Come July, games distributed via Steam will face a 10% increase here in Australia. This is because of the Australian government's Goods and Service Tax.
As if games weren't already expensive enough here in Australia.
Really there isn't a lot i can say about this. It's a disappointment yes but considering Valve have made some bad moves in the past (getting chased down by the ACCC comes to mind), it's hard to paint them as the 'Good Guys' and the Australian Government as bullies.
Still at least there's always GoG....
Friday, February 24, 2017
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Hidden in the Summer for a million years
Earlier this week, some news of interest emerged for us Aussie's: For the first time in it's history, the Civilization series will have, for it's latest iteration (VI), Australia available as a playable faction.
It will be available as a Premium DLC but will feature advantages such as cities benefiting from coastal positioning, and the leader being John Curtin.
Well this is pleasing to me both as an Aussie and a fan of the civilization series. Nice to see some solid representation. And it might make people learn who John Curtin was - both here and overseas.
It will be available as a Premium DLC but will feature advantages such as cities benefiting from coastal positioning, and the leader being John Curtin.
Well this is pleasing to me both as an Aussie and a fan of the civilization series. Nice to see some solid representation. And it might make people learn who John Curtin was - both here and overseas.
Monday, February 20, 2017
Castlevania Right There on my TV
News has been circulating recently on how Castlevania will be made into a TV series with the producers behind it talking up how it will follow the gritty path set by Game of Thrones.
Well at least they're admitting they want a piece of that pie...
But seriously though, I have my doubts about this. Castlevania is, for me, a superb slice of gothic horror that, as a series, is played across different eras and generations of the Belmonts. It may seem presumptuous but the former will most likely be one this proposed TV series latches onto. Meaning that the 'generational' aspect may be left by the wyside.
Which is funny because Game of Thrones does the generational thing......
I mean I can see each episode having a different Belmont in a different era but I still don't still it working - even as i type it out.
Well at least they're admitting they want a piece of that pie...
But seriously though, I have my doubts about this. Castlevania is, for me, a superb slice of gothic horror that, as a series, is played across different eras and generations of the Belmonts. It may seem presumptuous but the former will most likely be one this proposed TV series latches onto. Meaning that the 'generational' aspect may be left by the wyside.
Which is funny because Game of Thrones does the generational thing......
I mean I can see each episode having a different Belmont in a different era but I still don't still it working - even as i type it out.
Monday, February 13, 2017
Return of Timezone
Here's something that came to my attention recently: Former arcade giant Timezone are announcing a comeback with plans to expand into shopping centres.
I remember Timezone being a big deal when I was a kid in the early nineties. It was a place where they had these real awesome games that I couldn't find anywhere else, somewhere I visited many times and a place where i blew many a dollar. Indeed, i have many fond memories about meeting people there and experiencing so many wonderful games.
Of course, that all seems irrelevant now, as the era of the arcade has long since passed. Sure it managed to bounce back from a previous potential collapse (saved only with the advent of Streetfighter 2), but the rise of the home entertainment, technical advancements and saved games kinda ended it for people.
The Timezone I knew from my childhood started was part of my local movie theater. Compared to other places it wasn't seedy and was more welcoming to all kinds of people. Then suddenly it changed it's name to NRG and then to Intensity, it's current name.
I remember Timezone as being packed, wall to wall, with arcade cabinets and little room for anything else. By contrast, I walk into Intensity now and it seems barren. Sure there's DDR but at the same time, there's some aging cabinets that haven't moved in twenty years, very few games from the past decade, and there seems a lot more open spaces. I've heard that arcades are still managing to live a surprisingly healthy existence overseas but you wouldn't think that down here. Hell, I've been to Galactic Circus in Melbourne and that seems to be doing amazingly well, despite the arcade being long-surpassed by the appeal of home gaming.
But it would seem that the Arcade's time has come (yet) again: Gaming has been recognized as a social activity thus presenting an opportunity worth seizing upon. And so Timezone announced a comeback: As indicated by the link above, they've opened up five new stores last year to enough success that expansion has been announced.
I doubt this thing will come to the backwater that Tasmania, but if it results in a large gaming complex loaded with all kinds of Arcade gaming then hell yes!
