new zealand
News
Microsoft Introducing Age-Based Xbox Live Lockdown (In NZ)
5:30PM Luke Plunkett | Kinda strange development taking place over in New Zealand, with Microsoft taking the rather drastic step of blocking every single under-18 user in the country from downloading paid content on their 360s. Even kid-friendly stuff. More »
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10:00AM David Wildgoose | Bad news for under-18 gamers across the Tasman. Microsoft has verified the recent banning of New Zealand kids from Xbox Live downloads is all part of their plan. More »
Microsoft Confirms Locking New Zealand Kids Out From Xbox Live
10:00AM David Wildgoose | Bad news for under-18 gamers across the Tasman. Microsoft has verified the recent banning of New Zealand kids from Xbox Live downloads is all part of their plan. More »
News
1:00PM David Wildgoose | Australia may not allow adults to access adult games, but at least we’re not New Zealand. There, kids can’t even access G-rated games, demos and other downloadable content on Xbox Live. More »
Xbox Bans New Zealand Kids From Live Downloads
1:00PM David Wildgoose | Australia may not allow adults to access adult games, but at least we’re not New Zealand. There, kids can’t even access G-rated games, demos and other downloadable content on Xbox Live. More »
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10:40AM Logan Booker | It wasn’t long ago Nintendo announced its plans to pick up the slack on its products in NZ after long-time distributor Softprint when out of business.
Nintendo’s chosen to make the change-over official with a new campaign featuring Brain Training and Olivia Newton-John. I’m not sure what the link is between Newton-John and NZ, but I suppose it’s better than some generic US celebrity.
Press release after the jump. More »
Nintendo Covers New Zealand In Marketing Goodness
10:40AM Logan Booker | It wasn’t long ago Nintendo announced its plans to pick up the slack on its products in NZ after long-time distributor Softprint when out of business.
Nintendo’s chosen to make the change-over official with a new campaign featuring Brain Training and Olivia Newton-John. I’m not sure what the link is between Newton-John and NZ, but I suppose it’s better than some generic US celebrity.
Press release after the jump. More »
News
4:30PM Logan Booker | Six. Or 6, if you prefer numerals. THQ plans to release six CEs, two for each platform. Which platforms? The PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 of course.
While the main CEs will be available at most retailers, the “Initiation” packs are exclusive to EB Games. The release says these are “extremely limited”, and are contained in a pizza box from an in-game fast food chained called “Freckle Bitches”. Neat.
Prices range from $110 (PC CE) to $150 (PS3 and 360 Initiation packs). All the details, including bigger pictures, can be found after the jump. More »
Australia & NZ Get SIX Exclusive Saints Row 2 Collector’s Editions
4:30PM Logan Booker | Six. Or 6, if you prefer numerals. THQ plans to release six CEs, two for each platform. Which platforms? The PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 of course.
While the main CEs will be available at most retailers, the “Initiation” packs are exclusive to EB Games. The release says these are “extremely limited”, and are contained in a pizza box from an in-game fast food chained called “Freckle Bitches”. Neat.
Prices range from $110 (PC CE) to $150 (PS3 and 360 Initiation packs). All the details, including bigger pictures, can be found after the jump. More » 
New Zealand Army Needs Tetris Players On The Double
6:40AM Michael McWhertor | The Kiwis are looking for a few good men, hoping that they’ll come in an I-shaped tetrimino, because it could really use one right about now. The New Zealand army is actively recruiting the Tetris player with a thirst for tight formations as part of a new campaign that uses the tagline “We’re After Leaders” stamped upon a D-pad. The official NZ Army officer recruitment site lists leadership, academic skills and fitness as “three key qualities essential to strong performance as an Officer”, so we’re not sure how Tetris skills fit in there. If they do, New Zealanders should fear Japan, as it has already perfected the super soldier formula. New Zealand looking for a few good…Tetris players [Copyranter - thanks, Mark!] More »
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1:00PM Logan Booker | Those Rock Band prices for New Zealand? According to Gameplanet, EA NZ “neglected to inform” the retailer that they were unconfirmed. I’m not 100% sure why a publisher would send out pricing info it wasn’t sure of, unless someone pointed out how insanely expensive the game and hardware was after the fact.
The end result is the Gameplanet has removed the pricing from its site. But that’s okay, because we still have it.
Rock Band price update [Gameplanet, thanks SamStride] More »
EA NZ Seems Confused Over Rock Band Pricing
1:00PM Logan Booker | Those Rock Band prices for New Zealand? According to Gameplanet, EA NZ “neglected to inform” the retailer that they were unconfirmed. I’m not 100% sure why a publisher would send out pricing info it wasn’t sure of, unless someone pointed out how insanely expensive the game and hardware was after the fact.
