DENVER, 1:39 AM, FRI MAY 16 | 62 POSTS IN THE LAST 24 HOURS | tips@kotaku.com | SUBMIT A TIP | RSS
AU
Posts Tagged “

Australia

”
Smash Bros. Brawl Gets Australian Release Date - Aussie Brawl fans, you can release those baited breaths. Nintendo Australia have just announced that Super Smash Bros. Brawl will be released in the country on June 26, a day before it's released in Europe. That's in 43 days' time, in case you were wondering.

21 comments

playtv

PlayTV Hits Europe In September

Looks like those SCE Australia reports were spot-on. At yesterday's SCEE event in London, Sony announced that PlayTV - Sony Europe's HDTV tuner & recorder for the PS3 - would be launching in Europe sometime in September, for the price of €99/£80. No idea how well this kind of thing will do at market (it's an awful lot of money considering it's skimming off your PS3's HDD), but as someone yet to fork out for a HD tuner for my own TV, I'll be keeping an eye on it later this year regardless.
PlayTV Dated, Priced [Next-Gen]

7:20 AM on Wed May 7 2008
By Luke Plunkett
1,711 views, 39 comments

Latest by PSWii60-Fanboy: British free-to-air HDTV will start early next year: [www.freeview.co.uk] Dunno about the rest of Europe, this is a must buy for me. more »

ill-considered promotion

360 Bike Finished, Looks...Yeah

That Xbox 360 bike with control pad-themed dash we told you about last month is all done. If you're looking at it and can actually see yourself riding it - and hey, looking like that, it'll take some chops - know that there's only one, it's worth AUD$80,000 (USD$75,750), and even if you could afford it, you can't buy it, because it's been crafted for a competition run by GAME Australia.
It's Cruisin' Time - Xbox 360 Chopper Hits the Streets [Xbox Australia]

4:00 AM on Tue May 6 2008
By Luke Plunkett
8,351 views, 39 comments

Latest by TeaBean: They have used completely the wrong shade of green. The brake light should be the RROD for the ultimate win. more »

virtual console

Another PAL Hanabi Festival: Gradius II & Cho Aniki To Hit VC

Last year Nintendo ran a little party for PAL customers called the "Hanabi Festival". For a month, they put a bunch of Japanese games up on the Virtual Console, games that had never been available outside of Japan. It went down well! So well they're running another one. This week, European and Australian Wii owners have been able to pick up Final Soldier, Columns III and Gradius II. In coming weeks? A lineup that includes Star Parodier, Puyo Puyo 2 and, amazingly (awesomely?), the original Cho Aniki.

11:30 PM on Fri May 2 2008
By Luke Plunkett
4,266 views, 49 comments

Latest by Yetanotheruninspiredscreename: " but Square is STILL hesitant to bring out Chrono Trigger and FF VI." No FF games on the vc when Nintendo won't let them charge 15 bucks for the NES and SNES ones plus they can do remakes for the more »

portal

Aussie University *Really* Loves Portal

Griffith University, with campuses spread across SE Queensland, Australia, love them some Portal. Or, at least their webmasters and/or design team love them some Portal. Because when the time came to design a new "gateway for student and staff services" on the university website, they called it a - yes - portal. Then updated its logo accordingly.
[Griffith University, thanks Christian!]

3:30 AM on Fri May 2 2008
By Luke Plunkett
2,194 views, 20 comments

playstation store

PAL PlayStation Store Update

The PAL PlayStation Store's usual slim pickings gets somewhat of a free pass this week, as with GTA IV upon us I can't imagine too many people clamouring for PSP demos or wallpapers. It's still slim pickings, however. No Echocrome, no PS3 demos, just Ape Quest for the PSP and some Need for Speed DLC. More »

11:30 PM on Thu May 1 2008
By Luke Plunkett
1,703 views, 15 comments

Latest by enewtabie: I sent it over to Kotaku,but you SCEE folks will receive two updates next week.Four demos,3 or four psn games,etc. May 6th and May 8th. more »

gta iv

360 GTA IV Is Region-Locked

This won't be terribly useful to Americans or PS3 owners, but anyone in Europe looking to score a cheap imported copy of GTA IV (or anyone in Australia looking to score the uncensored American version) should know that the 360 version of the game's been region-locked by the publisher. I only point this out because, over the past twelve months, nearly every single major 360 release has been region-free, meaning Take-Two joins MTV (ie Rock Band) as two of the last publishers to still make the decision to restrict the international sale of their games.
GTA IV: Region locked [CVG]

3:00 AM on Tue Apr 29 2008
By Luke Plunkett
5,951 views, 72 comments

Latest by NunianVonFuch: @tranzfusion: As can us Europeans... Seems the entire article is misleading. Kotaku print a retraction/correction? more »

gta iv

Let's Unbox My GTA IV CE Together!

