A new mouse has hit my desk - the so-called Cyborg R.A.T. 7. It's not yet available in Australia, it's been shipped straight from Mad Catz themselves! But, they didn't do it because they love me, it's a review unit so I could analyse it. And analyse it I did!

Check out that link to the review, and leave your feedback. :)

I'm sure you've all heard about Australian Senator Stephen Conroy's craziness during a recent press conference. The pro-filter communications minister had a few things to say about the usage of portals, and their habit of being targets of malicious spam.

But, I'm not here to regurgitate prior news. Nope. I'm here to reveal that Conroy was hinting at the upcoming game Portal 2 (sneaky!). And I have proof!

Ok, so it's not really the new Portal game, but I must say, Conroy had me convinced! For those starring at me blankly, here's the footage that explains it all:

Let's just hope he's better at protecting portals than he is at protecting children. :)

If you haven't done so already, here's your last chance to tell the Australian government that we need an R18+ rating for games! You can get the appropriate document here.

Don't fret though, it takes 10 minutes to fill out, and the comment section is optional (it's only 250 words anyway). When you're done, it's as simple as e-mailing the document to the provided e-mail address. Get to it!

Another quarter, another list of parts. I've created five builds ranging from $1000 to $3000, each with high quality components and a strong focus on raw performance. Looking at gaming? No problem. Video editing and graphic design? There's a PC for you.

The online computer store PC Case Gear has been used to produce the price lists. For comparison, prices in brackets were found using an average of the top 5 StaticICE results (minus outliers). Although StaticICE results tend to be marginally cheaper, keep in mind that the cost of delivery from multiple stores may increase the total considerably. Each PC consists of the tower without external peripherals or operating system (OS).

Note: Parts with an asterisk (*) next to them are only required if you plan to overclock the system.

$1000+ Budget Beast

CPU: Intel Core i5 750 - $239 [$219]
RAM: Corsair CMV4GX3M2A1333C9 4GB - $129 [$124]
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD3 - $159 [$152]
GPU: PowerColor Radeon HD5770 1GB - $189 [$188]
DVD-RW: Pioneer DVR-218L - $49 [$42]
Case: Lian Li Lancool Dragon Lord PC-K56 - $85 [$85]
Heatsink: Noctua NH-U9B SE2 - $74 [$75] *
PSU: Corsair CX-400 - $59 [$63]
HDD: Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB - $112 [$104]
Total: $1095 @ PCCG [$1052 @ StaticICE]

$1500+ Budget Workhorse

CPU: Intel Core i5 750 - $239 [$219]
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL (2 x 2GB) - $142 [$149]
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD3 - $159 [$151]
GPU: 2 x PowerColor Radeon HD5770 1GB - $378 [$376]
DVD-RW: Pioneer DVR-218L - $49 [$42]
Case: SilverStone Raven RV02 - $195 [$195]
Heatsink: Thermalright Venomous X - $89 [$89] *
Fan: Scythe Ultra Kaze 120mm Fan 2000rpm - $22 [$22] *
PSU: Corsair HX-650 - $159 [$159]
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB WD1001FALS - $118 [$116]
Total: $1550 @ PCCG [$1518 @ StaticICE]

$2000+ Performance Powerhouse

CPU: Intel Core i7 920 - $369 [$347]
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws F3-12800CL8T-6GBRM (3x2GB) - $221 [$239]
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R - $279 [$279]
GPU: 2 x PowerColor Radeon HD5770 1GB - $378 [$376]
DVD-RW: Pioneer DVR-218L - $49 [$42]
Case: SilverStone Raven RV02 - $195 [$195]
Heatsink: Thermalright Venomous X - $89 [$89] *
Fan: Scythe Ultra Kaze 120mm Fan 2000rpm - $22 [$22] *
PSU: Corsair HX-650 - $159 [$159]
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB WD1001FALS - $118 [$116]
SSD: Corsair Extreme X32 32GB - $176 [$176]
Total: $2055 @ PCCG [$2040 @ StaticICE]

