Written by Ben Salter
Hot off the heals of Left 4 Dead 2 being refused classification, and effectively banned, in Australia yesterday I am left wondering why am I not allowed to play these games? This is not a new thought, nor is it one that’ll be resolved in the near future.
The R18+ rating for videogames debate is going only going to grow stronger as more and more games are not allowed to be sold in Australia, as they are deemed inappropriate for 15-year-olds. We’re meant to be living in a free nation, and yet as an adult I cannot chose what games to play. I can waste away on alcohol; I can gamble away my life savings, I can watch terribly graphic movies, and yet I cannot play in a virtual world, a world made up of rendered, not human as they are in movies, characters.
I can watch a crazed murderer take to an innocent victim with a chainsaw in a film but cannot do this in real life (every since Resident Evil 4 there's been something about chainsaws in games with me). In the middle of that, should I be allowed to control a virtual character doing it in a videogame? That seems to be what we, and the non-gaming government, cannot decide on. I can kill characters in games, even those controlled by other people, with guns and relatively known weapons, but the minute that turns to "high impact violence” it is instantly not allowed in this country. What’s the difference? I’ve still killed them, and I can watch this type of graphic violence in a film (which is a lot more graphic when it happens with real people).
15-year-olds can watch films like Saw. Should they
be allowed to play violent games like Left 4 Dead 2?What annoys me more is that a lot of this so called ‘high impact violence’ is fine in films that 15-year-olds are allowed to see. Many of the Saw movies are MA15+, and I’m sure they have a lot more “frenetic and unrelenting violence” than Left 4 Dead 2. Real people portray this violence; surely one could argue that it’s much worse than a graphic character doing the same thing (or in many cases something that isn’t as bad)? Interactivity is what they’ll say, but I can yell at my TV demanding a screwdriver to that face. I would still have the same motive even if I didn’t have the same control. The Internet, and web 2.0, is full of interactivity. We can jump onto forums and discuss our favourite parts of graphic movies and send messages to the creators telling them what we’d love to see in sequels; this too is a form of interactivity.
This leaves me thinking, surely there’s more to it than the interactive argument, and there’s no way you’ll convince me violence in a game is too realistic, especially when compared to a film. Is it because gaming stereotypes still exist? While we know the days of being labelled the school nerd for playing Tetris are over (because everyone in school now plays Tetris is the crazy sales are anything to go by), does the government? Must we all suffer because one guy in America plays Doom then goes on a shooting rampage at his school?
Our culture, in general, has a violent mindset for entertainment purposes. The highest rating shows on TV involve criminal violence, shows such as CSI and 24 have a massive supporter base, and yet we haven’t seen an influx in the amount of people getting their knee caps shot to make them talk. However, if I did that in a game would I be more likely to in real life? Research and common sense points to no, but that hasn’t changed anything.
We have an increasingly violent entertainment culture
in other mediums. Why aren't gamers
offered the same luxury? I want to play violent games like left 4 Dead 2, but I am not a violent person. They haven’t made me more violent and I’m by no means addicted. While I like them I also like the more family friendly titles. Recently I’ve been playing LittleBigPlanet and Scribblenauts, which are fun for the whole family. Similarly I like violent movies like Saw, but at the same time I also enjoy light-hearted films like Up. I’m not going to turn into a maladjusted teenager from playing these games. I’m not going to end up sitting in my room being anti-social playing them 24/7 (although the whole games, and the Internet, being antisocial thing really annoys me. We play with friends online, we chat online, it’s a new form of being social that we fit into our busy lives. Not that it should take over going out on weekends, but that’s an argument for another time). I doubt the people in their 20s and 30s who want to play these are going to suffer from these either.
The average gamer in 30. That stat is thrown around all the time, and so it should be. To be honest, we don’t care if the OFLC says a game is not suitable for a 15-year-old, especially those of us who have celebrated our 18th birthday (or can grow an epic beard, I never could in my underage days). Yes, I could argue all day that these younglings are allowed to view films that are far more violent than the videogames we want to play, but I know - the whole interactivity thing. So I’ll give up on that and go back to the R18+ rating for videogames. It always comes back to this. Every time a game is banned it gets brought up; we feel one step closer to getting the rating introduced, then someone comes along and crushes us back down to where we were (not mentioning any names *cough* Michael Atkinson *cough*). Fortunately Left 4 Dead has a massive Australian following, so we may be in with our best chance yet of pushing the case for an R18+ rating for games further than it’s ever gone before.
