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Name: Simon Hutchinson
Nickname: FB_731317758
Member since: 2009-05-10 08:39:32
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A Letter From Michael Atkinson

November 16th, 2009 at 9:35 PM

One of the smartest comments in this entire thread (of many! amazing we aren’t all sex depraved violent morons)

Shane makes a point I think a lot of people may not have thought about. The OFLC knowing that if they refuse something is actually censoring the public and could have an economic impact and impact financially the publisher etc may only pull the RC in the situation where they seriously have no other choice. This leads to a situation where games are rated MA15 that should not be because they feel they are not at last resort time.

As someone said earlier, only about 9 games get RC’d a year, but I can tell you if you look at history that this number is rising each year. Its not that the games are getting more violent, its that the graphics are becoming more realistic.

If R18 existed i can guarantee a whole lot more games then 9 per year would get that rating (think about the last few years and all the games squeezed into MA15 and you get hte picture) which actually serves to IMPROVE the ability to keep this out of minors hands.

If we had R18, Modern Warfare 2 would be rated 18. There is no doubt. Why? Because publishers do have brains. When they submit a game they also submit a form with an ‘expected rating’ which htey think the game deserves. They all have OFLC training in how to guess this rating.

They would just slap MW2 with an R18 and the OFLC would be happy (after watching it of course, MA15 requires the OFLC to view it in action before stamping that classification) rubber stamp it. Atkinson should be happy because minors can’t buy it (even with parents as earlier stated) and the publisher MARKETS the game towards adults as they would do and as they generally do.

I reckon if you asked off the record Dave, Activision head honcho of Australia should 15 year olds be playing this game, he would absolutely say no, but because they have money to make and MA15 is the higehst they can go, officially they have to say yes.

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

November 15th, 2009 at 3:30 PM

yes Yes YES! FINALLY someone speaks the truth

What's Cut From Aussie Left 4 Dead 2, And How To Uncut It

November 2nd, 2009 at 3:39 PM

No its because in August 2009 one of the board members terms was up

She was an undergraduate law student, late 20s.

She was replaced by a Child Psychologist in her 40s

Expect a shitload more bans people.

Ask Me Stuff

October 28th, 2009 at 12:32 PM

Apparently Left 4 Dead 2 demo was pushed back for Euro’s as well lol :|

Ask Me Stuff

October 28th, 2009 at 12:31 PM

Do you think Seabass has completely balls’d up PES 2010 like i do having now played the review build. Sigh…. PES 2009 is better than this :(

Bargain Hunter: Real DJ Heroes Don't Sit

October 26th, 2009 at 1:43 PM

Dave,

if i click close on the PSP ad i expect it to close not open another ()_#*%(# window 5 times

not happy jan

Snag An Early PC Copy Of Borderlands? Good Luck Playing It

October 23rd, 2009 at 3:03 PM

Nato

that wouldn’t work because the game requires a ‘key’ from steam to authenticate

that key is not unlocked yet and as such can’t be downloaded.

Aussie Charts: You're All Among Thieves

October 22nd, 2009 at 3:14 PM

I just found out something interesting. Games under $50 are not counted in this list

Wii Fit Plus is $29.95

:(

Street Date Smash: Grab That Loot Today

October 21st, 2009 at 5:01 PM

Another one for ya, Smackdown Vs Raw on sale now

Ask Me Stuff

October 21st, 2009 at 11:17 AM

This also comes down to can you take Ken Block speaking crap every 5 seconds to you :)

Report: PSPgo Flops In Australia

October 20th, 2009 at 2:44 PM

How to fix the PSPGo in Australia

1. Partner with a number of big ISP’s to make PSN downloads free

2. Drop the price to at LEAST $349

3. Negotiate with Sony Computer Corp and have them add that a digital download MUST be provided when building UMD games (how sony have not added this to their development contract yet is beyond me)

4. Ensure that never again a PSP game is not added to PSN week in week out.

5. Come up with a way to get UMD based games downloadable. That is the systems biggest failing. They have just basically screwed current owners over bigtime.