$2500+ Grand Gaming Rig

CPU: Intel Core i7 920 - $369 [$347]
RAM: Corsair TR3X6G1600C8 6GB - $264 [$227]
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R - $279 [$279]
GPU: 2 x Radeon HD5850 1GB - $858 [$730]
DVD-RW: Pioneer DVR-218L - $49 [$42]
Case: SilverStone Raven RV02 - $195 [$195]
Heatsink: Thermalright Venomous X - $89 [$89] *
Fan: Scythe Ultra Kaze 120mm Fan 2000rpm - $22 [$22] *
PSU: Corsair HX-650 - $159 [$159]
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB WD1001FALS - $118 [$116]
SSD: Corsair Extreme X32 32GB - $176 [$176]
Total: $2578 @ PCCG [$2382 @ StaticICE]

$3000+ Performance King

CPU: Intel Core i7 920 - $369 [$347]
RAM: Corsair TR3X6G1600C8 6GB - $264 [$227]
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R - $279 [$279]
GPU: 2 x Radeon HD5850 1GB - $858 [$730]
DVD-RW: Pioneer DVR-218L - $49 [$42]
Case: SilverStone Fortress FT02 - $282 [$282]
Heatsink: Thermalright Venomous X - $89 [$89] *
Fan: Scythe Ultra Kaze 120mm Fan 2000rpm - $22 [$22] *
PSU: Corsair HX-650 - $159 [$159]
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB WD1001FALS - $118 [$116]
SSD: 2 x OCZ Agility 60GB - $578 [$584]
Total: $3067 @ PCCG [$2877 @ StaticICE]

Note: The Ultra Kaze fan should be mounted on the Vernomous X heatsink so it pushes air through the fins. If the build has an SSD, it's best to install your OS, applications and games to it for added performance. Documents and media are best kept on the larger HDD.

Tip: When shopping for components, visit any brick and mortar stores you have in mind first. Ordering some parts online, then realising that the local store is out of stock for the rest of the build, will only cause frustration, wastage of time, and money.

You may have noticed that some builds are between $50-$100 more than the reference budget. This is because of the variance between the PCCG and StaticICE price, in addition to the optional after market heatsink and fan (if overclocking). It's possible to remain on a strict budget if you shop around, or remove components you don't require.

Well there you have it, system builds for Q1 2010! If you have any questions, or want a computer custom designed to your requirements, feel free to ask on the forum!

According to George "Geohot" Hoz, the man responsible for jailbreaking the iPhone, the infamous Playstation 3 Hypervisor is no longer an obstacle. His blog entitled On the PlayStation 3 suggests that his attempts at hacking the PS3 were very fruitful.

Hello hypervisor, I'm geohot
I have read/write access to the entire system memory, and HV level access to the processor. In other words, I have hacked the PS3. The rest is just software. And reversing. I have a lot of reversing ahead of me, as I now have dumps of LV0 and LV1. I've also dumped the NAND without removing it or a modchip.

3 years, 2 months, 11 days...thats a pretty secure system

Took 5 weeks, 3 in Boston, 2 here, very simple hardware cleverly applied, and some not so simple software.

Shout out to George Kharrat from iPhoneMod Brasil for giving me this PS3 a year and a half ago to hack. Sorry it took me so long :)

As far as the exploit goes, I'm not revealing it yet. The theory isn't really patchable, but they can make implementations much harder. Also, for obvious reasons I can't post dumps. I'm hoping to find the decryption keys and post them, but they may be embedded in hardware. Hopefully keys are setup like the iPhone's KBAG.

It's hard to believe that it's taken over three whole years for someone to crack this pesky security obstacle. What can be believed is that this guy may very well be the first to achieve such a feat. He was able to pioneer the iPhone jailbreaking escapade that many people utilise today, so it appears we're in for a good chance.

This milestone should make it possible for many interesting PS3 projects to start up. This includes homebrew applications, running 'backup' copies of your games, and perhaps some interesting physical modifications. If you have a PS3, this is definitely something you'll want to look out for. :)

Microsoft's Project Natal has been getting mixed responses lately. Some critics liken it to an elaborate Sony EyeToy, whilst others see it as a Wii-like motion control gimmick. Those who like it tend to brush it off as a child's toy. So is there any hope of making Natal an interesting method of control for gaming enthusiasts? I've created a list of the things I'd like developers to implement in their upcoming titles, bar the cliché EyeToy-like functionality.

