trawg - Slashdot User

Submission + - Dealing with the "Australia Tax" on Video Games (ausgamers.com)

Submitted by

trawg

on Monday November 26, 2012 @12:53AM

trawg writes: "In the throes of another holiday shopping season, with the year's top video game launches still setting records above all other entertainment mediums, gamers down under are still paying more than anyone else in the world, with many publishers adding an "Australia tax" to their latest tiles. We take a look at the factors and forces responsible for the disparity in retail prices for games in Australia relative to other developed nations, and as a solution suggest that consumers should support developers and publishers that don't discriminate, and import, and circumvent the products of those that do."

Submission + - Valve Removes Right for Class Action Claims from EULA (ausgamers.com) 2

Submitted by

trawg

on Tuesday July 31, 2012 @09:10PM

trawg writes: "Valve have joined the list of companies that have altered their terms and conditions to prevent users from filing a class action suit. Their official statement says that such claims "impose unnecessary expense and delay" and are "designed to benefit the class action lawyers". A new arbitration process is also included, in which Valve will reimburse costs (under certain circumstances) when dispute resolution can't be solved through their normal support process."

Submission + - Blizzard: Diablo 3 on Linux Possible, But Demand Must Be There (ausgamers.com)

Submitted by

trawg

on Friday May 04, 2012 @07:47PM

trawg writes: "As the release draws closer, Diablo 3 game director Jay Wilson from Blizzard has been working hard to keep the community updated. On a press trip to Australia last week, Jay answered a wide range of questions in this video interview (transcript provided) on topics such as PvP, patch releases, game difficulty, and the potential for D1 or D2 being re-released in HD form. He also touches on the subject of a Linux release of the game: '... I don’t think that it would be outrageous, but I think that we’d have to see that there’d be a demand for it. And then we’d have to see that that demand would be worth the time we take away from the other things that we could do.' So it sounds unlikely in the short term, but there's a glimmer of hope for the future."

Submission + - Blizzard's Jay Wilson on Diablo 3 (ausgamers.com)

Submitted by

trawg

on Friday May 04, 2012 @10:55AM

trawg writes: "As the Diablo 3 release draws closer, game director Jay Wilson from Blizzard has been working hard to ensure the community knows as much about the game as possible. In this video interview (transcript provided) Jay answers a wide range of questions on topics such as PvP, patch releases, game difficulty, the potential for D1 or D2 being re-released in HD form and whether or not he knew the release date of Torchlight II — he even touches on the subject of a Linux release: "... I don’t think that it would be outrageous, but I think that we’d have to see that there’d be a demand for it. And then we’d have to see that that demand would be worth the time we take away from the other things that we could do.""

Submission + - Appeal Against Australian ISP in Copyright Case Dismissed (ausgamers.com)

Submitted by

trawg

on Thursday April 19, 2012 @08:47PM

trawg writes: "The Australian High Court has just dismissed an appeal by Australian and American media companies against ISP iiNet, in what will hopefully be the final step in an ongoing copyright lawsuit drama. The Court noted that "iiNet had no direct technical power to prevent its customers from using the BitTorrent system to infringe copyright". Ultimately, the court has held that iiNet's inactivity to act on infringement notices implied any sort of authorization of that infringement by their customers. Good news for Australians as a clear line has been drawn that will help ensure ISPs don't have to bear the cost of policing their customers."

Submission + - New BitTorrent Share App Offers More Private File (getshareapp.com)

Submitted by

trawg

on Friday January 06, 2012 @03:22AM

trawg writes: "BitTorrent, Inc have released a new application called "Share" (Windows only for now) offering simple, free, unlimited file sharing which is "private and secure". File shares are done only with individual users or groups of users that you select, all apparently built on the famous BitTorrent file sharing technology. Having a poke around I was surprised to discover that it also seems to store files that you upload on Amazon's Web Services, simplifying the process further by allowing you to send a file even if the other party isn't online at the same time. It's not clear exactly how private the network is but hopefully we'll see further investigation into that aspect soon."

