Like Steam, EA Origin will be offering more than just downloadable games, Origin will feature social networking features, trophies/achievements, in game messaging and probably the most interesting, the ability to register non Origin bought games and integrate them into the service.

From the Wall Street Journal excerpt available via MorningStar.

Even if consumers don’t purchase games through Origin, they will be able to use it to create profile pages that record all of their scores and other progress on EA games and to establish Origin friend lists based on their friend lists on Facebook and other social networks.

This ability is something I wished Steam should have done a long time ago and fingers crossed, regional price gouging is kept to a minimum.

Is this the EA Origin Homepage or some Mockup?

I have no idea where the image came from – this one was taken from Kotaku.

In Order to make a submission, you need to answer this question:

Should the Australian National Classification Scheme include an R 18+ classification category for computer games?

Submit and download all the relevant documents here.

The submission template contains multiple choice questions as well as a 250 word comment section, not really enough words allowed to thoroughly discuss the issue yet it is better than nothing.

The Commonwealth Government has released a discussion paper which briefly summarises the key arguments for and against an R 18+ classification for computer games.  Censorship Ministers have considered the issue of an adult classification for computer games on several occasions.  However, they have not undertaken public consultation on this issue.

Submissions are being sought on whether the Australian National Classification Scheme should include an R 18+ classification category for computer games.  Submissions can be made by downloading and completing the submission template.  Submissions may also be mailed or faxed.  The discussion paper and submission template contain the contact details for making a submission.

What a torrid few days it has been for the ABC with a massive community backlash in regards to the original silent axing of Good Game TV favorite, The Junglist.  The mainstream Media has also caught wind of the events unfoldng at the ABC with The Age announcing “Good Game presenter claims ABC gender bias after axing”

In the recent forum thread: Statement from the team…. including Junglist the community and Junglist himself has responded to this apparent comment and untruth from the whole Good Game team:

The decision to take Junglist off air was not forced upon us by ABC Management and it’s one that is fully supported by all the GG team. We are gutted that it has come to this but in our opinion it absolutely had to happen.

It’s strange for us to read that so many of you think this is because we have suffered a raging case of political correctness gone mad or a wish to dumb the show down. That’s absolutely not right. We, as ever, will continue our quest to bring you the show for gamers by gamers but this has to be our last word on this – we have shows to make!

Finally, we genuinely wish Junglist all the best, and we hope he finds a medium for his awesome analysis and presenting skills that works for him.

Team Good Game Out
(Syd, Bajo, Moe, Tuk, Gog, Mafia, Jeremy Pencil, Palindrome)

A response to this from Junglist:

I can tell you that this is a lie. There was no vote taken, no consensus reached. In fact, the GG team was completely unaware of the change until the same day I found out. The same confidentiality clause that prevented me from saying anything publicly, prevented management from telling them anything.

I have spoken to members of the GG team who clearly DON’T support this, but can’t say anything publicly. Of course they’ll tow the party line. They have to.

Up until now the situation has just been poorly handled. But to now LIE to your own audience, in an effort to save face for replacing an experienced reviewer/presenter with an inexperienced one, is quite simply the lowest thing I’ve ever seen ABC management do.

I feel now as if I’m being professionally attacked, so here’s a truth bomb. In the meeting where I was told I would be replaced, the reason given was they wanted a girl on the show. “Mass appeal” was a direct quote from that meeting. After a half-hour of explaining how they’ll lose their hardcore following, they responded that yes, they knew this, but expected to make up the numbers with a new following. “A show can grow beyond its hardcore base”, is another direct quote.

The decision was forced by ABC management, for a mass appeal direction, and will naturally be dumbed down for the loss of experience….

Trawling through the thread it becomes clear what some of the issues the Good Game management had with Junglist.  They did not see eye to eye for his desire to review more in-depth if required, unlike the default 1 hour play-test.  Imagine a review for Dragon Age Origins coming from Good Game after an hours worth of play time.So what if it takes a bit longer -- more time makes for a better review, especially considering Good Game only does 3 a week and throws out a heap of submissions from Bajo and Junlist every week.

ABC management also appear to have a misguided mission to target the stereotypical Wii type casual gaming public and younger gamer with a dumbing down in order to achieve mass appeal.  Thinking the core gaming audience would not notice this was enough motivation to remove the only core gamer from the show.  His replacement in Hex, also reeks of blatant sexifying to encourage viewer numbers.  I do not have anything against her in general as she has the right personality and ability to become a TV star with great potential for the future, she just walked into a Dog House.

My own personal thoughts and closing sentiments on this debacle which I also sent to the ABC:

I would like to highlight my disgust at the apparent disgraceful act of commercialisation and sexism with the sacking of Junglist from Good Game.  This is not what the ABC is about. The poor performance of your staff on the Good Game forums is also unprofessional and now has brought about potential damning discrimination issues with the ABC in general.
Good Game was fantastic the way it was but now you have killed it and the Real gaming community.

