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Fallout 3 Refused Classification in Australia!

Bethesda’s take on the glorious Fallout series, Fallout 3 has been refused classification in Australia! The news has been confirmed by the guys at Internode, the consequences of which are that the game is effectively banned in the land of kangaroos.

Why the banning has taken place is currently unknown, although a pretty good guess will be violence. Screenshots of the game released over the months have pointed to some pretty messy violence (much like the first two games). The game is pretty violent and bloody as it is, but the famed “Bloody Mess” perk in the game makes it bloodier and messier. Bethesda had confirmed recently that it will be returning. Perhaps that is reason for refusing classification?

Sex is definitely played down in the game, as Bethesda had mentioned. The game will have mature themes, but not so much about sex as in Fallout 2. That pretty much leaves violence in…

The game will most probably be sent in for a re-evaluation after some modifications. Fallout 3 is just too big a property to not be released in Australia. Besides, we want Zero Punctuation to be review it!

No Brütal Legend at E3 2008

Brütal Legend, the game prophesied for raw awesomeness, will not be appearing at this year’s E3, according to MTV Multiplayer.

They were sent a mail from Lord Awesome Tim Schafer himself, who informed them that the game will not be appearing at E3 and that there’s nothing to worry about: the game is in fine order. “We’re not going to be showing at E3, but soon after that we hope,” he said. As for when this “soon” comes, he says “As soon as the dust settles from this whole [Activision Blizzard] merger thing we should be able to talk about the game a lot more.”

For those not in the know, this is because the game was originally supposed to be published by Vivendi, which now becomes a subsidiary of Activision along with Blizzard, by the clauses of the Great Activision Blizzard merger.

Brütal Legend will see Jack Black playing the roadie protagonist as he travels across a surreal heavy metal-inspired landscape. The game will feature music and cameos from several Metal Gods, such as Ronnie James Dio, Lemmy Kilmister, Rob Halford, Black Sabbath, Wolfmother and many more. It is going to be one hell of a game! Check out our earlier coverage on it! You’ll love it!

BioWare interested in the iPhone

Now there’s something you don’t hear everyday. Veteran RPG developer BioWare mentioned in an interview by MTV that they are interested in the cultural phenomenon that is the Apple iPhone. Of course, there’s no hard words here and it’s all just speculation for now, but BioWare definitely have their eyes on the Jesus phone.

BioWare is currently working on Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood for the DS, which surprised fans since BioWare isn’t exactly known for developing much outside the PC frame. Of course, they did make the Xbox 360 hit Mass Effect, but it was ported over to the PC anyways, so BioWare wasn’t completely out of their element. When asked on the handheld experience, Greg Zeschuk says:

“It’s actually been great fun. That was almost one of the sort of hidden reasons to do a handheld game. One thing was to try something different and explore a different platform, and as you know, kind of sort of work in a lighter flavor of environment in terms of the game we’re working on. We’re nearing the end and it’s turning out really great.

In terms of handhelds, it’s been great because it’s also so fast. The cycle to make changes and improvements is very short compared to the hundreds of thousands of text in a full next-gen console or PC product. The iteration cycle is really short, and that makes it ideal for a short-attention span where you want to do something different every day. [laughs] It’s pretty exciting, actually. It’s been a really unique experience and one we’re definitely interested in pursuing.”

And when asked on whether they are interested in the iPhone,

“We look at every platform that comes along. Obviously, something that’s as big a cultural and technical success as the iPhone is something you really got to take a close look at. Certainly, there’s nothing written in stone yet but we’ve got a lot of folks looking at it. It’s intriguing. I think one of the things that we’ll have to see how it shakes out is what type of consumer buys games on it and what type of experience they’re looking for. You want to always mash the consumer experience with what you’re building. We want to understand what people are going to do with it. Who knows. We’re definitely looking at every platform.”

Still, BioWare is committed to the PC, for which they will be releasing their original IP, Dragon Age, a fantasy RPG that doesn’t really rock our socks yet. They are, of course, working on Mass Effect 2 and some more mysterious products.

Blizzard Exec: Microsoft not doing enough for PC Gaming

It’s great that there’s a resurgence of PC gaming, or at least PC game development. Valve is already doing fantastic with promising stuff in Steam Cloud. Blizzard show their respect for the venerable platform by making pretty much all their games PC-exclusive (and they’re all big hits, too). I mention this because I believe that Blizzard has every authority of accusing Microsoft for not doing anything for Windows and gaming.

Ever since Microsoft dipped its feet into the console world, it’s never come back, devoting all of its gaming attention to the Xbox and Xbox 360. This is with good reason, as Blizzard COO Paul Sams notes, because it is where Microsoft Games’ bread and butter is, and it is their system, after all.

But they just can’t continue to ignore Windows.“Certainly they have a lot in Windows. And Windows is a system that supports all the business applications as well as games.” he says. That’s true: active participation from Microsoft is what is necessary to bring forth the PC as a gaming platform. Windows is easily the most widespread platform right now, with more copies of Windows in this world than every other console combined.

Take heed, Microsoft, and mend your ways!

Rock Band 2 Announced!