5. Voice navigation
The major drawback with the existing controller is that you have to click through multiple dialogues/menus to get to where you want. The Natal device has an inbuilt microphone which allows it to capture audio. I don't see why Natal couldn't be used to navigate the consoles various menus via voice recognition, similar to the Microsoft Auto powered Ford Sync technology. Wouldn't it be great to be in the middle of your favourite game, and be able to say "natal music Guns 'n' Roses" and have it play that album? I think so. Especially if you're busy shooting the crap out of a horde of oncoming aliens. And let's face it, who doesn't like an upbeat soundtrack to compliment their multi-kill streak?

But music isn't the only thing that could benefit. You could ask it to save your game progress at a specific instance, pause the game, take you to a specific section of your dashboard, or perhaps help with parts of the game such as answering the phone in GTAIV.

Of course, if this was implemented, it'd be available to those with existing headsets too. So even those without the money to buy the latest Natal kit will have something to look forward to.

4. Automatic account switching
If an Xbox 360 is shared among multiple people, they'll naturally want to be able to sign into their own Live accounts, and access their own save files. Microsoft's official Natal site shows that the Natal device is capable of distinguishing who is playing the console. If this tech can be linked to the switching of Live accounts, that'd be very handy.

3. Hand gestures
No, I'm not talking about waving your hand like a mad man trying to get a virtual fluffy bunny to catch flying carrots, but something more appealing to the enthusiast market. Hand gestures can be used for navigation. Say you want to navigate a menu; you could briefly flick your hand to the side. This would be particularly useful if the machine is being used for media purposes. Chances are that you won't have the controller in your hand, so searching through a list of songs and video clips would be much easier if you could merely get in sight of the Natal device and perform a few quick gestures.

It'd also be practical in-game, even for the quick paced first person shooter (FPS) genre. Games such as Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter rely on commanding AI team mates. The gamer could briefly signal the AI to do his/her bidding, using recognised squad hand gestures.

2. Head tracking
This would be an awesome addition to games where a player controls transportation machines such as cars or planes. For instance, in regards to flight simulators, the gamer wants to be able to quickly see to either side. Unfortunately, gamepads are a bit fiddly in this regard, particularly if you're already concentrating on manoeuvring the plane. To combat this drawback, a device by the name of TrackIR was developed on the PC platform. To put it simply, it tracks head movement so you can naturally move your head to the side, and the game replicates this so that you're looking to the side in-game. Implementing this into Natal would be quite an awesome feature to play around with.

FPS gamers may also find this beneficial. Being able to quickly look to the side may give them the upper hand in combat. It may even reduce eye strain, since moving your head will cause your eyes to move around to maintain focus on the screen, thus preventing them from staying in the one position for a significant period of time.

1. Noise and emotion integration
Natal's product demonstrations, in particular the Milo video, showcase the ability for gamer emotions to be recognised. Now what if this, in addition to sound, could be used to alter the atmosphere of a game? Think zombies. Say you're playing Left 4 Dead with friends online, and one of you gets caught off guard. And they scream like a little girl. Now imagine that this attracts more zombies to that particular player. But, that's not all. What if the completely freaked out face that this guy is pulling is replicated by the on-screen player? That'd be awesome and humorous. It'd also be quite cool to have a group of players with a massive grin on their faces as they plow through hordes of the undead. Now that's gaming.

---

You may have noticed that all of my suggestions compliment the existing physical controller. I honestly don't think many gamers are interested in swapping their gamepad out for a virtual control system. Sure, it'll entice some of the Wii and EyeToy users over to the Xbox 360 camp, but there's so much more that they can do with this system. My main point is that Microsoft and its partners should not neglect the market they've already set up. By enhancing what they have, the new Natal technology won't be just another kids toy, but instead an extension of both traditional control schemes and the overall target market. That's what will make Project Natal a success.

That being said, there's always the opportunity to create games which rely solely on the Natal technology. These would be perfect for those who want to muck around, i.e. casual gamers. As long as Microsoft recognises the difference in markets, and doesn't force this "controller-free" experience down people's throats, they may be onto something revolutionary.

Have any other great ideas for Project Natal to implement? Let us know in the comments section below!