Thanks a lot.

Save Junglist Website.

Save Junglist Facebook Group.

Petition.

ABC Contact Form.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka7wveV7Wsw

From Bioware Forums:

Actually, just this afternoon, we finished up the deal, so I can now confirm that Dragon Age: origins WILL indeed come to Steam.
Now, before you all go running over to Steam to pre-order, the page is not up yet. Both us and the fine folks at Valve are working to make something for you ASAP, but I think it won’t be ready till next week. So just us a little time and we’ll let you know as soon as it is ready.
Stay Tuned.

Dragon Age: Origins is built apon a new game engine named Eclipse and like all modern game engines a toolset for creation of fan-made content will be included.

The Dragon Age Origins Character Creator is now available.

Dragon Age: Origins

www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5St9phiHHE

Dragon Age: Origins is a dark heroic fantasy set in a unique world. As the spiritual successor of BioWare’s popular Baldur’s Gate series of games, it uses a pause-and-play tactical combat system. Play in over-the-shoulder mode, or the more tactical top-down view. Dragon Age: Origins features a stunning amount of cinematic dialog.  Players will be able to acquire unique party members. These party members will have their own motivations for accompanying the player.

Check out the Official Dragon Age: Orgins site.

The cheapest place to pre-order a Retail copy of Dragon Age origins Collectors edition again appears to be Fishpond and according to Whirlpool the coupon code READER gets you $10 Off making it just $70 Australian.

binarygamer.com will now remain a Steam fan/info site just the way it has always really been.

What’s new at Ozsource AU?

Printable Home Theater signs and Logo’s

HDMI cables and Versions, buying cheap is fine.

What is ITC Processing: ATI

Logitech Mini diNovo perfect for a HTPC

XBMC HTPC Windows Quick Setup guide

Cheapest online PS3 Slim Australia.

The Interplay Steam store page will be made available at this URL when Gabe wakes up in the morning.

(August 17th, 2009) – Interplay Entertainment (Interplay), the publisher of many video game hits, and Valve Corporation (Valve), a developer of leading-edge technologies and software, announced today an agreement to bring Interplay titles to customers worldwide via Steam®, Valve’s leading platform for digital content distribution and management.

Beginning today, Interplay titles including Fallout, Sacrifice and Kingpin will become available for purchase via Steam, which makes PC games available online to more than 20 million users worldwide.

Hell when you are a fan, anything Valve or Steam related is awesome.

In this episode we are very, very happy to have nightcabbage (Justin) join us who brings us an awesome exclusive interview with Gabe Newell, the co-founder and managing director of Valve Software. We also discuss Depeche Mode branding in Left 4 Dead 2, re-playability issues in Left 4 Dead and various other topics. Huge thanks again to nightcabbage!

Steamcast Link (main page down atm)
Direct download: 101.2 MB (MP3)
Transcript of the interview here

“The TF2 Beta is something we’ve just started running,” said Walker to Shacknews. “It’s aimed at filling a hole in TF2′s iterative development model.”

“This doesn’t reflect any change of our attitude towards non-competitive TF2 play, it’s just going to give us more data,” he added. “We’ll continue to talk and listen to the non-competitive TF2 players,

I am not sure how Valve will go about making this game truly esports worthy as TF2 epitomises Casual FPS gaming on the PC platform.  The netcode, Hitscan and extreme lag compensation of the TF2 Orange box engine certainly doesn’t lend itself to hardcore competitiveness though Valve may just pull a scout out of a hat with such an idea.

LucasArts previously announced the return of the classic Monkey Island® franchise with two new projects due to be released in the near future. Tomorrow, July 7, Telltale will premiere the Tales of Monkey Island® game series on PC, delivering a completely new epic storyline and swashbuckling flair that will unfold across five monthly episodes. The first Tales of Monkey Island chapter is expected to release for WiiWare™ in the coming weeks as well.
The Monkey Island celebration continues on July 15 when LucasArts publishes The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition, a completely re-imagined version of the first game in the series that adds updated high definition graphics, a re-mastered musical score, and full voice-over to the classic adventure game originally launched in 1990.

The complete list of games to be released on July 8 via Steam includes:
• Armed and Dangerous™
• Indiana Jones® and the Fate of Atlantis
• Indiana Jones® and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure
• LEGO® Indiana Jones: The Original Adventure
• LOOM™
• Star Wars Battlefront® II
• Star Wars Republic Commando®
• Star Wars Starfighter™
• The Dig®
• Thrillville®: Off the Rails™

It looks like the old DOS based games will be updated to include a real Windows executable – no DOS Box like solutions required whilst Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis is set to include some never before seen extras.

Follow Lucartsgames on Twitter for current and future updates.