Harmonix, the world’s premier music video game company in the world, and MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks, along with marketing and distribution partner Electronic Arts Inc., are taking the groundbreaking music platform that forever changed the face of music video games to the next level this September with the release of Rock Band 2. With the original providing millions of players a new way to interact with the music and artists they love, Rock Band 2 is the next evolution of the franchise that redefined the standard for music games.

Rock Band is the groundbreaking platform that allows music fans and gamers to interact with music like never before – challenging players to put together a band and tour for fame and fortune while learning to master lead/bass guitar, drums and vocals.

Rock Band 2 builds upon its foundation as the first music game to introduce co-operative band gameplay, multiple instruments, a robust online multiplayer experience, an unrivaled offering of downloadable content and raises the bar by delivering an entirely new level of depth, connectivity, authenticity and features including:

* Backwards compatibility with Rock Band downloadable music content. All previously purchased tracks will immediately load into your Rock Band 2 song list. No need to re-purchase or re-download.
* The biggest and most diverse soundtrack ever featuring some of rock’s most prolific acts, comprised entirely of master recordings.
* Major new and dynamic online modes that will connect the entire Rock Band community in more ways than ever before both locally and globally.
* More variety of instrument choices than ever before with new and improved drum and guitar peripherals, enhanced functionality and innovative new designs – all fully compatible with the original Rock Band instruments.
* And much more.

“As successful as the original Rock Band continues to be, we’ve now had the benefit of the last eight months to listen to our fans’ requests and to build upon that foundation,” said Alex Rigopulos, co-founder and CEO of Harmonix. “Rock Band 2 is a second-generation band game that will elevate the music game experience to the next level.”

Rock Band 2 will make its debut on Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft this September and have an exclusive launch window in North America. Rock Band 2 will be available for additional platforms later this year.

“We expect Rock Band 2 to continue to drive an amazing social music experience on Xbox 360, said David Hufford, senior director, Xbox Product Management for the Interactive Entertainment Business, Microsoft. “We look forward to supporting Rock Band 2 on Xbox 360 as gamers continue to download hundreds of new music tracks from Xbox LIVE so they and their friends can perform the rock music they love most.

More details regarding features and music for Rock Band 2 will be revealed at the 2008 E3 Media & Business Summit. Rock Band, the first installment in the franchise, garnered more than 40 awards including Game Critics Award: Best of Show E3 2007.

In addition, Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that The Rock Band online music store recently surpassed 15 million paid downloads since the game’s launch in late November 2007. With more than 200 tracks available to date via download purchase (complete list of tracks at http://www.rockband.com/dlc), the massive Rock Band Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks, packs and albums from the vast selection of offerings available as they build their own custom Rock Band library.

Rock Band 2 is rated “T” for Teen (lyrics, mild suggestive themes) by the ESRB.

For more information on Rock Band and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com.

Hail to the Chimp Ships to North American Retailers

This summer, democracy comes to the animal kingdom in Wideload Games’ presidential party game Hail to the Chimp. Video game publisher Gamecock Media Group today announced that Hail to the Chimp has shipped to North American retailers and is available on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system. Players can now jump into the biggest political race the animal kingdom has ever seen in this fast-paced original game that delivers exciting gameplay and a comic look at politics. It’s a bare-knuckled fight to win the crown of President of the animals and whoever gets the most clams (votes), wins!

Hail to the Chimp begins after the Lion is deposed as King following a series of embarrassing scandals. The rest of the animals decide it’s time to give democracy a chance and hold an election for the first President of the Animal Kingdom. The election quickly becomes a frenzied multiplayer free-for-all, with each candidate using a combination of brute force and dirty tricks to try and win the most votes. Ten distinct animals will compete to win the election.

“Gamers complain about the lack of innovation and originality in video games. Hail to the Chimp is the antidote,” said Rick Stults, console chief for Gamecock Media Group. “Hail to the Chimp blends political satire with over-the-top beat-‘em-up action that no one else has attempted before now.”

“Hail to the Chimp is designed for fun, pure and simple – quick, easy, party game fun for everyone,” said Alex Seropian, founder of Wideload Games. “In addition, the immersive character-driven backstory and underlying humor provide an entertainment experience that anyone can enjoy.”

Up to four players participate online or on a single console to become the new President. Everything unfolds on GRR News, the animal kingdom’s 24-hour news channel, as Woodchuck Chumley and his crew of reporters cover the political mayhem. Choose from a wide range of animal candidates, ranging from Monkey to Musk Ox to Octopus to Hippo, each with unique political platforms and competitive strengths. Players participate in 16 unique events in the race to the top, such as Political Minefield, Hack the Vote, and Character Assassin, and battle it out in 10 different arenas: waterfalls, mountain tops, factory floors, and more! A unique “teamup” option lets two players mix cooperation with competition, forming alliances and inflicting betrayals – whatever it takes to finish on top.

Hail to the Chimp pokes fun at today’s political news coverage and is content-rich with hours of cut scenes that include fake commercials, political ads and political debates that are fun to play or just watch.

Hail to the Chimp is available for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system at a great price point of $39.99.

For more information on Hail to the Chimp, visit www.HailtotheChimp.com and www.GRRnews.com.