Leaked footage of gameplay from Activision's Modern Warfare 2 has the Australian Council on Children and the Media calling for the game's MA15+ to be reconsidered, effectively banning it from sale.
The skippable scene of terrorist atrocities in Modern Warfare 2 first came to light via leaked footage on YouTube early yesterday. News travelled quickly, however, with an AP report dropping yesterday afternoon, distributing the news to just about every news organization on the planet. Word obviously reached Australia, prompting Australian Council on Children and the Media Jane Roberts to call on the Australian Classification Board to reconsider the MA15+ rating the game received, which is the highest rating given games in the country. Reconsideration would effectively ban the game from release. Roberts claims that even with the MA15+ rating, the game would still be readily available to children.
"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."
Do not read on if you wish to avoid Modern Warfare 2 spoilers.
Here's the report regarding the offending scene filed by the Classification Board that accompanied the MA15+ rating decision.
"Several civilians are shot with blood burst bullet wounds; civilian corpses are strewn across the airport floor, often in stylised pools of blood; injured civilians crawl away with lengthy blood trails behind them."
The report goes on to mention that you cannot inflict post mortem damage on the civilians, and that all other missions of the game will result in failure if a civilian is shot.
Activision released a statement to Kotaku yesterday regarding the scene, explaining that it was "meant to evoke the atrocities of terrorism."
Back in Australia the debate rages on, with Nicholas Suzor, spokesman for the lobby group Electronic Frontiers Australia, using the situation to call for a R18+ rating for games released in the country, while rejecting the idea that a video game could foster terrorism.
"Films often show the villain's perspective and, by doing that, they get across the character's story and the heinous nature of people who carry out atrocities. Games, too, are becoming more expressive, and are telling more involved stories. We may make an argument that these sorts of topics are not suitable for children, but I don't at all accept that it is unsuitable for adults."
The Classification Board cannot review its own decisions, so anyone interested in getting the rating reviewed will have to apply directly to the board.
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A brand new selection of Gears of War merchandise has been revealed today, undoubtedly set to slot into the series' fans "most-wanted" lists rather highly. Expected for release this fourth quarter in the UK, the Gears of War - Delta Squad Box Set is just what many UK Gears of Wars fans have been waiting for.
Gears of War sold over three million copies in just Electronic Theatre Imageten weeks and was the fastest-selling videogame of 2006. The success of the game has led to the development of the Gears of War franchise, including the 2008 sequel Gears of War 2 and a whole host of Downloadable Content (DLC), and adaptations to books, comics, and a feature film suggested to be on the way.
Originally available as two separate series in North America, each comprising of two action figures, the Gears of War - Delta Squad Box Set consists of four characters; Marcus, Dom, Baird, and Cole. In addition, the Gears of War - Delta Squad Box Set contains exclusive weapons and accessories only available in this set. Though no firm release date has yet been set, it has been suggested that the Gears of War - Delta Squad Box Set will arrive in time for the busy fourth quarter retail period. A Recommended Retail Price (RRP) of £34.99 has already been announced.
The Gears of War - Delta Squad Box Set is not the first set of action figures based on the Gears of War franchise to be released in the UK, but is undoubtedly the most detailed. Electronic Theatre will keep you updated on all the latest development with the Gears of War franchise.
Looks like EA have just listed the expected release dates for Mass Effect 2 on twitter. @EA: "Just announced: @masseffect2 will be released on 1/26 in NA (1/29 in EU)". IGN have also confirmed that the title will not be coming to the PS3.Developer squashes rumors of a PlayStation 3 port for good. Do you believe them?
US, October 16, 2009 - A story from earlier this morning from the website Polygamia reported Jay Watamaniuk, BioWare's community manager, had stated there's a good chance we'll see Mass Effect 2 on PlayStation 3 during a presentation in Poland.
