The cost of living has skyrocketed post-pandemic, between the rise in groceries, higher profit margins, stagnating wages and the housing crisis, university students have been doing it tough. Young people are uniquely hurting, with many struggling to see a financially secure future. University of Wollongong business student, Sonia May Murray is homeless and relies on friends to provide her shelter. “It’s dog shit,” Ms Murray said. “Currently I am in a dire living situation. I’m living on a lounge and have been for a couple of months. “Getting a job is super difficult. You’re probably going to be looking for…
Author: Bailey Whitton
State of Origin has become one of the most intense events in Rugby League, with representatives of New South Wales and Queensland clashing hard for dominance on May 28. Since the infamous Queensland streak from 2006-2013, Queensland have won six series and New South Wales have won five, with all of those series ending with the winning side taking only two of the three matches. Blues fan Stacey Starling, 41, said the unpredictability of the competition makes for exciting viewing. “There’s more competition between the camps now, there’s not just a domination,” Ms Starling said. “When Queensland went on their…
In the past week, two gambling companies have been penalised by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) for breaching self-exclusion laws, being fined for a combined total of $1,514,920. Unibet failed to close 954 accounts that had registered with the National Self-Exclusion Register (NSER), and PointsBet sent 508 marketing messages to self-excluded individuals in 2023, while also breaching spam laws. In a media release, ACMA member and gambling lead Carolyn Lidgerwood said these were serious breaches putting people at risk. “Taking in some cases 190 days to close accounts is clearly unacceptable and does not reflect the decisions made…
The sin bin has seen an increase this NRL season with 59 incidents, a jump up from just 31 incidents this time last year. NRL fan, Atreus Dolden said the increase seems to be a result of an over enforcement of penalties, turning what would have just been a penalty or even play on, into a sin bin, with players having to leave the field. “It’s a crackdown, plain and simple,” they said. “Look at the Anzac game [Dragons V Roosters]. I’m a Dragons fan but the Roosters had a player [sin] binned in that game for grazing a Dragons…
The price of Nintendo’s Switch 2 was recently revealed at almost $700, making it the most expensive Nintendo console to date and a big jump from the $469 price of the original Switch. While there is excitement amongst gamers for the new console, UOW Pokémon Society president Sonia May Murray, is holding some reservations. ‘I don’t [think the Switch 2 is much of an upgrade to the Switch]. The console’s features don’t really interest me,” she said. “The Switch was cool, but this is just a Switch plus, not anything substantial.” It’s not the first time this sentiment has surrounded…
Discussions around men’s mental health is on the table again, with the annual Movember event a chance to open deeper conversations about wellbeing. Movember is a reminder for men to connect, signaling support for each other with a manly ‘stache’. More than 45 per cent of Australians between 16 and 85 have experienced a mental illness, with 65 per cent of those not addressing it. Men make up a majority of those not facing their issues, according to Corrimal Men’s Shed Day Manager, Dennis Hamilton. “Men just clam up and that’s it. They don’t like talking about these things (mental health…
UOW gamers have weighed in on what a recent court battle will mean for console gaming. In 2020, Fortnite creators Epic Games brought two lawsuits into play against both Apple and Google, alleging they were monopolising Apple and Android products respectively through their digital storefronts. While Apple initially came out on top in their case, the matter with Google was ruled in Epic Games’ favour last year. In October, Judge Donato ruled that Google allow other app stores to be downloadable via Google’s Play Store. Google is appealing the decision. Creative writing student Zali Gavin said she hoped for changes.…
Cult of the Lamb. Untitled Goose Game. Void Bastards. Hollow Knight. What do these video games have in common? Well, they all originate from Australia, but that’s not quite the commonality I was thinking of. The one I had in mind is Australian gamers don’t seem to recognise these games come from our country. Take Lara Blair, for example, the President and founder of the Video Game Society at the University of Wollongong. Lara has such an investment in video games she made a whole club dedicated to bringing a community together around them. But when asked if she could…
Australia was once considered a prime candidate for game companies to set up studios, but that mindset has died out, including Team Bondi and 2K Australia. Despite these teams working on successful games, such as Bioshock trilogy and LA Noire, following the shutdowns the only thing to come out of Australia has been mobile games like Crossy Road. Australian games journalist, Leah Williams, believes the lack of coverage for the sector makes it harder for Australian games to break through. “An interesting article about a game’s development can be read and understood by anyone, particularly if the details are exciting,…
R U OK? Day is about reaching out to others for support with mental health struggles, but a recent report on gaming in Australia suggests that one of the country’s fastest growing communities is being forgotten. R U OK? Day is on Thursday September 14, and this year’s theme is “I’m here to hear,” focusing on finding the right environment for supporting people. Many events are being held in support of the day, such as UOW’s event, but with the focus on physical environment, it leaves people in digital spaces detached from the campaign. The last time gaming was integrated into the…