Submission + - First Trailer for Max Payne 3 Released (ausgamers.com)

Submitted by

trawg

on Wednesday September 14, 2011 @06:38PM

trawg writes: "The first video footage from Rockstar's upcoming Max Payne 3 has landed, setting the scene for the next iteration in the popular series of games set featuring this gritty action hero. Gamers may remember Max Payne for its impressive visuals and use of slow motion in action scenes, and Max Payne 3 looks like it will be continuing the tradition. It's currently set for release in March 2012 on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3."

Submission + - 'Unlimited Detail' Engine CEO Responds to Critics (ausgamers.com)

Submitted by

trawg

on Wednesday August 03, 2011 @08:55AM

trawg writes: "Euclideon CEO Bruce Robert Dell has responded to the initial round of questions following the unveiling of their Unlimited Detail games engine, boldly calling John Carmack "incorrect" in his prediction that such technology would still be a few years away. There's also a separate response to the direct claim made by Minecraft developer Notch that it is pure "snake oil"."

Submission + - Making Graphics in Games "100,000 Times Better"? (ausgamers.com)

Submitted by

trawg

on Monday August 01, 2011 @08:47PM

trawg writes: "A small Australian software company — backed by almost AUD$2 million in government assistance — is claiming they've developed a new technology which is "100,000 times better" for computer game graphics. It's not clear what exactly is getting multiplied, but they apparently "make everything out of tiny little atoms instead of flat panels". They've posted a video to YouTube which shows their new tech, which is apparently running at 20 FPS in software. It's (very) light on the technical details, and extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, but they say an SDK is due in a few months — so stay tuned for more."

Submission + - Blizzard Reveal the Diablo 3 Auction House (ausgamers.com)

Submitted by

trawg

on Monday August 01, 2011 @03:31AM

trawg writes: "At a special event at Blizzard HQ in California, gaming press were treated to the first look at the Diablo 3 auction house — featuring real-world money transactions across different regions allowing you to buy and sell items with real money. There'll be a listing fee and a sales fee for auctions, and while they're not talking dollar numbers just yet, Blizzard assure gamers that they're not looking to pinch pennies."

Submission + - Heroes of Newerth Goes Free to Play (ausgamers.com)

Submitted by

trawg

on Friday July 29, 2011 @06:57PM

trawg writes: ""Another big gaming title has gone free to play today with the news of the popular Heroes of Newerth (a DOTA-esque multiplayer strategy game available for Windows, Mac and Linux) joining the ranks. They've posted an extensive FAQ covering what this means for existing and new players.""

Submission + - Heroes of Newerth Goes Free to Play (ausgamers.com)

Submitted by

trawg

on Friday July 29, 2011 @06:42PM

trawg writes: "Another big gaming title has gone free to play today with the news of the popular Heroes of Newerth (a DOTA-esque multiplayer strategy game available for Windows, Mac and Linux) joining the ranks. They've posted an extensive FAQ covering what this means for existing and new players."

Submission + - StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm Details Released (ausgamers.com)

Submitted by

trawg

on Tuesday May 31, 2011 @03:16AM

trawg writes: "Blizzard have lifted the veil of secrecy surrounding StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm at a recent media event held at Blizzard HQ in California this week where press were treated to a hands-on preview of the game. Gamers can expect 20 new single player missions with Kerrigan as a playable hero, and while they're tight-lipped about multiplayer they have confirmed in a FAQ that there will be new units and maps."

Submission + - Draft Australian R18+ Guidelines Released (ausgamers.com)

Submitted by

trawg

on Wednesday May 25, 2011 @01:55AM

trawg writes: "The debate around the lack of a classification for adult games in Australia continues to rage, but the latest developments offer some glimmer of hope for gamers with the release of the draft classification guidelines ahead of a meeting scheduled in July on the topic. The draft guidelines include an R18+ rating, which has been long sought-after by Australian gamers, which seems like a win, but there still is a lot of room for subjective interpretation as the guidelines for games that will be "Refused Classification" are still quite broad."

Submission + - Duke Nukem Forever Has Gone Gold (ausgamers.com)

Submitted by

trawg

on Tuesday May 24, 2011 @08:14PM

trawg writes: "We're getting closer to the day many of us thought would never come — the release of Duke Nukem Forever. Gearbox and 2K have announced today that the game has finally gone gold, the last major public milestone in game development before the official release. Due June 10 internationally and June 14th in the USA, everyone is curious — will it live up to the last decade's worth of discussion, speculation, and hype?"

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