"During the presentation, Watamaniuk mentioned three platforms that Mass Effect 2 is targeted at. They were Xbox 360, PC and "probably PS3". After a while, realizing what he said, he started to back out, saying that they do not comment on rumors and speculations,' the report said.
IGN contacted Electronic Arts for a comment and was directed to an updated forum post by Watamaniuk on BioWare's website. Watamaniuk clarified his comments saying it was all "a misunderstanding."
"There is a report circulating today based on an appearance I made in Poland yesterday. Seems there was a misunderstanding about ME2 coming to PS3." he wrote.
"Let me clarify today: ME2 is coming to PC and X360 only."
This is the second time this week speculation of a PS3 version may be on its way.
New listings on both Electronic Arts' Russian website and Australian retailer GAME had Mass Effect 2 coming to PlayStation 3. EA would eventually comment saying: "The postings on those website are false and are being corrected."
BioWare and Electronic Arts have been quick to cover up any talk of a PlayStation 3 port. Do you think this will stay exclusive to PC and Xbox 360?
The sequel to a popular video game has been modified so it can be sold in Australia.
Left 4 Dead 2 has been given an MA 15+ rating after it was refused classification in September.
According to the classification board report, the modified version removes considerable amounts of gore from gameplay.
“The board notes that the game no longer contains depictions of decapitation, dismemberment, wound detail or piles of dead bodies lying about the environment,” the report said.
“No wound detail is shown and the implicitly dead bodies and blood splatter disappear as they touch the ground.”
The report confirmed that melee weapons, such as “axes, crowbars and chainsaws” were still in the game.
Electronic Arts also submitted the original version of the game to the Classifications Review Board, which is scheduled for consideration on October 22, 2009.
The original version of the game was refused classification because it contained "realistic, frenetic and unrelenting violence".
Distributor Electronic Arts spokesperson Cameron Jenkins said the company still hoped the original version of the game would receive a classification:
“We are waiting until we get the results back from the resubmitted full version, just in case it gets classified after working with the OFLC, we would much prefer to release that one,” he said.
According to gaming blog Kotaku, Valve submitted the modified version to ensure the game could be released in November and that Australians would receive a free update to the edited version if the original game was classified.
Is your guitar hero strum bar broken?? Maybe your drums just aren't playing like they used to?!?! If you are suffering either of these symptoms we suggest you take 5 minutes to visit guitarherorepair.com..
"Guitar Hero Repair" can provide replacement parts for all your favorite guitar hero equipment including strum bar switches, drum pads, cymbal cabling and everything else guitar hero. So be sure to visit their online store if you are in the need for some quick parts to repair your broken gear. :)
Here is a list of repair kits which are currently available via the guitarherorepair.com website.
More and more people are reporting that their Guitar Hero World Tour (GH4) guitars are starting to miss strumming inputs (mainly downwards) causing them to miss notes which seriously affects their enjoyment of the game. This kit will fix that problem or improve responsiveness of a sluggish strummer.
Each of the drum pads and cymbals contains a sensor to register the vibration made by the drummers hit, our sensors have been extensivley tested and are compatible as replacements for any of the drum pads in the Guitar Hero World Tour Drum Kit. The repair kits come with 1 replacement sensor & fixing pads, full detailed fitting instructions and troubleshooting advice, within half an hour you'll be wailing on the skins again like there's no tomorrow!
One of the most common breakages on a Guitar Hero drum kit is the cymbal cable. You know the story, you unscrew one of the cymbals, pull it off and forget there is a delicate cable in the bottom of it and... too late!
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Electronic Arts, the retail distributor for Left 4 Dead 2 weighed in against The Australian classification board's refusal of Left 4 Dead 2, and it's not as mild as the "pretty bummed" Valve offered last week
EA spokeswoman Tiffany Steckler, speaking to GameSpot Australia, implied "Left 4 Dead 2's" violent content is not beyond the pale of Australia's home grown entertainment fare.