Movies are for all ages, including adults; games are for all ages, including adults. It looks clear-cut to us; hopefully the powers to be see it that way as well sooner rather than later. I don’t expect them to agree with me that some of these games (some, by no means all) may be acceptable for 15-year-olds if some MA15+ movies are, but I do hope they realise that we need laws that allow an adult medium to accommodate adults.
18/09/2009
Nintendo E3 2009 Wrap
Nintendo and Sony headlined the busiest day of E3 this year, with back to back keynotes that were sure to keep us entertained on E3 2009 Day 2.
Nintendo started proceedings with a bang. After a slight delay Cammie Dunaway kicked things off with a Mario montage, leading in to the announcement of New Super Mario Bros. Wii. The all new 4 player Super Mario title was demonstrated on stage and will certainly please Nintendo fans of old.
Unfortunately the excitement level dropped directly after as Cammie went on to announce the leaked Pre-E3 Wii Fit Plus - a game that is heading in a 'new direction' and would help people "create a specific workout program that's perfect" for them. Cammie showed off a range of new minigames, including skateboarding and barrel jumping, which finally puts the gamer in Mario's shoes.
Reggie then came on stage to start talking about 'innovation' and went into a promotion for Wii MotionPlus and Wii Sports Resort, two items that were announced at E3 last year. Nintendo's Bill Trinen showed us that Wii Sports Resort will begin with skydiving, and then gave us a look at the very interesting archery and basketball games. Reggie reminded us that third party developers are making use of Wii MotionPlus, including EA with Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 & Grand Slam Tennis and Sega with Virtua Tennis 2009.
Reggie dropped an interesting statistic by claiming that more 3rd party games were sold on the Wii and DS than any other platforms. Wow! He used Square Enix as an example of upcoming RPGs by showing off a trailer for Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearer and Kingdom Hears 358/2 Days. Continuing the RPG trend Reggie discussed how Bowser sucks, and this time he literally means it. In Mario & Luigi RPG: Bowser's Inside Story the famous brothers have been shrunk and find themselves inside their nemesis!
The biggest under the radar announcement was that of Golden Sun DS. After a 6 year absence one of the best RPGs of the GBA era is back, and deserved way more excitement than it got.
Cammie replaced the Nintendo of America President on stage to announce Woman's Murder Club, an interactive book for the Nintendo DS. This is all about 'taking risks' and trying new things. It's definitely an interesting concept, and one we'll see more of if it turns out to be a success. Continuing with the DS content she announced COP: The Recruit. An open-world third-person urban crime game, Cop puts players behind the wheel, and on foot, as a street racer who's faced with the choice of returning to his criminal ways, or helping the police. The action packed trailer looked like GTA meets Driver mixed in with some Anime style cutscenes.
The DSi has some interesting unique features, including the ability to download content and 'applications' from an online store. In keeping with this theme Nintendo announced that it is developing a system for users to be able to share DSi pictures on the World Wide Web. Users will be able to take pictures with their DSi and then directly upload them to their Facebook page straight from their DSi console. WarioWare DIY is another DSi exclusive title and will allow players to create their own microgames, using features such as the DSi camera, then send them to their friends locally via Wi-Fi.
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata came on stage and confused everyone. He gave an extremely long, seemingly unnecessary speech, about Nintendo attempting to increase its audience. He said there are three active groups - those who actively play, those who never play and those who might. If gaming is to grow, it must come from the "maybe" group. There are 295 Million people in Japan, Europe and the US actively playing games. Then there's another 145 Million who say they might be involved in games. He continued to discuss non-gamers for quite a while and it seemed as if he didn't really have a point.
Eventually Iwata announced the Wii Vitality Sensor - a device the plugs into the bottom of your Wii Remote and receives information about your heart rate by being attached to your finger.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 was announced to the surprise of many since a new Mario title was announced at the start of the show. Check out the trailer to see Mario running around the spherical world, this time with the help of Yoshi. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is the first true sequel to a 3D Mario title, and the first time two 3D Mario adventures will appear on the same console.
