If you've ever dreamed of becoming a games designer like ex-Kotaku AU editor Logan, then you're probably all over the fact that the Australian Film, Television, and Radio School are launching two grad courses in game design. Applications are due November 7, so you should probably get a move on if you want to apply for entry.

If you want some more info on the courses, our old friend Seamus has interviewed a couple of the lecturers involved with the new courses over on Kotaku. I swear, if I didn't already feel like I had the best gig in the world, I'd be sorely tested not to apply for this. Well, that and the fact that I'm shithouse at design. Seriously - you guys have seen some of my Photoshop efforts, and they're not pretty.

Anyway, head over to Kotaku to find out a lot more about the courses, and get your applications in by November 7 if this sounds like your thing.

[Kotaku, Kotaku and Kotaku]

I've generally found that the only people who get to enjoy pay-per-view entertainment on Foxtel (or Austar and Optus) are those who like watching grown men fight with eachother (boxing) or pretend to fight with eachother (professional wrestling). Now a third group of people are being catered for: the gaming geek.

Main Event is broadcasting Blizzard's annual conference, BlizzCon 2008 over two days in October. And while I personally can't justify $30 over two days to watch stuff I can read on Kotaku, I'm sure there's plenty of you guys who will thoroughly enjoy the experience. Plus, if you buy both days, you get some weird polar bear thing (WOW isn't my thing, I'm afraid).

So the question needs to be asked: how many of you guys are thinking about buying this? Even if it's just for the cosplay?

[Main Event]

Outgoing Kotaku AU Ed Logan sent off a heap of questions to the Australian Classifications board a couple of weeks ago. And now they've gotten back to him. Seems that boy's got connections.

Among the most revealing bits of information are that customs can seize any items contravening regulation (like an game refused classification) and you could be fined up to $110,000; that they board doesn't actually play the games that they classify; and exactly what the reasoning was behind Fallout 3 being refused classification.

It's an insightful read, even if it doesn't alleviate the frustration at a flawed system. Make sure you check it out.

[Kotaku AU]

If I wasn't writing and editing the Australian version of Giz (the best job in the world), I reckon I'd be finding out who I'd need to kill to get the 2nd best gig in the country - editing Kotaku AU.

You see, gaming powerhouse and current editor Logan has been given an opportunity to stop writing about games and start designing the games themselves at Tantalus. Which means that there's currently an Editor's position going over at the country's biggest and best gaming blog.

If you think you have the cajones to pick up where Logan leaves off (he's still got a few more weeks before he goes for good), then you'll want to be sending an email to jobs@alluremedia.com.au with your CV, a sample post or two and some reasons why you reckon you've got the skills to take the role.

In the meantime, congrats go out to Logan on the new gig - considering the crazy bastard actually designed a game a week for about a month, I'm sure we can expect some pretty awesome things to come out of Tantalus in the near future.

[Kotaku AU]

Brian Ashcraft's book, Arcade Mania: The Turbo-Charged World of Japan's Game Centers, is available for preorder on Amazon. Brian explains that with the arrival of Street Fighter IV, now's the right time to explain the history, culture and colour of Japanese arcades. (For the first time in English, too.) [Kotaku, Amazon]

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Kotaku AU had this nugget on Monday, but I was too busy playing with my iPhone to notice - If you happen to live on the east coast of Australia, you may want to pick up a copy of either The Daily Telegraph, The Herald Sun or The Courier Mail this Saturday - you'll be pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of a free copy of the full-version Spore Creature Creator.

Considering that EA chose not to allow Australians to buy the full version (unless they went to the New Zealand store), this is a pretty good deal.

Unless you live anywhere other than t he east coast, of course. If you're out west - tough luck, I'm afraid.

[The Daily Telegraph, via Kotaku]

There are two things that this Friday seems to be missing here on Giz. The first one is beer. The second is a healthy dose of rage. I'm hoping that the first one naturally turns into the second, although after watching the video above, I'm actually thinking that it might work the other way around.

You see, Logan over at Kotaku got pointed in the direction of this clips from ABC program Q&A. It's a fairly new show that lets people in the audience ask questions of politicians and their kind about topical current events.

As you can see from the video, the topic in question here is the need for an R18+ rating for games in Australia. What spews forth from the politicians' mouths is something many would find more offensive than any super-violent game - total ignorance. This wouldn't be so bad if they admitted they weren't in a position to make any kind of judgment, but instead most of them used it as an opportunity to propagate their own beliefs and opinions without a passing consideration for the facts.

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Not only does Monday mark the start of the week where you can wave your new iPhone 3Gs around in your coworkers' faces, it's the start of (what used to be) the biggest video game event of the year: E3. We'll be there with Kotaku, and by extension, you'll be there. There are a ton of hardware rumours this year like Xbox 360 motion controllers, and so Monday we'll be at Microsoft and their press event which we will bring to you live the same way we do our Apple Liveblogs. On Tuesday, we'll be covering Nintendo and Sony. Don't miss it and remember to check Kotaku and their pre-E3 title coverage.

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I know we probably got your hopes up with our story the other week about the R18+ rating for games being back on the table, but it isn't going to happen. South Australian Attorney-General Huge McTool Michael Atkinson is staunchly opposed to the adult classification, and seeing as how all Attorney-Generals need to agree, there's no chance of it happening.

I was so angry when I read his argument as to why he opposes the rating over on news.com.au that I was about to write an essay dismantling every argument he had. Then I discovered that Logan over at Kotaku had already done the hard work for me. Go and check it out and spread the link to all your friends – it's an extremely well-written and logical argument for the introduction of an R18+ rating for games in Australia. And the more people we have on our side, the better the chances that we'll finally get treated like the adults that we are.

[Kotaku AU]

Justin.tv/Gizmodo

Hey people who've been following the tubgirl stuff. I've been thinking about it for the better part of the day, and I'm sorry, I should have used a lesser image for the prank. Yea, it wasn't very thoughtful of the readers of Kotaku, many of which are viewing the site from work. Also, to let you know, Brian was pretty upset with me, and I apologized to him a little while ago. It's cool between us now, and no matter if you keep reading Giz or not, you should definitely keep reading Kotaku. Don't let the horseplay stop you.

On to the match. We'll be playing something like 7 games or something. Here we go.

PS, I curse a LOT when I play, so if you have sensitive ears, mute it. Earmuffs!
UPDATE: Results are in...

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