gamers are, take a look at #R18AU although right now its updating about as fast as #WikiLeaks.
To put things in perspective, Australia is the only developed nation without a R18+ rating for video games. Given we have it for movies, dvd’s, magazines and pretty much every other form of media, it just makes sense.
Right now without the adult classification there’s two outcomes. The first is that developers decide the Australian market is important enough to spend development time reworking the title to fit within the M15+ classification. The result of this is we have games where shooting an enemy results in them just fading out, rather than having limbs blown off and the natural resulting blood. The second option is that the game simply just doesn’t arrive in Australia at all. Either way.. we need R18+ game ratings and now !
More @ GamespotAU
R18+ Aus Game Rating’s biggest opponent steps down
Posted Sunday, March 21, 2010 at 7:15 pm by Jason Cartwright
Michael Atkinson is a name most gamers have come to hate over the past couple of years due to his stance on this issue of an Australian R18+ Game Rating. Reports are that Atkinson has resigned from his position as Attorney General of South Australia but will stay on in the back bench until 2014.
Atkinson was intensely opposed to the idea of adding a R18+ classification for games, sighting their engaging nature blurs the line between the virtual and real world so much that gamers may then enact their violent gaming actions in real life.
Understandably gamers feel very strongly about this issue, dislike turned to hate as title after a number of video games requiring modification to be allowed into Australia under the 15+ category. Left4Dead being a prime example.
After the Government released a whitepaper on the issue earlier in the year, more than 55,000 signatures were submitted in favour of the introduction of an R18+ classification in Australia. This negative feeling was strong enough to cause a 14.3 % election swing away from Atkinson. Whilst it was Atkinson’s decision to retire, rather than being voted out, gamers are rejoicing none the less.
Whilst this doesn’t green light the R18+ game classification in Australia, it’s certainly one large stumbling block out of the way. Hopefully someone who actually plays games will replace him.
More @ Delimiter and R18games.com.au
