David Sutcliffe

Having previously been refused classification in Australia, Sega has won it's appeal with Australia's classification board and Aliens vs predator will be released unedited. The game will be released with a MA15+ rating, despite Australia's Attorney General Micheal Atkinsons's protests of "I accept that 98 per cent, 99 per cent of gamers will tell the difference between fantasy and reality, but the one per cent to two per cent could go on to be motivated by these games to commit horrible acts of violence".

 I have to admit, I'm not sure where he pulls is statistics from, but if 1 in 50 Australian gamers have the tendency to go on a murderous rampage after playing violent games, the country really does have problems. The more likely explanation, is that he's just making this stuff up, as I have yet to see any evidence which shows that violent games generate murderous lunatics. That aside, this is a good outcome for Sega, and Australian gamers, and hopefully this will pave the way for an 18+ classification for videogames in Australia.

Aliens vs Predator banned in Australia

Australia has no 18+ classification for videogames, only going as high as 15+, of which Aliens vs Predator is surely not suitable, and so the game is following the lines of Left 4 Dead 2, which has also been refused classification.

Unsuprisingly, Australian gamers aren't too happy that one man can decide which games they are able to play, and I have to agree with them. I'm all for protecting children from inappropriate material, but the game is aimed at adults, and as an adult I am quite capable myself of deciding if I want to see the material presented in the game.
 The answer to the problem seems quite clear - introduce an 18+ classification for video games, and enforce the rules properly. There still seems to be a view in society that games are only for kids, as evident by Australia's classification system, and through numerous occasions of which I've witnessed in stores of parent's buying their children games which they are too young to be playing - whether they are just ignorant of the fact that it contains inappropriate material or just don't care, it's hard too tell. You wouldn't buy little Timmy a copy of Texas chainsaw masaccre and a bottle of whisky, so why buy him a copy of GTA4? The age certificate is on the front of the box for a reason!

I think there needs to be an increase in awareness by parents and authorities alike, that not all games are appropriate for kids, and it's up to the parents to ensure their children don't get their hands on them (not an Attorney General). Add an 18+ rating to the Australian classification system and let adult gamers make up their own mind if they want to play these games or not.

Microsoft's Project Natal is set to replace games controllers

Games controllers have always been an obstacle for non-gamers trying to get in on the action. When you try to get a game of street fighter going with your granny, you hand her the controller with numerous thumbsticks, buttons and triggers, you sit and watch as her attention darts back and forth every two seconds between the controller in her hands, and the action on screen. Frustration grows as she attempts to figure out what the hell all these buttons are supposed to be for. Thirty seconds later, it's all over and she hands the controller back to you. "It makes no sense" she proclaims.

And she's probably quite right. The truth is games controllers aren't at all intuitive to use - sit your little sister in front of a game of Gran Turismo and her first reaction will be to spin the gamepad like a steering wheel to control the car. I'm fairly sure that after explaining to her the multitude of buttons and triggers required for acceleration, braking, gear changes and steering, shes already given up.

The release of the Nintendo Wii has brought gaming to the masses. Now your gran can swing the remote to play tennis, your little sister can spin the remote to steer the car, and for the most part without the need to remember any buttons to press. Nintendo's success has not gone unnoticed it seems, with microsoft now pushing into the motion control scene. What could be better than a simple motion sensitive controller? No controller at all of course!

Project Natal simply plugs in to your xbox 360 and uses a video camera to track where your body is and what your doing with it. It has a monochrome camera to read depth, and a microphone to listen to voice commands. Project Natal will be able to track each of your body's joints, and how your using each body part, and can even track multiple players along with each player's voice for multiplayer games.

If Microsoft can pull it off, the possiblilites for gaming could be staggering - think of fighting games where the game can track your every punch, kick and movement. Racing games - steering with your bare hands holding an imaginary steering wheel, pushing an imaginary clutch pedal with your foot and shifting gears on your invisible gear stick.
 

Project Natal should be ready for release in late 2010, so we'll have to wait for a bit longer to see how it works out.