Website: http://charcoalstyles.com/SHMUP/
Price: $9.99

S.H.M.U.P is a new age side-scroller aimed at the casual gamer demographic. The developer Charcoal Styles describes his creation as "...a side scrolling shooter that doesn't need pixel perfect positioning, lightening reflexes or for you to remember bullet patterns. All you need to do is make stuff explode", which is quite an enticing prospect for those who refuse to dedicate countless hours to mastering tactics. It integrates the classic 'ship' vs 'intruders' style of gameplay where the player controls a series of circular ships via the humble mouse. The continually oncoming intruders are made up of basic shapes with a range of offensive and defensive mechanisms to keep the protagonist challenged. It's the duty of the player to protect the wall on the left hand side of the screen.

The game has an interesting movement mechanic where your ships follow (read: lag behind) the mouse cursor. This can make precise movements difficult, which is an interesting challenge in itself. Rapid movements are not simple to pull off, so it takes some forethought to dodge tricky enemy bullet/rocket patterns. The ships are not unlike a homing missile, as they strive to manoeuvre toward the cursor as quickly as possible.

Speaking of missiles, each ship has the ability to shoot these wonderful projectiles at oncoming enemies. They're particularly useful when there's a dense array of menacing shapes charging toward your precious wall. They're enemy seeking, so careful aiming is not necessary. However, if you pay attention to the paths they take, you can get them to hit particular areas with reasonable accuracy.

The struggle between an R18+ game classification and Attorney General Michael Atkinson's conservative views has taken an unexpected twist today. Sega's long awaited game Aliens vs Predator (AvP) was refused classification on the 3rd of December due to its high level of realistic violence, but has has been overturned after an appeal by the developer. The games new MA15+ classification comes with a warning of "Strong science fiction violence" which apparently excuses the R18+ level of mature gameplay.

It's clear that the Australian Classification Review Board is seeking to allow mature media through any way they can. It begs the question, is this current decision an act of vigilance toward Michael Atkinson and his blatant refusal to pass R18+ legislation? It wouldn't be surprising if the CRB is doing this to favour a R18+ classification, in order to ensure media can get through without inconsistencies in their decision process. There's a strong push for mature games to be allowed in Australia, and at this point in time the only way to do so is to pass it off as an MA15+ title. The sooner Mr Atkinson realises this stark reality, and how parents may be buying this type of violence for Christmas due to no R18+ warnings, the easier this process will be for both the CRB and those who purchase games for their children. As much as I disagree with strong violence being passed off with such a low rating, it may be the only way for the conservative masses to realise their silly counter-productive ways.

Do you agree with the CRBs decision? Let us know in the comments section below!

Website: http://www.microsoft.com/
Price: $38.74AUD + $16 postage - http://www.gizmomart.com.au/ (at time of review)



Yes, you heard correctly, an Xbox 360 controller. "But Vito", you would say, "isn't this old hardware now?" And you'd be correct! However, the controller is still on the market, and I have only recently got my hands on one. I've been searching for a good reasonably priced game pad for my PC for a while now. I first started with a Powerwave branded controller which was promptly returned to the store of purchase. The quality was sub par, and the dead zone of the analogue stick unbelievably large. For those playing at home, 'dead zone' is the area in which the analogue control on a gamepad will not respond. This is typically set to counteract any small discrepancies when the analogue stick returns to its origin. Analogue sticks rarely return to the exact same origin, which can be a problem on sensitive or loose controls - hence the need for a dead zone.

With the Powerwave controller returned, I continued to use my humble keyboard. In the meantime, I'd look around for comfortable controllers from other brands, and ultimately failed to find one. That was until I came across the Xbox 360 PC controller. But does it live up to the expectations of an avid PC gamer? Let's find out!

What's in the package?
Included is a Xbox 360 controller, driver CD, and a small user manual. Pretty much the bog standard contents for a consumer peripheral.

As you can see, the controller is identical to one you'd find on the Xbox 360 console. The only apparent difference is the packaging and the included driver CD.

Next page >>

Piracy. There are many excuses for it. Some are seemingly legit, others are blatant bullshit. The end result is the same. Piracy is driving the industry away. To put this into perspective, let's delve into some of the reasons why piracy is so popular in this day and age.