Reggie reads the blogs. He knows we want more mature titles from third party developers. So, he decided to show us three games on the horizon that fit this description, and one of those games was Dead Space Extraction.
Nintendo started the show with a surprise, and ended it with a massive shock, by announcing that they were teaming up with Team Ninja to bring Metroid: Other M to the Nintendo Wii. It's Metroid like you've never seen it before, and as Reggie says, it takes a name you know well and turns it into something new. The game is due out next year and features a mix of 1st and 3rd person gameplay. With that Nintendo concluded their Keynote for E3 2009.
Later in the day, at their roundtable discussion, Shigeru Miyamoto confirmed that a new Wii Zelda title is in development. Don't expect it until 2010 at the very earliest and reports that we won't see it again until next E3 suggest it may be further away than that.
Sony E3 2009 Wrap
The morning continued with Sony's Conference starting at 4am local time. Jack Tretton started proceedings by thanking everyone for coming and stated that they won't be "out done" by anyone. He discussed the success of the PS2 and that Sony was the first company to have 3 successful consoles in the industry at the same time along side the PS3 and PSP. inFamous is just one of 35 titles to come exclusively to the PlayStation 3 in 2009 and looks set to further increase the 13 million PS3 that have already been sold worldwide.
Sony played montages of various upcoming games throughout the entire keynote. Out of all the videos the show early in the piece Heavy Rain received the biggest applause.
The PSP was a major player in the keynote as Sony officially announced "the worst kept secret of E3" the PSP Go. They also confirmed that the new iteration of the handheld wouldn't make the PSP-3000 or UMD obsolete and that they intended to continue to support both in the future, even after the PSP GO is released.
Sony did have a surprise or two in store for us, however, by bringing out Kojima to announce Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker for PSP. It is set 10 years after the events of MGS3: Snake Eater and is said to be a true sequel to that title. The game is set in 1974, where a powerful group takes over Costa Rica.
Gran Turismo PSP kept the good news coming for PSP fans as it was announced along side the PSP Go and showcased with an impressive trailer. There will be over 800 cars, 35 tracks and 60 layouts of those tracks. The game will also run at 60 fps. It will be a launch title along side the PSP Go.
Finally Agent was announced exclusively for the PlayStation 3. "We have always enjoyed making action games, and with Agent we are making what we believe will be the ultimate action game," said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. We didn't get any images or footage but nobody is going to complain about an exclusive game from Rockstar.
Sony dropped a bombshell during their E3 2009 keynote speech when they announced Final Fantasy XIV Online exclusively for the PS3 and PC. A small trailer was shown, although no gameplay was in the trailer. The response to the announcement was one of amazement, as the audience at the keynote didn't quite know how to react to it.
In keeping with the FF theme Sony revealed that Final Fantasy VII is going to be released on the PS Store for download.
The biggest shock of the morning came when Sony announced their new motion controller for the PS3. While the controller was still in the form of an early prototype it worked in a similar way to the Wii Remote. However, with the aid of a camera it appeared to detect movement better than the current Wii Remote. Dr. Richard Marx, creator of the EyeToy, demoed the controller on stage, showing off its real-time movement and how precise it is with the gamer’s swings. We'll post the video of the demonstration shortly.
Sony also announced Mod Nation Racers - a community and creative-focused title from developer United Front Games. The title will be a kart racing title, allowing you to generate your own characters and build your own karts.
Another PS3 exclusive, God of War III will be hitting shelves during March 2010. It just snuck in towards the end of the conference and we're glad it did with a trailer. The gameplay is just as we expect it to be - gory, violent and action-packed! The environments look stunning and the enemies just as massive and aggressive as we remember from the first two mind-blowing titles. And with that Sony Concluded their Keynote.
03/06/2009
It's back, bigger, badder, and better than ever before. E3 is here on our doorsteps, the biggest gaming exhibition the world has ever seen, which is constantly the event when all the juiciest content is revealed. What are my predictions for this years E3 Expo?