"It's funny that a place like Australia, which has come up with some pretty violent material in the past with something like Mad Max, can effectively ban video games for the same reason," she said. "EA believes that adults should have the right to make their own choices when it comes to the content they consume."
She declined to comment when asked if any changes were coming to the game, following the board's refusal to classify it at MA 15+, its highest rating. The games industry has for some time now pleaded for Australia to adopt a higher classification rating to permit more mature content to be sold Down Under. Last year's original Left 4 Dead was given an MA 15+
A new Brutal Legend demo is available for download from the Xbox Live Marketplace for Canada and the US.
Brütal Legend is an action game from the mind of Tim Schafer. Eddie Riggs, a roadie chosen by the Rock Gods and played by Jack Black, must battle through a heavy metal fantasy world to save humanity and slay demons — using only a broad axe, his guitar Clementine, and an army of metal heads.
Dash Text: [ESRB: M (Mature) BLOOD AND GORE,INTENSE VIOLENCE,PARTIAL NUDITY,STRONG LANGUAGE,SUGGESTIVE THEMES,GAME EXPERIENCE MAY CHANGE DURING ONLINE PLAY] Brütal Legend is an action game from the mind of Tim Schafer. Eddie Riggs, a roadie chosen by the Rock Gods and played by Jack Black, must battle through a heavy metal fantasy world to save humanity and slay demons — using only a broad axe, his guitar Clementine, and an army of metal heads.
TGS09: 'Project Natal' Awakens Imagination of Video-Game Industry - Here is the latest Project Natal Press Release from TGS09.
Xbox 360 today announced widespread enthusiasm from the world's leading video-game publishers for "Project Natal," a whole new way to play -- no controller required. Developers across the globe have embraced the technology and have begun work on titles that will deliver extraordinary entertainment experiences for everyone to enjoy. Coming just three months after "Project Natal" was unveiled at E3, the announcements at the Tokyo Game Show underscore the swift industry support for the revolutionary controller-free experiences being developed exclusively for Xbox 360, the premier games and entertainment system.
Among the elite publishers actively working on games for "Project Natal" are Activision Blizzard, Bethesda Softworks, CAPCOM, Disney Interactive, Electronic Arts, Konami, MTV Games, Namco Bandai, Sega, Square Enix, THQ Inc. and Ubisoft. Together, these publishers account for more than 70 percent of third-party software sales for this generation of console and most of the world's most recognized video game franchises.
"'Project Natal' gives the industry's creators and storytellers the freedom to dream of new experiences and to tell stories never before possible," said Don Mattrick, senior vice president for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft Corp. "The support of these creative partners testifies to the excitement that 'Project Natal' is generating among the most innovative minds in the industry, and is proof that Xbox 360 not only offers the best games and entertainment today, but will lead with innovation and new ways to have fun in the future."
Further details of publishers' new "Project Natal"-inspired projects will be released at a later date.
Underscoring the widespread enthusiasm for "Project Natal" among the industry's top creative forces, Xbox 360 is hosting a high-powered panel at the Tokyo Game Show featuring three acclaimed Japanese industry luminaries: CAPCOM's Keiji Inafune, creator of "Mega Man" and "Dead Rising," Sega's Toshihiro Nagoshi, creator of "Super Monkey Ball," and Konami's Hideo Kojima, creator of the "Metal Gear Solid" series. The three developers will discuss the possibilities for the groundbreaking new experiences that can only be achieved with "Project Natal."
Unveiled for the first time in June, "Project Natal" is a code name for a whole new way to play. Combining an RGB camera, depth sensor and multi-array microphone running proprietary software, "Project Natal" enables gamers to play in a natural and inviting new way, free from the boundaries of a controller through the use of sight, sound and motion.
Publishers, who received development kits from Microsoft in early June, used the opening of the Tokyo Game Show to voice their excitement about "Project Natal."