The most obvious is that free stuff is, well, free. It's not uncommon to have an innocent conversation with acquaintances regarding music collections, and how large each others are. Many people download every song they know illegitimately, then add it to their collection, regardless of their musical tastes. It's like the musical equivalent to e-peen, short of being a dedicated audiophile with myriads of $600 digital audio cables. They're very much alike - being obsessed with something that makes no sense - and on the other hand, very different, since one pays a fortune for their passion, while the other refuses to spend a cent. Despite this, music is the least of our concerns. Music isn't restricted to any particular platform, and as reckless as the music industry likes to be, the lack of DRM has kept the legit buyers happy so far.

There's also 'demo'ing' or testing a piece of software before purchasing. Sometimes there are no official demos for a piece of software, and it's unclear whether it'll be suitable. A torrent later, and it's all settled. Is that a legit cause? Maybe so. But who determines what a "demo" encompasses? And when do we finally say, "hey, I think I'll now part with my hard earned cash"?

Notwithstanding, the main reason for piracy is lack of availability at reasonable prices. Countries such as Pakistan and Brazil do not have an array of legit games at their mercy. Much of what is sold is illegitimate copies from dodgy dealers at a fraction of retail cost. Or, users decide to torrent the software to avoid paying full stop. To put this into context, Brazil has only very recently launched the Playstation 2. Yes, the console prior to the current PS3. And not cheaply either, at $461USD. This is why piracy and the grey market are so huge in these countries.

For years the PC has been the epitome of all gaming platforms for 'serious' gamers. The graphics are superior, the controls are flexible, and the choice of games is massive. Unfortunately, this may all change due to piracy.

Recently the game 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2' was released. The game caused a huge stir before it had even been released, for one major reason.  No more dedicated servers. That's a massive drawback for a FPS in general, not to mention a full fledged realistic combat game. Expectations were high, after all, this franchise has been a crowd favourite for years. So why would they tell PC gamers to go shove it? Their reason was piracy. "Pssh!" I hear people hissing. Let's look at the figures for COD:MW:

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare: 830,000

That's a fuck load of downloads. Let's assume each copy is worth $50 retail. If my maths is correct, we're looking at a staggering $41,500,000. And that's just the PC torrent figures.

But if these people wouldn't have bought it anyway, then they didn't really lose any money, did they?
True. If you put everyone in the one basket. The fact of the matter is, some people feel that they're entitled to obtain software for free, despite their financial status. Sure, a huge chunk of that 41.5 million dollars wouldn't have made it to the publisher with or without the advent of piracy. But that's still millions of dollars of lost revenue. Now look at these figures from the viewpoint of the developer and publisher. They're businesses, just like any other in this world. Their aim is to make the most amount of money possible. They don't have to care about the consumer, provided they make a profit. It's not hard to see why Infinity Ward, the developer of COD:MW2, decided to handle the games release the way they did. Instead of catering for the PC market by tweaking the game for optimum PC use (no, not just mouse control), they made a direct bare-bones console port. Fast and cost effective.

This outraged gamers far and wide. Partitions were formed, pre-orders were cancelled, and a bad reputation was smeared across the pages of high traffic communities. No one wanted a "console port", especially at the price of $100. The game was effectively ditched completely by the online masses. The developer snubbed PC gamers, and they were snubbed back. There were even calls of people proudly proclaiming their intention to pirate the game. A recipe for disaster right? Surely the PC market is worth enough in revenue that these quality issues are a concern?

Apparently not. In fact, COD:MW2 has become the best selling game of all time. $550 million dollars was made in the first five days of release. But how can a seemingly flawed game possibly make that much money? Contrary to seemingly fallible logic, it actually makes perfect sense.

Hit them where it hurts
Infinity Ward knew their franchise was very popular. A fair amount of people were going to buy this game no matter what. This, and the fact that there was a lot of controversy about a very violent scene, was a guarantee for good revenue. But record breaking revenue? There was more to that. You see, most people have both a PC and a modern gaming console. Interestingly enough, only the PC version was getting all the bad press. So most of the consumers who opted to 'boycott' the game ended up getting the console version. Because let's be honest, who wants a game that's cut down? Conveniently, piracy on the PS3 platform is not yet feasible. And as for the Xbox 360, piracy is a sure fire way to get yourself banned from Xbox Live. Infinity Ward played their hand correctly, and pushed a fair amount of players to the comforts of two tightly controlled platforms. There's no arguing that the reason was piracy, they even said it themselves.

