F.E.A.R. 2 Banned In Australia

[Andy Chalk]

F.E.A.R. 2 Banned In Australia

It's getting to be an old story: Office of Film and Literature Classification [http://projectorigin.warnerbros.com/projectorigin/index.html] in Australia.

Few details have emerged at this point, although we've asked both the OFLC and F.E.A.R. 2 publisher MA15+ rating [http://www.wbie.com/] in Australia, clearing it for sale to teenagers with no fuss that I can recall.

So what's happened with F.E.A.R. 2? Either Silent Hill: Homecoming [http://www.lith.com/] remain banned.

Are improvements in technology that drive ever-increasing levels of realism in games to blame? Or is it the shift to a more "cinematic" narrative, which presumably creates more immersive, and therefore dangerous, experiences? Not that it's easy to nail down decisions like these when the criteria behind them is specious at best: When a game is banned not because of the exploding skulls, shotgun vivisections and hacked-up bodies hung from meathooks on walls and ceilings, but because a healing agent in the game is called morphine instead of "generic game-appropriate first aid," something is very wrong.

We'll keep an eye on this and update with details as they become available.


Permalink

 

[BBird00]

I am so sick of hearing this. As an australian, i am outraged at the constant refusals. The problem lies in one, and only one minister, who is holding back ANY talks of even CONSIDERING implementing an R-rating in videogames.

He's a right wing nut-job for those who couldn't figure it out just from his actions. A few times a year, the issue is raised again, and he shoots it down. Under our laws, a unanimous vote is needed to change the rating system.

Utterly ridiculous.

*headdesk*

 

[sirdanrhodes]

Anyone who is shocked is an idiot.

 

[Sixties Spidey]

WHERE THE FUCK IS THE 18+ RATING. Honestly, that game wouldn't have been banned if that rating existed, but no, it all lies down to one idiotic minister.

 

[Brokkr]

The amount of games that are being refused a rating is starting to get ridiculous. It seems every couple weeks we hear a new story like this. I don't agree with, but can understand it in some games. However it just seems stupid for this to happen to games like Fear and Fallout 3.

 

[Cousin_IT]

Once this would have raised alarm bells to me. Now im almost more surprised when 'mature' games arnt banned by the OLFC. Liberal democracy is at its best when its at its most hypocritical

 

[JakalMc]

Fuck you Atkinson. As an Aussie, I'm getting sick of this.

 

[s3cur1tr0n]

Austalia is communist now? I thought only China and Cuba ban various media. WEAK!

 

[Aardvark]

Oi! Warner! And publishers of the world in general. Remember that the Australia market for videogames is puny and small in the grand scheme of things. Don't bother releasing a cut-down version. Don't waste the time and effort. Simply release the game complete and uncut without region protection in Asia/NZ and let the people who would have paid money for the thing anyway will get it on import. You win, the consumer wins and the OFLC can go die in a fire.

Oh sure, you can cry "Teh piratezzzzz!?$#!@?" until the cows come home to roost, but the filthy, stinking pirates of this country are going to pirate the thing regardless, so you might as well ignore them as a statistical anomaly and think of the benefit for those anti-censor warriors who are using the argument "If you ban a game, people will go pirate the pants off it" to talk sense into these dinosaurs.

 

[Cougies]

I work for an Australian Gaming retailer, and I can tell you that this is really starting to get very old, very quickly. The amount of games that are refused classification nowadays is just starting to get beyond a joke.

The thing is, that Atkison (the minister that is stopping any talks for an R18+ raiting for games) is saying that with no R18+ raiting, we protect children from this more mature content. The funny thing is that a recent survey is that the average age of gamers is 28, and that 90% of pearents will go with their children to buy games, so they know what they are playing.

Now as a specialist retailer, I make sure that when someone comes to buy a MA15+ game, I ask for ID, or for their pearents. Why go this far? To ensure that they are purchasing products that are suitable for them. Now larger retailers such as Big W, K-Mart and Target couldn't give a stuff about this, particually the Big W that I compete against locally, as it's happened to me.

So rather then trying to do the job of pearents, and exluding the majority of specialist retailers who do the right thing (lets face it, GAME, GameTraders and EB Games stores are popping up everywhere now), and the face that the majority of Australians, including non gamers, SUPPORT the introduction of an R18+ system, how about we stop trying to censor media, and give people the product the way it was ment to be experianced. We are old enough and ugly enough to make our own decisions about this.

 

[rougeknife]

Austalia is communist now? I thought only China and Cuba ban various media. WEAK!

Don't joke about that. Some prick is trying to censor our internet great firewall style.

 

[Arkfeller]

Someone has to HURT that prick Atkinson. Seriously.
Why ban F.E.A.R 2 when F.E.A.R is still on shelves and kicking ass? Or is the laughable classification system too blind to see them?
*sees Dead Space*
LOOK!

 

[Programmed_For_Damage]

Bloody hell! Hand me the morphine...

 

[lukemdizzle]

the Australian Gov. pisses me off. If I lived there I would really try to get some real protest going

 

[PurpleRain]

Oh you're shitting me?! I've been following this game for a while and was really looking forward to it. That's it, I'm moving! I can't take this cencorship bullshit anymore!

 

[Seydaman]

the reason piracy exists. then again im an evil bastard

 

[Jursa]

Why am I totally not surprised? *sigh...*

 

[s3cur1tr0n]

Austalia is communist now? I thought only China and Cuba ban various media. WEAK!

Don't joke about that. Some prick is trying to censor our internet great firewall style.

Who's joking?