I remember Timezone being a big deal when I was a kid in the early nineties. It was a place where they had these real awesome games that I couldn't find anywhere else, somewhere I visited many times and a place where i blew many a dollar. Indeed, i have many fond memories about meeting people there and experiencing so many wonderful games.
Of course, that all seems irrelevant now, as the era of the arcade has long since passed. Sure it managed to bounce back from a previous potential collapse (saved only with the advent of Streetfighter 2), but the rise of the home entertainment, technical advancements and saved games kinda ended it for people.
The Timezone I knew from my childhood started was part of my local movie theater. Compared to other places it wasn't seedy and was more welcoming to all kinds of people. Then suddenly it changed it's name to NRG and then to Intensity, it's current name.
I remember Timezone as being packed, wall to wall, with arcade cabinets and little room for anything else. By contrast, I walk into Intensity now and it seems barren. Sure there's DDR but at the same time, there's some aging cabinets that haven't moved in twenty years, very few games from the past decade, and there seems a lot more open spaces. I've heard that arcades are still managing to live a surprisingly healthy existence overseas but you wouldn't think that down here. Hell, I've been to Galactic Circus in Melbourne and that seems to be doing amazingly well, despite the arcade being long-surpassed by the appeal of home gaming.
But it would seem that the Arcade's time has come (yet) again: Gaming has been recognized as a social activity thus presenting an opportunity worth seizing upon. And so Timezone announced a comeback: As indicated by the link above, they've opened up five new stores last year to enough success that expansion has been announced.
I doubt this thing will come to the backwater that Tasmania, but if it results in a large gaming complex loaded with all kinds of Arcade gaming then hell yes!
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
A Private Little War
One thing that caught my interest in recent weeks is the announcement that the classic Games Workshop tabletop game Necromunda will be turned into a game for the PC and console.
Well if you have Mordheim as a game then you may as well got the whole hog and do Necromunda as well...
As someone who was very interested in the Game Workshop in the mid-nineties, I have fond memories of Necromunda. There was something so satisfying about playing a game on a much smaller scale than that of FB or 40k. And was especially gratifying to see the fighters that made up your gang grow and evolve with each passing battle (and also very disheartening when they bit the dust). But unfortunately, the campaigns I played in tended to be short-lived - so I could never experience that feeling of taking a gang the whole way from inception to victory (or something).
Thus, having an adaption such as this would be a dream come true, right?
Well i have no idea if anyone in Rogue Factor will read this, so regardless, I offer my two cents on a potential Necromunda game. As far as I'm, concerned it need to have three things:
1) Squad based combat
First and foremost, the only way i can see this working if the makers of this game took the approach of squad-based combat popularized by Xcom.Unlike Mordheim, Necromunda always took an individualistic approach with the men (or women if you chose house Escher) under your control and you built a connection with your dudes, experiencing satisfaction when they did well and dismay when they were killed off - something that Xcom players would know all too well.
If i were to make a Necromunda game,. the first thing I would do is study the combat utilized in Xcom and understand why it worked so well (both in the original and the remake).
2) League system
Another game I would look at, for my hypothetical Necromunda game, is Worms - and in particular the league system. Now i will admit that I don't know how league systems have improved with two decades of gaming advancement, but the one in Worms will forever be my benchmark.
I liked how in Worms it came with it's own inbuilt league and a combination of computer controlled worm teams of varying ability. By playing against each team, one could get a sense of progression and build up genuine rivalries as well as see each worm progress and build a history - which is exactly the type of thing Necromunda offers.
3) Unique gangs
Can we have them please?
Seriously though, one of the more interesting things about Necromunda is that each of the gangs are unique with their own play style, skill-sets and weapons. And in some cases, particularly the Outlander gangs, their own rules. Granted such a scope may be tricky to implement in a game such as this but such an effort will not go unrecognized.
Oh and get the Enforcers while we're at it.
Well if you have Mordheim as a game then you may as well got the whole hog and do Necromunda as well...
As someone who was very interested in the Game Workshop in the mid-nineties, I have fond memories of Necromunda. There was something so satisfying about playing a game on a much smaller scale than that of FB or 40k. And was especially gratifying to see the fighters that made up your gang grow and evolve with each passing battle (and also very disheartening when they bit the dust). But unfortunately, the campaigns I played in tended to be short-lived - so I could never experience that feeling of taking a gang the whole way from inception to victory (or something).