The end result is the Gameplanet has removed the pricing from its site. But that’s okay, because we still have it.
Rock Band price update [Gameplanet, thanks SamStride] More »
News
1:30PM Logan Booker | In a customer email sent out today, NZ retailer Gameplanet has confirmed official prices and an early October (the 10th perhaps) street date for EA’s Rock Band in New Zealand. According to the email, EA’s sent the store a single shipment of the game and hardware. What this means in real numbers isn’t certain, but you can be sure it’ll sell out quickly.
Then again, maybe it won’t. Kiwis after the complete Rock Band experience (two guitars, drums, game and microphone) will have to shell out a staggering $NZ 519.85. That’s madness with a dollar sign. The game itself will retail for $NZ 119.95.
The original email, with pricing for the Xbox 360, PS3, PS2 and Wii, can be found after the jump. Before you ask, no, there’s no mention of Australia. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if we hear something soon… and it won’t be from Harmonix. More »
Rock Band Confirmed For NZ, EA Has Limited Stocks
1:30PM Logan Booker | In a customer email sent out today, NZ retailer Gameplanet has confirmed official prices and an early October (the 10th perhaps) street date for EA’s Rock Band in New Zealand. According to the email, EA’s sent the store a single shipment of the game and hardware. What this means in real numbers isn’t certain, but you can be sure it’ll sell out quickly.
Then again, maybe it won’t. Kiwis after the complete Rock Band experience (two guitars, drums, game and microphone) will have to shell out a staggering $NZ 519.85. That’s madness with a dollar sign. The game itself will retail for $NZ 119.95.
The original email, with pricing for the Xbox 360, PS3, PS2 and Wii, can be found after the jump. Before you ask, no, there’s no mention of Australia. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if we hear something soon… and it won’t be from Harmonix. More »
News
1:00PM Logan Booker | Earlier this year, things looked grim for Softprint, the distributor of Nintendo (and Activision) wares in New Zealand. Then, last month, the company handed in the towel, leaving our Rugby-loving neighbours high and dry. Distributor AID stepped in to pick up the slack, but without active promotion, advertising and marketing, Nintendo’s future in the country remained uncertain.
Now, NZGamer is reporting that Nintendo Australia will be stepping in to save the day, with a representative stating it would “like to assure gamers in New Zealand that [it is] currently sorting everything to make this change happen”. Sounds like good news to me, but I’d like to hear how those across the Tasman feel about the move.
Nintendo Australia To Take Over NZ? (Confirmed) [NZGamer, thanks Shaun] More »
Nintendo Australia To Service New Zealand
1:00PM Logan Booker | Earlier this year, things looked grim for Softprint, the distributor of Nintendo (and Activision) wares in New Zealand. Then, last month, the company handed in the towel, leaving our Rugby-loving neighbours high and dry. Distributor AID stepped in to pick up the slack, but without active promotion, advertising and marketing, Nintendo’s future in the country remained uncertain.
Now, NZGamer is reporting that Nintendo Australia will be stepping in to save the day, with a representative stating it would “like to assure gamers in New Zealand that [it is] currently sorting everything to make this change happen”. Sounds like good news to me, but I’d like to hear how those across the Tasman feel about the move.
Nintendo Australia To Take Over NZ? (Confirmed) [NZGamer, thanks Shaun] More » Manhunt 2 Deemed ‘Objectionable’, Banned By NZ OFLC
12:30PM Logan Booker | NZGamer sends word that Rockstar’s Manhunt 2 has been refused classification by NZ’s ratings board. Like Australia, this means the game cannot be legally sold in, or imported into, the country.
However, unlike Australia, the NZ OFLC has a detailed breakdown of exactly why the game didn’t meet its standards for an M or R rating:
The computer game Manhunt 2 was classified on 12 June 2008 by the Office of Film and Literature Classification as objectionable due to the manner in which it depicts and deals with matters of sex, horror, cruelty and violence.
And that’s just a small sample of what’s available. In fact, there’s a freaking 12-page PDF packed full of reasons for the ban.
I have to ask: why can’t the Australian OFLC have info like this accessible to the public? I know our classification system is backward-arse, but the NZ OFLC makes the Oz one look lazy, half-arsed and just plain shit.
Manhunt 2 [Office of Film and Literature Classification NZ, via NZGamer] More » 