Xbox 360
When looking on the boards there hasn't been that much talk of great, exclusive content coming out for the Xbox 360 in the next twelve months. Microsoft will be showing us more of Halo: ODST which was a given, but other than the staple cross platform titles like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and the like, information on exclusives are lacking.
Epic could be set to release information on a either some serious DLC for Gears of War 2 or possibly the expansion with a new title in the series, but this is purely speculation.
There has been a lot of talk about some type of motion sensing device for the Xbox 360 for a number of months now, and with increasing leaks of "information" it is likely that IF such a device is in the works, we are going to see it at E3.
I think E3 will spell out the fate of the Xbox 360. IF there is a lack of content, I feel we will get an announcement by the years end of a new console coming out in the next twelve months. The Xbox 360 has been in our houses for quite some time now, and has almost reached the pinnacle of it's potential. E3 could be the clue that tells us if a new console is closer than we expected.
Wii
Ahh the Nintendo Wii, the little console that could. It's dominance in sales since it's release is impressive, but is let down by it's lack of decent games. Once again, not much is on the cards for Nintendo, and in true Reggie style, I think we will get some corkers announced at E3.
First of all The Conduit will be high on the lists, to continue the hype train as it inches closer and closer towards release. Top this off with Motion Plus and of course a more in-depth look at Wii Sports Resort we will get a taste of what we can get our hands on very soon.
With the release of the DSi we can expect some big titles coming out along with a spiel on the DSi Ware titles. Nintendo should also be ready to unveil a storage solution for the Wii, it's been a hot topic for an eternity, and E3 would be the perfect time to address it.
Mature gaming is going to be high on the list, and we will see a bunch of info on the new Resident Evil title and of course Dead Space Extraction
Purely speculation but I have a feeling we will see one of the big Nintendo franchises with a new title on the Wii, I'd be leaning towards a new Legend of Zelda title.
PS3
Killzone 2 is out, Infamous is on the way, what is next for the big black box from Sony? Uncharted 2 will surely be on display, along with God Of War III and I'd be leaning towards getting some more info on Gran Turismo 5.
Sony has a really good chance at domination in 2009, and E3 is going to be make or break it for the console, especially IF Microsoft announce a new Xbox coming to the streets in the next twelve months.
Heavy Rain will steal the show this year, it's been sitting there with some teasers every now and then, and it would be a perfect setting for David Cage to show the world exactly how far his team have pushed the PS3. It could be the underground title that really propels the PS3 to greatness
Heller's Wish List
*Alan Wake
*Sadness
*Max Payne 3
*New Valve Title
*LA Noir
15/05/2009
Today is my 22nd birthday, and while I feel a little older, I also feel like this is going to be a good year. So instead of my usual quirky desk pictures I decided to take on of my ACTUAL desk at home. You can see a 2008 iMac sitting there, 3gb of RAM and a 2.4gbz Intel Processor. This is my primary computer since I got it in September 2008. Next to it is the screen of my gaming rig, a filthy AMD X2 Athlon 6000+ with 4gb of DDR 2 RAM, with 2x 8600GTs running SLI. It's rocking Windows 7 and it get's all my gaming needs done, but could do with some new graphics cards.
Well now onto what's been hot on my radar this past week. With Dead Space out of the way I've really been sinking my teeth into Resident Evil 5 and while it's very different from past entries into the franchise, it inspired me to write an article on the origins of Survival Horror, where it's been and where it's headed. Check it out over here
Vin Diesel has crept onto my Xbox 360 for a few hours this week with Wheelman. It's a what you see is what you get, and chances are you won't like what you see. Tano has done a featured review which you can see here
The Godfather II has been taking up most of my time this week. It's harbors some very interesting gameplay mechanics, and while lacking overall polish, if you can get past the graphics and sub-par AI is a half decent play. I'll most likely play the whole way through but you can make your own judgements when the featured review launches towards the end of the week :)
What have you guys been playing?
