EB Games Expo, the largest ever to be held in Australia, have announced some of their official exhibitors which a a strong and diverse set.

This Thursday the 2nd of June tickets will be on sale online and in EB Games stores from midday Australian Eastern Standard Time.

Games, software and related exhibitors are 2K, Activision, Bethesda, Capcom, Codemasters, Disney Interactive Studios, EA, Incomm, Konami, Mindscape, Namco Bandai Partners, Pop Cap, QVS, Sega, Square Enix, THQ, and Ubisoft.

Hardware is also covered, like Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony Playstation, Nintendo, Logitech, Bluemouth Interactive, Plantronics GameCom, Parrot AR.Drone, Razer and Turtle Beach.

Several media partners are also announced.

EB Games EXPO will be held on Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th October at the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre (GCCEC), Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Yes, you read that right, a games EXPO on this side of the planet.

This has been three years in the making and follows EB Games’ previous internal conferences. EB Games is the leading Australian game retailer Looks like it will be the biggest games event yet in Australia spanning across 10,000 square meters.

• Cosplay (costumes) judging and prizes
• Showcasing new releases and upcoming games, some of which will be playable
• Live presentations from international game developers
• EB Arena Spectacular with Showtime FMX freestyle motorcross
• The best gamers in the country will compete for the National Championship Crown and the right to represent Australia at the World Final in Seoul in the Australian National Finals of the 2011 World Cyber Games.
• Optional VIP passes for $AU99.95

Naturally details are still sketchy including exactly who and what will be there but there are already some big names involved, such as Electronic Arts. No doubt details will improve as we draw closer to the event.  Tickets on sale from Thursday 2nd June through EB Games and online.

Attended the ANZAC day Dawn Service at 6.00am this morning to a good crowd at Morphett Vale’s memorial. No rain at all but quite cold. It’s always amazing to see so many come. The service itself is quite short. Lowering the flags, the service and laying of the wreaths. The two minute silence and the anthems.

I will put this link to RSL SA down, as much to remind myself, as my readers of where to get the details of the local services, which are not so easy to find. There are quite a few locally so perhaps next year we will attend one of the others.

One man was carrying a frame full of medals emotion of his face plain.

We remembered too the other members of ANZAC. The New Zealand flag and anthem of course but there was also a haka. Kia kaha.

We will remember them.

Just a quick note, Mana Bar in Brisbane are offering a free drink to the Australian military and veterans on ANZAC Day.  Mana Bar are a video game cocktail bar which would be interesting to see.

PS Mana Bar: Open one in Adelaide too.

h/t: Games On Net

Australia is one of the few countries in the world to have a game classification system which excludes an adult rating for games. An adult R18+ rating does exist for movies.

There’s been a significant political push and a pushback to introduce an adult R18+ rating. It even entered politics during the federal election as political party Gamers4Croydon. Lately the legislation has been moved forward and this is near being enacted. Still very difficult to do because it needs support from multiple sections of the political machine.

As expected the Australian Christian Lobby, a force of Christian interference in politics, has led the pushback over fears it will encourage violence and sex. Interestingly enough, more mainstream Christians seem supportive. For example 90% of Australians support the R18+ rating and the Australian Catholic Bishops also support the move.

The most recent uproar relating to this is the banning of Mortal Kombat game in Australia. There’s been problems with this ratings issue with many other prominent games too, such as Fallout 3. Most of the larger game companies modify their games to make a slightly watered down Australian version so they can get into the MA15+ rating that does exist. Fallout 3 did this by changing drug references to make them generic. Smaller games with less of a budget for reworking usually dump the Australian market instead.

Realistically most banned games get through anyway via piracy or being available online. I believe parents of the children should be the deciders of what kids can have instead of government. The R18+ ratings as well as the other ratings will help them decide what their kids are allowed to access.

A deeper problem is this fear sex and violence are encouraged by gaming and other entertainment media. How games may influence people to become more violent or immoral and turn to crime including sexual crime. This is a complex and important topic for Positive Entertainment and Positive Gaming which I have no doubt I will need to address at some point.

What do you think about the R18+ rating?

Just attended my second Dawn Service of ANZAC Day.  The weather held up this time and the turnout was very good, even better than last year.

It was good to see so many people involved in this rather important nationalistic event.  Yet this involves the diggers and veterans of two nations, not just Australia, but New Zealand too.  New Zealanders were also involved with and mentioned in the service.

We will remember them.