The end of PC gaming?
This question is on the lips of a significant amount of gamers. I mean, think about it. How many PC exclusive games have been released recently that are worth buying? Heck, how many aren't console ports? Not as many as you'd expect. The sad reality is that consoles are getting priority. Not only are they easier to develop for, but they're the main source of revenue for developers and publishers. Why port a game to PC when it costs time and money to do so, for a small piece of market share, of which many steal the games?

But does this really translate to the demise of PC gaming as we know it? If a developer such as Infinity Ward is capable of raking in record amounts of money with little appreciation for the PC platform, it's only to be expected that other companies will follow suit. Whether they do so is another story, one which I, for one, will follow with great interest.

What does this mean for legitimate PC gamers? It's hard to tell. Nonetheless, it's safe to say that it's going to result in an interesting turn of events. To who's advantage, is the concern.

Consistency is key. That's what my high school English teachers used to tell me. If you're going to produce mediocre work, at least be consistent about it. There's nothing like a wave of marks which show that you're not only incompetent, but lazy. Do well, do shit, do well, do shit. It reeks of 'I can't be fucked'. So when I heard that Australia's 'Classification Review Board', now known as the 'epitome of incompetence' released their revised stance on the yet to be released game Left4Dead 2, I couldn't help but notice the lack of consistency that this board appears to thrive on.

Ignoring the fact that Australia doesn't have an R18 classification due to pure stupidity, Australia classifies games into one of either G, PG, M15+, MA15+, and our favourite, RC (refused classification). What bothers me is that those on the classification board find it increasingly difficult to make up their mind. What makes a game M, MA15+ or RC? They quite simply couldn't tell you. Well, they could, but you'd get 3 different answers, depending on the time space continuum and the curvature of its travel.

Now, you're probably thinking, "This guy is just ranting! Surely they'd be capable of correct judgement!" I wish that were so. But it isn't, and this can be simply seen by the complete lack of consistency between classification of past (and current) decisions. To get some perspective, lets quickly take a look at the reason for Left4Dead's refusal by the CRB:

"...it was the Review Board’s opinion that there was insufficient delineation between the depiction of general zombie figures and the human figures, as opposed to the clearly fictional ‘infected’ characters. This was a major consideration of the Review Board in determining the impact of this game on minors."

Umm, they're zombies. Yes, they're based on human figures. That's what zombies are, risen-from-the-dead run-of-the-mill humans. But let's play Devil's advocate, and say that this was a fair call. The game is very bloody, and violent, and to inflict mass murder on human-like pixel structures would be a bit too much for "minors". The question is, why would a minor be playing a MA15+ game? Unless their parents allowed them to do so, which is ultimately their choice, the classification clearly states it's for those who are of the age of 15 or greater. The fact of the matter is, what's to stop a parent from giving their child alcohol? Nothing. It's bad, sure, but it's not up to the government to ban alcohol from the population, is it?

But let's assume that the CRB has a reasonable answer to that point. Technically a 17 year old is still a minor. Which, in my opinion, is silly in this context since most 10 year olds know the difference between a game and reality; including applicable ethics. But I digress. Let's take a look at another game that the CRB recently classified under MA15+, named Wolfenstein. This is CRB's official stance on the game. Keep in mind the reasons for L4D2's ban whilst you watch this in-game video of Wolfenstein:

Gore? Check!
Dismemberment? Check!
Human enemies? Check!
Melee and gun based weaponry? Check!
RC classification? Whoops!

I guess they accidentally let this one slip though. Nope! They did the same with Fallout 3, another MA15+ classified game. Take a look:

Gore? Check!
Dismemberment? Check!
Human enemies? Check!
Fictional enemies? Check!
Melee and gun based weaponry? Check!
RC classification? Again, whoops!

Finally, to add salt to the wound, there's the original L4D! Which, you guessed it, is also MA15+. Apart from the added melee weaponry, L4D2 is very similar to its predecessor. Not to mention that this is only a fraction of MA15+ games that are similar, if not more violent, than L4D2. It begs the question, if these games are allowed through, why is L4D2 any different? Inconsistency. Plain and simple.