It's late (well after midnight). I'm tired. I'm more than a little cranky. But hey, because I live in Australia and just got home from an EB Games midnight opening, I'm also one of the first people in the world to get my hands on the GTA IV Collector's Edition. So let's unbox it together, shall we? Some notes before you/we dig in: the safety deposit box is heavy, and quite nice. As is the art book (nice, that is, not heavy). The duffle bag? Fairly cheap. And the chainsaw? Not included, that's just for...scale.

9:40 AM on Mon Apr 28 2008
By Luke Plunkett
24,702 views, 111 comments

Latest by freespeech: @Scyen: HILARIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Actually I thought this was a pretty cool special edition and only the 2nd one I have ever bought. I don't think the bag is cheap, a little small but seems to be of fine material and quality!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! more »

club nintendo

Club Nintendo Expands Its Reach

Club Nintendo's expanding into a new country! Sadly (for Americans) it's not America. Luckily (for Australians) it's Australia. I picked up my copy of Mario Kart this morning, and tucked softly inside the game's cover was this very personal invitation, asking me if I'd like to register the unique pin code found inside in exchange for Club Nintendo star points. Why yes, yes, I would. The Australian version of the site's not quite ready yet, so you can't browse the reward items, but it'll most likely be identical to the European one, so head there if you'd like to see just how many games you'll need to buy if you want that golden Link + Epona statue. More »

11:30 PM on Wed Apr 23 2008
By Luke Plunkett
2,849 views, 79 comments

Latest by Telly_Vision: Tell you what America, we'll give you Club Nintendo, AND throw in the 180-200% markup we get across every console video game as an extra bonus. more »

gta iv

Sony Confirms GTA IV Bundle For Australia

Look, we knew it was coming. Retailers, especially big retailers like Harvey Norman, don't muck around with these kind of things. But it's nice to know that we've now got new pictures of the GTA IV/PlayStation 3 bundle, as well as an officially-endorsed recommended retail price. It'll go for AUD$749.95 (USD$715), but while the game's due on April 29, this bundle won't be ready until May 1. Can you stand the wait, Australia? More »

7:20 AM on Wed Apr 23 2008
By Luke Plunkett
1,467 views, 16 comments

Latest by Rince_Art: Sucks, no BC, no DS3. I'm still waiting for the opportunity to get a worthwhile PS3 purchase with backward compatibility and a dualShock controller, but Sony doesn't seem to provide it... :P more »

gta iv

GTA IV Preorders: PS3 Outselling 360 (In Australia)

Let's put two and two together. Australia, despite its geographic isolation, is normally considered a European territory when it comes to games (thanks, PAL video standard). Europe is the PlayStation brand's #1 fan. So it shouldn't surprise you as much as it probably will that EB Games, by far Australia's biggest games retailer, have said this re GTA IV preorders:
We are happy to tell you it's neck and neck, but at the moment, PlayStation 3 is currently in the lead.
Second-string retailer GameTraders are also reporting more PS3 sales, saying that they're pre-selling two copies on PS3 for every one on 360. What's this mean for overall, global sales? Probably nothing! What's it mean for Australia? Something.
PS3 GTA IV presales outpace 360 version down under [GameSpot AU]

1:30 AM on Wed Apr 23 2008
By Luke Plunkett
4,672 views, 119 comments

Latest by PowerButton: Here something to all of you arguing about how better is the DLC: May the PS3 version have lost 2 EXCLUSIVES DLC, but the PS3 will have DLC too. Besides heres something nobody had spoted THE PS3 MAY HAVE MODS. Yes, just more »

grand theft auto iv

Australia Also Gets A PS3/GTA IV Bundle

While still officially unannounced by either Sony or Take-Two, the Grand Theft Auto IV/PS3 hardware bundle that's destined for European shores will also be available in Australia. The news comes courtesy of major nationwide retailer Harvey Norman, who have the bundle priced at AUD$748. Not a bad deal considering a 40GB PS3 and GTAIV purchased separately would set you back AUD$820.
[via GameArena & Screen Play]

10:00 PM on Fri Apr 18 2008
By Luke Plunkett
5,359 views, 68 comments

Latest by Arttemis: @Vidril: I don't understand why they're so reluctant to use PS2 hardware in PS3s. Jack Tretton already admitted that it wasn't cut because of costs, but to make people play more PS3 games. WTF? So yes, they really need to more »

rumor

Aus/NZ GTAIV Cut Due To "Weapon Being Inserted Into A Private Area"

Rockstar Australia have, against the wishes of just about everyone who's got the game pre-ordered locally, refused to disclose just what it was that's been cut from the local version of Grand Theft Auto IV. No matter. Publishers Take-Two may have been a little more forthcoming, with a call to the company's Australian customer service line apparently yielding the following response. More »

1:30 AM on Wed Apr 16 2008
By Luke Plunkett
27,902 views, 148 comments

Latest by jccalhoun: @jackthompson: What? Jacko posts one of his messages and didn't mention being on 60 Minutes? He must be slipping... more »

dualshock 3

DualShock 3 Dated For Australia. Bring Money.