"Microsoft 'Project Natal' could fundamentally change the way players experience sports games," said EA Sports President Peter Moore. "At EA, some of our top development teams are experimenting with these tools with the goal of delivering a completely fresh take on genres like sports and racing."
"Activision is encouraged by the innovation that Project Natal will bring to the industry and how it can transform consumers' video games experience. We have development teams working on Project Natal development kits to explore the creative possibilities this new technology affords," said Dusty Welch, senior vice president and head of Publishing at Activision/Blizzard.
"I strongly feel that 'Project Natal' will expand the possibilities of gaming. It's yet another component that adds to the appeal of Xbox 360 and demonstrates to users the broad level of entertainment it provides," said Keiji Inafune, managing corporate officer and head of Research & Development Management Group at CAPCOM. "Personally, I too am extremely excited about 'Project Natal.' It's really going to stir up our creative spirits. I think it's going to bring new ways to play and new surprises to Xbox 360 fans and help further the development of completely original content. 'Project Natal' is definitely something people should look out for."
"Ubisoft sees enormous opportunities with 'Project Natal.' With the 3-D camera, your body can become the interface," said Yves Guillemot, chief executive officer of Ubisoft. "Any barrier related to the use of pad controllers that may have existed for potential gamers is now abolished. Ubisoft is already taking advantage of this major evolution to design new types of gaming experiences and attract more people to play video games."
In addition to the broad industry support, Microsoft Game Studios is busy at work creating a diverse slate of experiences that will appeal to a wide variety of entertainment interests.
"'Project Natal' is enabling our team of developers to create experiences we couldn't have accomplished before," said Phil Spencer, corporate vice president, Microsoft Game Studios. "Microsoft Game Studios will help lead the way in bringing 'Project Natal' to life."
While laying the foundation for tomorrow with "Project Natal," Xbox 360 remains the premier device for home entertainment today. Hot new titles for Xbox LIVE Arcade were also unveiled at the Tokyo Game Show, including "Toy Soldiers," "Snoopy Flying Ace," "Bomberman Live: Battlefest" and "RayStormHD," positioning Xbox LIVE Arcade as the premier destination to enjoy the most innovative downloadable games.
Xbox 360 is also set to deliver the best new gaming, entertainment and social experiences for consumers this fall. Not only is Xbox 360 home to the most-anticipated exclusive games such as "Halo 3: ODST," "Forza Motorsport 3," "Left 4 Dead 2," and new content from Rockstar Games including the Xbox retail exclusive "Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City" featuring "The Ballad of Gay Tony," which will also be available for download over Xbox LIVE, it will also be the only place to watch instant-on HD in 1080p1 with Zune video, and listen to personalized streaming radio right in the living room with Last.fm on Xbox LIVE. And with new social experiences custom-made for the television, Xbox LIVE continues to offer the most ways of any console to connect and share with friends and family on Facebook, and post tweets on Twitter.2
Additional information about Xbox 360 at the Tokyo Game Show can be found at http://www.xbox.com/en-us/press/2009/tgs.
With all the news and video out right now about the Natal it's no surprise that it has generated a huge buzz and apparently a need for more staff on the Natal team, looks like there working over time to get this system to the point Microsoft wants it.
Microsoft Game Studios is in the process of “building a new team” to create franchises using its Natal motion sensning technology.
Seeking candidates with “a wide array of specialties,” the company has posted 18 Natal positions on its job board since the end of August. It’s currently looking for producers, developers, engineers, artists and audio staff to be based at MGS in Redmond, Washington.
First announced at E3 in July, the Natal sensor tracks body movement in 3D using an RGB camera, depth sensor, multi-array microphone and a custom processor running proprietary software.
Designed primarily to capture the non videogame playing market, Microsoft has stressed the importance of not rushing the technology to market, insisting that it needs to ship with a strong software line-up. Natal has yet to be given a release date, but is expected to launch next year.
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Bungie's popular first-person shooter makes its debut on the Xbox 360 with Halo 3.
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