Thumb Bandits Australia - Gaming News

Tomb Raider Underworld demo on XBLA - Impressions

Well we downloaded the Tomb Raider Underworld demo on XBLA yesterday and played it through to completion. Our initial thoughts were the graphics are even more stunning that the last. Undulating waters, underwater shadows, lighting, textures and Lara's character model all look awesome.

Playing through we realised it's the same old same old, but with just enough extra's to make you go 'whoa cool'. Lara can now climb as though on a climbing wall, provided there are handholds. Lara can also walk on beams now, which is a nice touch. She just seems more fluid somehow, probably down to the motion capture they've used this time around.

If you haven't downloaded the demo yet, get to it... well worth a play through, even with the few frustrating bits.

IEAA launch campaign to get Australian gamers the 18+ rating

Why Australia doesn't have an 18+ rating for games is beyond me. It makes no sense at all, other than the folks working in government think gaming is the realm of ten year old boys. Only yesterday I walked through a Big W store here in Australia to hear an advert played over the stores radio saying "Get the kids a video game".

Well it isn't just kids that play video games, in fact Bond Uni Australia has just released its "Interactive Australia 2009" report, suggesting the average age of the aussie gamer is 30 and not 10.

It all makes sense to us gamers, but the politicians have a hard time catching on. Australia NEEDS an 18+ rating for games because we keep getting releases edited the heck out of (or worse not released at all) and that annoys us older gamers no end!

Gaming should be rated along with film and have a higher age rating for its more mature titles. I'm sick of the Australian government punishing me because of other peoples bad parenting and a dark age mentality that permeates its politicians. Here's hoping the IEAA get listened to. Of course that brainless dipstick from the "Australian Family Council" will no doubt fight an 18 rating because he thinks a 15 rating should stay... he's the same bozo that thinks gay people shouldn't adopt and various other antiquated views. Moron.

Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard for Xbox 360 and PS3 voice talent and trailer

Looks like D3Publisher mean buisness with the voice talent in their upcoming title "Eat LEad". D3P has announced that award-winning Hollywood actors Will Arnett, best known to audiences for his roles on television’s “30 Rock” and “Arrested Development,” and Neil Patrick Harris, currently appearing on television’s “How I Met Your Mother,” will voice the main characters in Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard.

Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard is a "third-person shooter with a sense of humor" and is expected to release in Q1 2009 for PS3 and Xbox 360. It all sounds pretty quirky and is looking pretty cool, but Matt... you're foolin yourself if you truly think you "nailed" Lara Croft.

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader for XBLA

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader is coming to Xbox Live Arcade. The game by Blitz Arcade will feature some 6000 or so questions from primary school curriculum, though it probably won't be hosted by Rove, since the official Xbox US page shows US host Jeff Foxworthy.

All things going to plan "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader" should hit the XBLA service next week and set you back a whopping 1200 MSP should you want to see just how smart (or not) you actually are.

JB HiFi Australia break Fable II street date

Looks like JB HiFi couldn't wait till Thursday before selling copies of Fable II for Xbox 360. A few reports of people strolling into JB HiFi and purchasing the game today with no problem at all. We've all waited an age for this title, but it's always nice to get a game a few days early. No word yet on whether other Australian retailers are planning to follow suit and get the game on shelves before Thursday.

BioShock 2 Sea of Dreams trailer looks enticing as BioShock sequel

Looks like the first "BioShock 2" trailer has made an appearance on the internets! The BioShock 2 trailer is unlocked when you complete the game on the PS3 and it looks like it will be called "BioShock 2 Sea of Dreams".

The trailer shows who we assume to be one of the "little sisters" - aged to about 10 or so - clutching a Big Daddy doll and looking out over water, when things start to rise from the sea around her, by "things" we think perhaps buildings or parts there of. The BioShock 2 logo is covered in barnacles and one releases a butterfly, also suggesting perhaps the city of Rapture might arise in BioShock 2 Sea of Dreams. Time will tell!

The Calling horror game by Hudson looks creepy and wicked on Wii

Holy cow looks like Hudson are working on a new survival horror title for the Wii and it might be called "The Calling". Seems like their PR company might have "accidentally" leaked a couple of gameplay videos and man we've seen them and it is creepy! We'll add this in at the bottom here before they whipped of YouTube.

It's nice to see a developer utilising the WiiMote like a torch and by the looks of it also as a creep mobile phone (where the sound probably comes out of the WiiMote speaker. The Calling horror game by Hudson looks awesome, we can't wait!

Maniac Mansion remake in the works or are LucasArts just teasing us?

What's this we hear? Apparently LucasArts has just updated a certain trademarked name they hold and it is "Maniac Mansion". Could this be just LucasArts covering their asses with regards to the name, or are they going to release a new Maniac Mansion game at some point?

Maniac Mansion was an awesome game and one we'd love to see either re-released on XBLA, or indeed redone with all new spangly graphics. Here's hoping that's what LucasArts are planning, we definitely welcome it. Maniac Mansion was one of the best point and click adventure games released in our opinion!

MadWorld by Sega will get a release in Australia say Sega

Looks like Sega's Wii title "MadWorld" will be hitting Australian shores afterall. Word has it Sega are working with the ratings board so that the title can be released here some time in 2009. The game was canned in Germany for being too violent.

Sega have since stated in an announcement that "MadWorld" will be getting a release: "In response to recent reports regarding the Australian release of MadWorld, SEGA Australia would like to clarify that we are currently planning on releasing MadWorld to the Australian market." So assuming it gets a classification, it will be released.

TGS headlines - The pick of the bunch

TGS 2008 is well underway and we thought we'd cover the main headlines we thought were interesting that have come out of the show thus far. Needless to say the announcement of "Halo 3 Recon" is pretty big as we covered yesterday, but there was also the announcement of Tekken 6 on the Xbox 360 (and PS3), the New Xbox Experience (dashboard update) dated for November 19. The announcement that there'll also be the addition of an Old Snake Sackboy and a Sephiroth Sackboy to LittleBigPlanet, from "Metal Gear Solid" and "Final Fantasy" respectively and of course "Fable II" co-operative play will be ready for download on the day the game releases.

Those were the ones we thought most important. What were the announcements you thought were most important.