Hey all,
As a lot of you know, Australia has no R18 rating for videogames. Causing all sorts of kerfuffle when a game with bad language or drugs or any sort of (gasp!) adult content tries to cross our shores.

Most of this is due to one man, Michael Atkinson, South Australia's Attorney General who is single-handedly keeping Australia's R18+ rating to be allowed. Thus making any game deemed R18 by the OFLC unable to be classified or sold in this country.

Sad I know, but somebody is actually doing something about it!



Melbourne man David Doe has taken it upon himself to run against Michael Atkinson in his seat of Croydon in SA. In doing this he's hoping to finally bring an R18+ rating for videogames in Australia, developing a more realistic and respectful public image of the videogaming public along the way.

If you want to support his campaign, with donations or just moral support, check out his Gamers 4 Croydon website and facebook group.

However, if you want to help right now and you live in Adelaide, David will be at Rundle mall's balls today getting signatures to support his campaign between 5.30 and 6.30 pm. If he gets over 150 members he will be able to officially register the Gamers4Croydon party with the South Australian Electoral Commission, and shit can get serious!

So if you're in Adelaide today, aged 18 or over and are eligible to vote, I advise you go pay Mr Doe a visit and help this great cause out.

Cheers!

Links:
Interview with David Doe
Gamers 4 Croydon website
Gamers 4 Croydon Facebook group


p.s. Just two things to note how much of a legend David Doe is; 1) Any money he receives through donations that isn't used on the campaign will be given to Child's Play. 2) He's road-tripping from Melbourne to Adelaide today just to get the 150 members' signatures so he can register the party.

Legend.

*sniff*

Bloody Legend.

Hey all,
I know my C-blogging has been rather quiet lately, all my attention has been focused on podcasting and working and playing ping-pong with small marsupials. Great fun.

But now I return with a tasty treat of rumor-like proportions!


Tasty like vodka, comrade!

I was browsing through the Australian Classification Board's website just now, annoyed that the pricks had refused Valve's appeal on getting L4D2 uncensored, when I found something interesting.

On the OFLC's latest ratings page I found a mention of a new rating listing for the severely underrated beat-em-up/shmup hybrid The Red Star. The game was given a PG rating on the 22nd of October of this year, with the rating listing the game as a multiplatform game.

At first I thought that this could have been a new rating for the Xbox and PS2 versions, so I did some digging and found that those versions had already received their rating in 2006.

So what does this all mean? This could be the OFLC being silly and rating a game that has already been rated, but this could also mean a new The Red Star is on the way.



The Red Star devs XS Games have no mention of a new The Red Star game on their website (yet), so for now anythings up for speculation.

So speculate I will!
Although you gotta admit, The Red Star's gameplay fits perfectly alongside the shmups and beat-em-ups found on DLC platforms such as XBLA and PSN, don't you think? And the rating did mention the game was multiplatform...

Personally I'd just be happy for this game to get more exposure, I've heard from many people that it's a great game and an XBLA/PSN release will do wonders for getting this game noticed.

Cheers

I LOVE YOU DESTRUCTOID!

Hey all!!!

I think this is the first time I have posted an official drunkblog, are you excited for me? are ya?
I realise after the last sentence that I am trying too hard to correct drunken typos... so I shall stop that right now to add extra 'effect' to my drunkblog and not break that whole 'stream of consciousness' thing I may or may not have going on. ......more like stream of semi-consiousness... hahaha

Kane says hi! He's a cop you see so I can;t show you his face on television. He came over for some brews andf games and brought a shitload of his fine homebrew beeer. Oh fuck he just picked up a sword!

...yes I have a sword in my room, what of it? PS: I love penis*

*Kane wrote that, what a silly scamp! Laaaawl!

fuck, alright I'll show you my sword, no double entendre at all (how the fuck do you spell entendre? I hope it's entendre).


I'M COMING FOR YOU FREEEEEEMAN!!!