6. Build a PS3/PSPGo pack, $700 gets you both. Watch it fly. Makes sense as they pretty much rely on each other to an extent.

7. Stop building 3000 bundles. If you keep pushing your current hardware, the new one will not flourish, especially $150 more to be perceived to be getting less.

8. Ultimately to have Go or digital download only systems a success, publishers are going to have to man up and tell Retailers to get off their high horse and accept lower prices.

9. ADOPT WIDESPREAD SELLING OF PSN CARDS. European PSN cards are a JOKE right now.

Sony, its not hard and doing all that will significantly help you.

Talk Amongst Yourselves

October 20th, 2009 at 12:47 PM

but thats not an Australian oriented review :(

Talk Amongst Yourselves

October 20th, 2009 at 12:41 PM

apparently Borderlands does not have a street date, when it hits its out

also

Dave when might you be posting said borderlands review?

WIN! A Badass Borderlands Xbox 360 Prize Pack

October 19th, 2009 at 12:46 PM

The ‘chk chk boom’ gun – Makes you an instant celebrity, gives you a contract with channel 9 and getaway, signs you a PR deal and gets you a record contract, even though it doesn’t really exist!

The Week In Games

October 19th, 2009 at 10:25 AM

Having played New Super Mario Wii last week at a Nintendo summer event thats the mario game im hanging for, totally awesome

and as for Smackdown vs RAW, my opinion on the review build is if you like Diva’s and the absurdity of the WWE then buy it. Being able to put together your own story lines and share them on Live/PSN will be the killer feature for WWE fans this year.

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

October 17th, 2009 at 4:46 PM

Hopefully on November 10th thanks to the OFLC i will be playing Modern Warfare 2 :)
CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2 CG (Multi Platform)

Strong violence
Classification
MA 15+
Consumer Advice
Strong violence
Category
CG
Version

Duration
Variable
Date of Classification
15/10/2009
Author
ACTIVISIONBLIZZARD
Publisher
ACTIVISIONBLIZZARD
Production Company
NOT SHOWN
Country of Origin
USA
Applicant
ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
File Number
T09/4775
Classification Number
237459

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

October 17th, 2009 at 10:01 AM

oh and after UC2 i think we can put Naughty Dog in the realm of Kojima, CliffyB, Polyphony Digital and other game studios who release titles that change the expectations of gamers forever.

Having played UC2 I am now not looking forward to other games of 2009 because i just don’t think they will compare. MW2 has a challenge on its hands for GOTY 2009 and whoda thunk that.

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

October 17th, 2009 at 9:59 AM

Uncharted 2 is unbeliveable. The graphics, gameplay everything is so intense

I am playing that ;)

Brutal Legend is epic. I have almost finished the game and the best part so far?

DragonForce: Through the fire and flames belting out of the Deuce while an epic battle is going on.

Schafer is LEGENDARY.

Aussie Charts: Top Of The League

October 8th, 2009 at 2:18 PM

FIFA is AWESOME this year. I hope PES is just as good but having played it now, i doubt it

Poor seabass has lost it

Valve Appealing, Editing Left 4 Dead 2 for Aussie Classification

October 7th, 2009 at 4:38 PM

Hmm. Whilst i applaud Valve for taking Australia seriously, submitting an edited version to the OFLC before the review board has a decision seriously undermines the process.

The review board could now see that an edited version has been approved and thus decide that we will continue to ban the unapproved one on grounds that its not economically impacting you and the game will be made available to Australians.

I think its a case of one step forward two steps back on this one. Dave, it might be worth yourself investigating whether the review board takes into account edited versions on appeal processes.

To go to the review board you as a company have to declare you do not agree with the decision and thus have appealed it. For you to then build an edited version, can indicate a perception that you do agree and are happy to edit.

I think this is going to hurt them. I fully anticipated L4D2 uncut to pass the Review Board (as these guys are a lot more leniant, and totally independant of the Government unlike the OFLC who take a pay check from the Government every 2 weeks) but now i am not so sure.

The Week In Games

September 14th, 2009 at 11:09 AM

Apparently the rally bits are awesome, but the actual other ‘extreme’ bits suck :(