08/04/2009
That's right sports fans, Heller is back again with yet another rant filled posting of Heller's Desk
Finally I have dusted off my Nintendo DS for what I truly believe is one of the most IMPORTANT handheld titles we are likely to see for a long time, Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. It is a deep and engrossing title, which truly captures the spirit of the GTA series on a bite sized cartridge. Just because the DS lacks the storage or size when compared to say a PS3 or Xbox 360 doesn't mean this game is lacking in any way. Offering a comprehensive experience with more relevant mini games than you can throw a Molotov at, a decent story, and tight and intuitive controls, this is the must have title for the Nintendo DS. Hell I'd go as far as to say it's worth purchasing a DS just for this title! Check out our featured review over here
Sega are sure pulling me into the Nintendo Wii, first with the amazing House Of The Dead: Overkill. It is a fantastic, hilarious, and more importantly, mature game that offers something unique to the console. I had the pleasure of getting some time with the limited Bang Bang Box, unboxing article can be found over here.
Sega have followed it up with their totally OFF THE HOOK title MadWorld which releases nation wide today! Offering a totally unique visual style that is very "Sin City" with some of the strangest and brutal gameplay, this game sure isn't one for the weak hearted. Make sure you check this out if you have a Wii. We are currently offering a SICK prize pack, so make sure you get those entries in over here
So what have you guys been playing lately? What game has come along that unexpectedly blew you away? What game were you super excited about and it did nothing but let you down? Send in the scoop so I can check it out for myself :)
26/03/2009
For those who are old enough to remember, during the early 90's we witnessed one of the greatest console wars to date, Sega vs Nintendo. It was a brutal war, scathed with fierce advertising campaigns, constant battles over exclusive titles, and of course sledging between the two companies. It was unlike any other battle that we had seen, or had seen since. I remember as a kid getting beat up because I preferred a fat Italian plumber over a Spikey Blue Hedgehog...
But all good things come to an end and eventually Nintendo stomped out Sega towards the turn of the century and lord and behold Sega games started appearing on Nintendo consoles, I KNOW, I mean to think Mario and Sonic would star together in a game after so many years of turmoil was enough to make any gamer's head explode.
Since the launch of the Wii it's been the mind of the "hardcore" crowd that it's full of shovelware, and doesn't have enough games that appeal to the "gamer" crowd, but more than enough to entice those casual posers. Sure we've seen some glimpses of maturity there, Resident Evil 4, Manhunt 2 and Disaster Day of Crisis come to mind, but it's just not enough to warrant a purchase for many gamers.
Then along comes Sega, ready to say a proverbial "F-You" to the masses and they drop a bombshell with House Of The Dead: Overkill, one of the most enjoyable games I've had the pleasure to play this year. It's got everything a growing boy needs, violence, gunplay, swearing and more violence. Many will be of the train of thought "Violence doesn't make a game" and most occasions I'd say you are dead right. What House of The Dead does is make you feel like you are in a genuine Tarrantino flick, it's dialogue is deliciously cheesy, it's visual presentation is slick and looks amazing for a Wii game, and more importantly it's a whole bunch of fun.
Then Sega plan to follow this up very soon with Madworld, one of the coolest looking titles we've seen since XIII back in 2004. Madworld features so much violence and destruction, but once again in an environment that is begging for it.
Add The Conduit to this impressive lineup, a hardcore shooter that the Wii crowd has sorely been missing and you can't help but ask yourself, is it totally ironic that Sega seem to be bringing the fans what they want, for a Nintendo console....
24/02/2009
Another week flies by with no release and more catching up to do. While I'm actually enjoying this time off from spending my hard earned cash and catching up on some rather great gaming, I can see some big releases on the horizon that excite me.
Skate 2 is my first big anticipated title of the year. For those of you who missed out on EA's first adventure in the Skating world, Skate offers the player a realistic approach to skating, one that is more free roam and has a focus on learning the moves rather then button mashing. Skate is due out the end of Jan and I'm jumping for joy at the thought of grazing my virtual knees yet again!
Left 4 Dead has been playing through my Xbox in between my RROD problem. I have attempted to host games over at My360.com.au the last few nights but after some problem, my Elite finally died. I picked up a new console today though, so if you want to catch some online Left 4 Dead action you can add my Gamertag x Hellerphant x. I will be hosting a different game every week, so make sure you head over to My360 to see what we will be playing.