As I write this the gents (DanMazkin and Kane) are playing Battletoads in Battlemaniacs on the SNES, looks kinda dodgey on a HDTV but who cares! Is a fucking SNES!!! Kane wants to say that the green toad gives a mean pimp backhand.


Wait... I was writing this blog for a reason apart from telling you that I'm drunk right?

Oh yeah! I fucking love you guys! I have a beer next to me and I drink a toast to you! The Dtoid community, the editors and contributors, and just Dtoid itself for being a whole lot more than just some dumb games blaarg, but for being a community and for quite a few of us, a way of life!

Am I talking drunken shit right now? probably yes..... ah fuck it!

I'm drinkin this beer for you all! CHEERS!

Oooh pizza's here! Oh fuck DanMazkin ordered family size pizzas, these guys don't fuck around.

I love you all, and will hopefully see a lot of you awesome folks next year as DanMazkin and I and my lovely missus Jus travel to NY and LA for some insane shenanegans around June/July!

Save a bar stool for us! ....don't order Fosters. You'll thank us late.


Oooh we're watching DeadLeaves now! Fuck I love that show!

- Much love, PuppyLicks XOXO

Damn the good news just keeps on coming hey?


Ahhh live actors, a hallmark of a PC Gaming classic.

If you read my previous posts you'll know that I'm a little bit excited about the new MechWarrior announcement. I seem to have a robot problem, obviously.

But a lot of you probably haven't played a real MechWarrior game, thinking that the best the franchise can offer is MechAssault. Well Smith & Tinker seem to be aware of that fact and have offered a free crash course in the school of Big Stompy Robots.

As a tribute to BattleTech's 25th anniversary, Smith And Tinker are offering MechWarrior 4 (including it's expansion packs) for free off BattleTech.com. A precise date hasn't been offered yet but both S&T and BattleTech.com say the download will be available 'soon'.

So if you're hearing people get excited about the new MechWarrior but have no idea what the hubbub is all about, download the game and give it a shot and see what it's like to be in the cockpit of a 90 ton walking death machine*.

Also the game has a BattleMech called 'Awesome', how can you not resist that?

- Cheers to DanMazkin for passing this on.

*Yes yes I know Steel Battalion did it too but what would you rather? A free awesome game or a game that needs a $200+ controller?

Well, mentioned it in the forums and I posted a rumor yesterday.

Now, MechWarrior fans rejoice! Smith & Tinker and Pirahna games are definitely making MechWarrior. And to be extra nice they have given us a shiny new trailer to fap to.


And fap I shall!



IGN have also offered a hefty Q&A with Piranha and Smith & Tinker if you are wanting to see what direction they are taking the new MW game.
Heres a hint: Not MechAssault.



Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and start shopping for which Battlemech I shall bring ruin with in the new game. Hmmmm, Vulture... Madcat... Atlas.... Supernova.... Damn! So many choices!


-UPDATE-
Here are some details of the game so far from the Q&A.

- Its a series reboot set before the first MechWarrior game. "Not your father's MechWarrior"

- It's an Action-Simulation, no MechAssault arcade action here

- It Involves Co-Op through the main campaign

- Theres a change in focus from wide open spaces to more urban combat, also destructible environments are in.

- There's a focus on 'information warfare', basically knowing who the enemy is and where he is, this is helped with UAVs and Scout Class Mechs (great for co-op).

- It's being developed for PC and Xbox360 (so far)

- It uses the Unreal3 engine

- Multplayer is also in, including a COD4 style experience system.

- The multiplayer battle looks to be a consistent battle that the devs will change the parameters of over time depending on the outcome of the 'war' (probably similar to ChromeHounds)

- The devs hope to include a PC vs 360 aspect like ShadowRun (but, y'know, without the suck ;P)

- And S&T are in talks with a lot of publishers, they won't name who's in the lead yet but there's a lot of interest. Especially since this is aiming to come out for BattleTech's 25 anniversary.

Aaaaaand thats about it.
Cheers!