Thus, having an adaption such as this would be a dream come true, right?
Well i have no idea if anyone in Rogue Factor will read this, so regardless, I offer my two cents on a potential Necromunda game. As far as I'm, concerned it need to have three things:
1) Squad based combat
First and foremost, the only way i can see this working if the makers of this game took the approach of squad-based combat popularized by Xcom.Unlike Mordheim, Necromunda always took an individualistic approach with the men (or women if you chose house Escher) under your control and you built a connection with your dudes, experiencing satisfaction when they did well and dismay when they were killed off - something that Xcom players would know all too well.
If i were to make a Necromunda game,. the first thing I would do is study the combat utilized in Xcom and understand why it worked so well (both in the original and the remake).
2) League system
Another game I would look at, for my hypothetical Necromunda game, is Worms - and in particular the league system. Now i will admit that I don't know how league systems have improved with two decades of gaming advancement, but the one in Worms will forever be my benchmark.
I liked how in Worms it came with it's own inbuilt league and a combination of computer controlled worm teams of varying ability. By playing against each team, one could get a sense of progression and build up genuine rivalries as well as see each worm progress and build a history - which is exactly the type of thing Necromunda offers.
3) Unique gangs
Can we have them please?
Seriously though, one of the more interesting things about Necromunda is that each of the gangs are unique with their own play style, skill-sets and weapons. And in some cases, particularly the Outlander gangs, their own rules. Granted such a scope may be tricky to implement in a game such as this but such an effort will not go unrecognized.
Oh and get the Enforcers while we're at it.
Friday, February 3, 2017
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Well played
Happy New Year!
I wish I could say that but alas, this new year for Game Tumour has begun on a sour note: becuase yesterday, it was announced that Good Game, the longest running gaming show in the history of Australian TV, has been given the axe.
I can't contain my disappointment on this one: I've given Good Game my undivided attention every week for years. I may not have agreed with Bajo and Hex's opinions but the content in the show has been, at once, informative, different and engaging. Admittedly last year, there were times when I could feel the show was running out of gas but the ten year anniversary show put such fears to rest, proving there was still a lot left in the tank.
But the disappointing thing about this is that whilst the main show is gone, many of the web-only specials are gone too. This means the only survivor is Good Game Spawn Point: the show catering for a younger audience. In a way, I feel insulted: Contrary to the views of the ABC Management, Gaming is not a 'kids' activity. No, it is something that is enjoyed by adults. Some of whom are parents and enjoy gaming with their children. I thought the diverse range of shows under the Good Game brand would have silenced such an archaic perception but that, unfortunately, doesn't appear to be the case.
Still, I am grateful for Good Game for the many, many episodes produced and which kept giving me an excuse to come back every week. If I hadn't watched Good game I wouldn't have known about many great games and the world is indeed poorer without it.
I wish I could say that but alas, this new year for Game Tumour has begun on a sour note: becuase yesterday, it was announced that Good Game, the longest running gaming show in the history of Australian TV, has been given the axe.
I can't contain my disappointment on this one: I've given Good Game my undivided attention every week for years. I may not have agreed with Bajo and Hex's opinions but the content in the show has been, at once, informative, different and engaging. Admittedly last year, there were times when I could feel the show was running out of gas but the ten year anniversary show put such fears to rest, proving there was still a lot left in the tank.
But the disappointing thing about this is that whilst the main show is gone, many of the web-only specials are gone too. This means the only survivor is Good Game Spawn Point: the show catering for a younger audience. In a way, I feel insulted: Contrary to the views of the ABC Management, Gaming is not a 'kids' activity. No, it is something that is enjoyed by adults. Some of whom are parents and enjoy gaming with their children. I thought the diverse range of shows under the Good Game brand would have silenced such an archaic perception but that, unfortunately, doesn't appear to be the case.
Still, I am grateful for Good Game for the many, many episodes produced and which kept giving me an excuse to come back every week. If I hadn't watched Good game I wouldn't have known about many great games and the world is indeed poorer without it.
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