Work has begun on the MyMedia PC site which is going to be totally awesome! Can't wait to unleash this bad boy, and it's a reminder to just how exciting the time is right now over at the Mysites. MyPS3 just saw the launch of their new interface and it's totally sexy! The updates for the other sites are coming guys, don't you worry! But while My360, MyPS3 and MyWii are always busy, please don't forget to hang out at Mybluray and Mytelly. Both are great sites, and a great place to chat about movies and TV shows and the like!
Many people have praised our Retro-Grade segement and have been asking when the next podcast will be released. Tano and I will start work on the next episode of The Voice in the next few weeks, we have to wait until there is some notable things to talk about before we dump another podcast on your doorstep. The next Retro-Grade segment will follow the week after, and hopefully we can get a flow going with 2 episodes of The Voice a month plus one Retro-Grade segment. Thanks to all your support, and make sure you email us your ideas and comments to podcast@mymedia.net.au
PC is still getting a workout for me right now, Team Fortress 2 is constantly keeping me awake at night, and I still jump on the old Call of Duty 4 every now and then to throw down a few kills. Does anyone around the MySites play Day of Defeat Source at all? I'm looking to get back into that game!
So enjoy this exciting times over at the MySites! I've just got a copy of Super Smash Bros Brawl and Animal Crossing so if you are keen to meet online just hit me up over at MyWii. Happy new Year and tell me, what are you keen to play in 2009?
07/01/2009
Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the year that is 2009! I trust you have all had a great Christmas and New Years, full of food, family, and hopefully you all got the games you were hoping for.
So what is currently sitting on Heller's Desk for the first week of 2009? Nintendo WiFi ISSUES! Animal Crossing - Let's Go To The City has made its way across my desk this week, and to tell you the truth I'm a little addicted. I find myself picking it up at least once a day for about 30 mins, which is about all you need to be content with this title. I never played the DS or GC versions, so I'm not experience the monsoon of nostalgia (or the hit of "this is EXACTLY the same") that some users are experiencing. WHAT I AM seeing is a multitude of Nintendo WFC issues with this title. Continual dropouts have been occurring, and it seems that everyone is plagued with the issue. Online is what makes this game fun! Nintendo need to seriously work this out! Otherwise I'd give this game a big thumbs up!
Dead Space is still loading off my Xbox Hard-Drive and I am absolutely loving it! Games don't scare me, and movies very rarely scare me, but I am crapping my proverbial pants when I play Dead Space! I've never played a game that catches the atmosphere as well as EA's new title. The lighting, the shadows and the stellar sound all add to the scariest experience I've ever had in an interactive medium EVER!
Wario: The Shake Dimension also is sitting on my desk. MyWii has had a feature review of this game for a while, and I gotta say I'm impressed. If you are a fan of the old school platformers, and want to see top notch graphical presentation with a WACKY world, you will LOVE this game! Unfortunately it's not in 16:9 so you are stuck with some annoying borders, but you will learn to deal with that. It's also worth pointing out that the 2 best games to use the Wiimotes gestures have both been Wario games....
I've also got some time with my PC this week and I've been playing some Team Fortress 2 online. For those who played the Xbox version and now aren't keen on trying the PC, I beg you to reconsider. The PC version is AMAZING and feels totally different to its Xbox Counterpart. Also STEAM are having a sale until Midnight today (2nd of Jan) where you can pick it up for the low price of $9.95.
Also I have been playing through Telltale's Sam and Max Season 1. I am a huge fan of Sam and Max Hit The Road, an oldschool point and click adventure which is right up there with my favourite games of all time, easily in the top 5. Telltale have captured the energy of that game, and transferred it into top notch episodic content that is relevant today. You can download Episode 3 for free off STEAM so if you want to give it a go, I'd definitely recommend it!
As you can see, I'm still catching up on some of the great gaming that was in 2008, but what am I looking forward to in 2009?
Skate 2 - Xbox 360
Resident Evil 5 - Xbox 360
Killzone 2- PS3
Heavy Rain - PS3
Bioshock 2 - Xbox 360
No More Heroes 2 - Nintendo Wii
Uncharted 2 - PS3
What is tickling your fancy for 2009? What games did you get for Christmas that you are playing through right now?
02/01/2009