And that's not all, our favourite senator Michael Atkinson, sole campaigner against the R18+ classification, doesn't trust the CRB either! So it would appear that both sides are in agreement that there's something very very wrong with the classification board. For the click impaired, a quote from Atkinson:

"There are many games that are ultra-violent and accessible to minors. I accept that one can't always trust the Office of Film & Literature Classification to apply the guidelines in their plain meaning - it will stretch them to get things through for the industry."

Indeed. And they do it ever so inconsistently! On another note, why refuse an R18+ rating if they're apparently letting them through anyway? Hmm...

When you look at the situation, it becomes clear that it's one giant catch 22 situation. The CRB needs an R18+ classification so it doesn't have to make excuses to allow otherwise R18+ games to be classified under MA15+, or RC. On the other hand, Mr Atkinson isn't willing to trust the CRB until they RC almost every game on the market. So, as usual, the consumer loses. Until Atkinson moves on, of course.

Until then, for the sake of adult gamers (i.e. the majority), it's clear that the CRB need to review another product - themselves. Perhaps three times, and take an average.

DasBok has been generous enough to spare some time for an interview regarding his role of planning and running gaming LANs. Check it out. :)



How did you get into gaming, and eventually the LAN scene?
I actually got into gaming, and the LAN scene in very similar ways, and that’s all thanks to the education system. I was first introduced to computers and computer games all the way back when I was in the 3rd grade at primary school, by my teacher at the time, when he brought in his “new” computer, a 486, with a tonne of awesome games on them.

This love for games only increased with the release of Quake, and Quake2 in 1996/7, and when I got my first real taste of the Internet, including playing games on LANs. I didn’t get big in the LAN scene until I hit University, where with the support of the IT faculty at Monash, me and a friend were able to start “GreenTubeLAN”.

How did your LAN gatherings start?
GreenTubeLAN first started with me and a friend at Monash. We decided that we wanted to try our hands at hosting a LAN. I mean, what better way to when you have all the resources available to us including some truly kick-arse and totally over-the-top hardware (we are talking 3com managed switches), just for, what at the time, was relatively small LAN. And from there, it just grew.

What is involved when setting up a large scale LAN?
Giving up months worth of sleep? :)

Generally, the process we use when getting ready, is about two or three months out, start planning, seating arrangements, and start sourcing hardware, cables, and of course sending out requests to possible sponsors.

Then we go into our “advertising” mode, where we start contacting regulars, letting them know the where, what, and why, and putting up notices on websites, etc.

On the day, the admins generally get there early, we drag out tables, run all the cables that need to be in place, and use literally miles of duct tape to hold everything down, plus setting up, and testing servers.

At some point, because at our LANs we offer food, a few guys go off and fill up a few trolleys worth of goods.

If everything goes according to plans (which it never does), we are ready with everything working by the time the doors open to lets the eager LANers in.

What genre of games do you enjoy playing? Any specific titles?
As many people know, I’m a HUGE fan of Death Match games, specifically Quake Live. But I’m also open to playing many other games (Call of Duty 4, Team Fortress 2, Left 4 Dead), and I’m currently hooked on Command & Conquer 3 and Fallout 3.

When LAN time comes around, I start getting big into the racing sim of choice at the time (come on, try and beat me on Bathurst!).

Which do you find are the most popular titles amongst gamers that attend your LANs?
Generally, we find the games which provide something fresh, with the ability to be social at the same time. We have had success with Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Painkiller, Unreal Tournament 2004, and Counter Strike.

Surprisingly, at our LANs, Team Fortress 2 doesn’t seem to be very popular. Basically, if you can kill something, or race something whilst yelling at everyone else in the game, it will be a hit, it's all about having fun right?

How has LANing changed over the last few years?
I think LANing has [unfortunately] changed for the worst over the past few years. When I first started going to LANs (which was well before I started hosting them), they were all about playing games, and having fun with like-minded people. This culture seems to have disappeared.

Now it seems that most LANs have degenerated into either file-transfer, or competitions. The casual game play seems to be left behind, unless it's just between mates. The days of random 64 player Battlefield games are gone.

