AU Shippin' Out October 7-10: Dark Sector

Dark Sector was the first game to be banned in Australia in 2008 and subsequently edited for release. Set in the not-too-distant future, the game follows the story of Hayden Tenno, a CIA agent who feels no pain because of a rare medical condition. Tenno is exposed to an unusual biological weapon during a botched mission, which mutates him by allowing him to grow and throw a glaive. The game was originally banned by Australia's Classification Board for its "high-impact violence," and local distributor AFA Interactive still hasn't confrimed what has been removed in the local version. Interestingly, after the extended wait, Australia will receive only the PS3 version of the game, not the Xbox 360 and PC versions available overseas. Dark Sector will be released on Thursday.

Both EA and 2K Sports are competing for basketball gamers' dollars this week, with the release of both NBA Live 09 and NBA 2K9. The biggest feature of EA's NBA Live 09 is the introduction of Dynamic DNA. By teaming up with Synergy Sports Data, players can download and update their teams' vital stats after each real-world game, giving them the most current figures available. 2K Sports' NBA 2K9, on the other hand, is putting its bets on updated player AI, news feeds direct from NBA.com, and more. NBA Live 09 comes out on October 9, while NBA 2K9 will be out a day later, on the 10th.

October 9, 2008
NBA Live 09 (PS3, 360, PSP, PS2)
NBA Live 09 All-Play (Wii)
Dark Sector (PS3)
Bus Simulator 2008 (PC)
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway (PC)
Zubo (DS)
Bratz Ponyz 2 (DS)
Maths Made Simple (DS)
Pro Cycling Manager/Tour de France 2008 (PC)
Dracula: Origin (PC)

October 10, 2008
NBA 2K9 (360, PS3, PS2)