SCE Australia have announced an antipodean release date for the DualShock 3. It'll be available on April 24 for - wait for it - AUD$99.95. Which is USD$92. Which is AUD$30 more than the Sixaxis cost. This leaves Australians paying twice as much for a Dualshock 3 as they did for a Dualshock 2 (which went for AUD$49.95), a turn of events that would be comedic if we weren't talking about the PS3 in a PAL territory. Australians, you, uh, may wish to consider importing. More »

8:30 PM on Tue Apr 15 2008
By Luke Plunkett
3,114 views, 93 comments

Latest by zgrowler2: Import, Aussies. Don't give in to "The Man" and his import-hating ways! more »

virtual console

PAL Virtual Console Update Update

You may have noticed we don't run many PAL Virtual Console updates anymore. Mostly because, more often than not, they're just not worth mentioning. Today, though? Well, today is worth mentioning. On the Master System we've got Wonder Boy and Fantasy Zone, which is, well, OK enough as it is, but when you then see they're joined by the C64's Impossible Mission and California Games, well. Things are swiftly upgraded from "OK" to "Oh dear, it's Monday and I haven't washed myself".

9:40 PM on Thu Apr 10 2008
By Luke Plunkett
2,075 views, 36 comments

Latest by JimTheFly: @cordsie: Jumpman, and Jumpman Jr., the entire series of "Games" (Summer, Winter, Cali I & II, World, The Games: Summer & Winter Editions), Pitstop I & II, and don't forget about the G.I. Joe game! I actually still have all of them more »

rock band

Rock Band European Release Doesn't Include Australia

Hey, Australia. All that fuss over Rock Band that went down last night? You know, about the release, and then the price? Don't worry about it. None of it applies to you. While European and Australian release dates are normally in-step, for Rock Band they're not, with EA Australia only telling us "There is no announcement on Rock Band for Australia yet". Bummer. Now's as good a time as any to remind you that over Christmas I heard rumours from retailers that thanks to fears over its price the game may not be coming here at all, so between that and the inevitably astronomical price, I'd be getting intimate with the online importing scene if I were you. Just in case.
[Pic]

3:30 AM on Wed Apr 9 2008
By Luke Plunkett
3,171 views, 55 comments

Latest by Crab_Botherer: @RocK_M: Thankfully I've got family in the UK, so I'm going to pay them the cash and get them to ship to me here in New Zealand - the one thing noone can answer is the status of DLC - more »

xbox 360

360 Bike Is An Australian Chopper

GAME stores in Australia are running a little competition. Buy a 360, you get a scratch-and-win card. Scratch that card, and you could win anything from a Samsung LCD to this, a custom-built, one-of-a-kind Xbox chopper (which is still under construction). Which looks decidedly tasteful, and is sure to go completely unnoticed on your daily trips to the shops for the paper and some milk.
Hey, Isn't That The Xbox 360 Chopper Bike You Can Win? [Kotaku AU]

5:30 AM on Thu Apr 3 2008
By Luke Plunkett
4,574 views, 19 comments

Latest by crewwolfy: lol, this dash is pretty slick. Nothing overwhelmingly XBOX here, which is nice. And the dummy lights on my Yamaha are red, green and blue. I like it. They should make the 'X' guide button the more »

game ratings

Australian Game Ratings Behind The Times

Victorian deputy premier and attorney general Rob Hulls believes that Australia is behind the times when it comes to video game ratings, and I'm inclined to agree. Currently the top rating a game can receive is MA15+, as opposed to movies which can be rated R18+. While games like the Grand Theft Auto series have squeaked by with an MA15+, games like Dark Sector and Soldier of Fortune: Payback have encountered trouble limboing under the bar. Hulls thinks it is time to raise the bar.
"It seems inconsistent that in Australia, adults are allowed to view 'adult only' films which have been classified R18+ by the Classification Board, but not computer games with an equivalent high level content," he said in a statement. "With the increasing convergence between films and games, the different approach to classification principles is difficult to sustain. At the moment, Australia is out of step with the rest of the developed world on this issue."
More »

9:40 AM on Tue Apr 1 2008
By Mike Fahey
1,306 views, 28 comments

Latest by Demaar: Importing is awesome. Still sucks for those that are unaware of importing's virtues. more »