Do you have any tips for those who wish to start their own local LAN party/society?
If you are planning on starting your own local LAN, you must be prepared to put in a lot of effort. You are going to need to run around a lot. As a first LAN, you must be prepared to have no sponsors as many places won't give support to an unproven LAN.

Also, if you are going to start your own LAN, make sure it's NOT for the money. You will NOT make money from hosting a LAN. OK, you might make $20 at the end of it, but that’s not the point, you should be hosting a LAN because you love games, and sharing your gaming experience with people.

Where should people go to find out more about your LANs?
Currently, since GreenTubeLAN folded, I am currently working on some plans to setup another LAN with a friend, of course, people who read your blog will be the first to know once we have everything in place :)

DasBok can be contacted via his blog at http://www.dasbok.com/

I'm still quite young, but I do appreciate the games of yesteryear. There are quite a few remakes of some really fun retro games. I've taken the liberty to post a few here for you to check out. Get into it!

Warning: These are really addictive. :)


Highway Pursuit
Play as a car in pursuit, equipped with weapons to fend off enemy cars and helicopters. A simple yet addictive game, where the aim is to go as far as possible whilst defeating as many enemies as you can.
Grab it here.

Icy Tower
To put it simply, imagine free-running, except replace 'running' with 'jumping' - and you're in an icy tower. Great for procrastination!
Get it here.

Carax
Similar to Space Invaders, but much faster paced, and you're against the clock! Instead of lives, damage removes time from the clock, giving you less chance to win.
Get it here!

Suggest your favourite retro games in the comments. :)

Enjoy. :)

During my travels in the radioactive wastelands I had come across an issue to do with my characters strength. It would appear that he struggled to carry the large amounts of looted kit I was scavenging, resulting in the ever irritating 'over-encumbered' status. This would then mean sorting though my Pip-Boy 3000 and consuming whatever I could to lower the overwhelming weight. Unfortunately, this also meant dumping whatever weapons I could not carry.

The issue with this process is the value of such items. Do I dump the items which are cool but are of little or no use to me? Do I dump the items that are worth the most, but are also the heaviest? Do I just suffer and waddle excruciatingly slow to the nearest place of trade? It may seem obvious, but the decision often left me stumped.

So I had to learn to deal with sacrifice. This meant weighing up items of market value against items of quest value. The tough choice had to be made, the quest items were to stay. After all, the purpose of the game isn't to accumulate the most money. Nope. It's about experiencing what the developers intended to offer. So if I'm there constantly conceiving ways to make the most profit possible in a make believe world, who really benefits? The game becomes as slow and dull as watching royal Englishmen play polo, except the horse is an aged tortoise, and the rider is the Michelin man on anaesthetics.

I know what you're probably thinking, 'how is this a life lesson?' I tend to horde old items well beyond any sense of value. Sometimes I throw them out, but often I convince myself that I'll use them at a later date. What Fallout 3 has identified is the difference between perceived and true value. More often than not, an item which you think will be useful for a ridiculously rare occurrence is actually ripe and ready for the trash.

Now when it comes to clearing up the clutter, where clutter clearing is due, I take care to only keep the items that I require. This ensures a cleaner working environment so I can get work done without worrying about where everything should be. Bits of scavenged paper with old overclock trials on them --> trash. Sticky notes with required behaviours for my now completed NXT robotics project --> binned.

It could also be argued that this game, amongst several others, identifies the differences between 'good' and 'evil'. A karma rating in the game determines whether particular elements of the game are available to use. Act like a complete scum bag and you attract characters of that same nature. However this also comes at a price. You're then alienated by several non playable characters (NPCs). In short, treat those the way you wish to be treated.

Of course, this doesn't stop you acting the fool in the game! It's quite enjoyable playing an evil character, but by no means would you relate this wild behaviour to reality. Unless you happen to be one of many violent game induced crazed gunmen that Attorney General Michael Atkinson has warned us about!

Fortunately, being an evil villain in reality is quickly met by tazers to the chest. The fact that there's no save file to load once you've been sentenced to life in jail for activating a stray nuke in your local city is also a slight deterrent. Not to mention that you don't have a Pip-Boy 3000 to guide you through the whole affair. By that logic, it's probably best to run with the positive values of your gaming experience. Don't let that karma level sway the wrong way!