Risen Ban Explained

[Capo Taco]

I'm actually impressed that they made this decision based on gameplay elements and the way the player is being rewarded for 'illicit behaviour' rather than making the decision that it by itself is not acceptable.

As much as I think a ban is silly because it makes the assumption that those that play the game can't think for themselves, I also can see their point that they do not want to have a game that however subtly, glorifies prostitution and soft drugs.

If it were a movie that glorified both without giving any of the negative side-effects or at least hint at the risks involved, then it would be a worse movie for it. Risen sounds like it has a immature outlook.

Let me check their website if I can confirm that immaturity..... loading.... searching....Done.

The interactive website lands me on a beach from where I can explore the land of risen. Good voice, beautiful visuals. This looks promising. Then it asks me to go left or right. Choose Wisely. choose wisely!?

> go right.

There is a hungry wolf in front of you. Do you sneak past/ fight. ARE YOU A WARRIOR?

> sneak past

Enter the cave or go back.

> enter the cave

I'm being attacked by tiny sword carrying things!

"The gnomes have overwhelmed you. There is no escape. To be continued."

Continued!? After I'm killed by gnomes?

I guess I'm not really dead then, but the website has confirmed that this is a rather immature game. That's alright, I never liked the spice girls or S club 7 either. But for an immature game to also cover two illegal activities and portray them in a purely positive light is not a good call and the criticism leveled at Rise seems correct to me. It's just that a whole ban is rather ham-handed.

Btw I tried to see what a real WARRIOR would do. Apparently a WARRIOR grabs a stick and beats a wolf to the death.

 

[CloudKiller]

Aussie's, kick whomever is making up these stupid censorship rules out of your parliment now before they do any more damage. Get your Guy Fawkes masks on and march on parliment.

Seriously though, your goverment is sucking bad here. (almost as bad as in Britian)

 

[ablac]

why do they bother releasing game like this because the odds are they will get banned its ridiculous its like treating he country as a child

 

[Radelaide]

Yep! Us Australians are all very sensitive petals and need to be treated carefully.

God damn, I hate this fuckin' country sometimes...

 

[Crowser]

IF YOU PUSH IT UNDER THE RUG PEOPLE WONT NOTICE, EVEN IF THEY SAW YOU DOING IT!

>.>

<.<

 

[Chrissyluky]

to be honest this is what the esrb is for. i dont believe they should ban the games but... you can sell smoke and buy this "imaginary drug" which is an obvious referance to the real drug buisness that does seem a bit much but again this is exactly what the esrb was intended for.

 

[bradley348]

ARG!!

WHYYYY CLASIFICATION SYSTEM!?

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWR!!

Jeez, bring in R atleast, i mean, if its R, and 10 year olds end up playing it, its parental/guardian fault, not the developers!

and i severely doubt kids are gonna go

COME ON GUYS, WE CAN GET A WHOLE 23 EXPERIENCE IF WE GO SMOKE MARIJUANA!!

 

[nova18]

they're almost as bad as England for being a Nanny State, if they did this with more than just video games, they would steal the title of Nanny State from England

Yeah but they have the added pressure of dispelling the "All Aussies are criminals" stigma.
But yeah, England is pretty bad.

 

[Zer_]

Between Australia and China, I'm just going to chalk up one more reason I'm glad the US doesn't have it anywhere near as bad as some places.

They should have made Brungleweed, Brungleroids and it probably would have passed.

I agree on both parts. People can trash the US, but we can't ban any fiction, while most countries can. The only time the AO rating gets used is over the top gore, or graphic sex, both of which, while liked, aren't needed.

Nah, America doesn't ban fiction, they ban scientific facts. Oooh the Irony!

 

[Gigaguy64]

I cried laughing when I read that smoking a drug gives you exp.

puft..
LEVEL UP!!!
you got lung cancer! and can now use ACID BREATH!!!!!!!

 

[TheNumber1Zero]

just one hit-36 experience points

that's the good suff-3 experience points

I'm addicted-15 experience points and permanent increase of 5 to influence bar

stupid intervention--8experience points

escape rehab-5 experience points

all I can do is laugh

you shut up and do the same

 

[Doc Theta Sigma]

they're almost as bad as England for being a Nanny State, if they did this with more than just video games, they would steal the title of Nanny State from England

Yeah but they have the added pressure of dispelling the "All Aussies are criminals" stigma.
But yeah, England is pretty bad.

We're not as bad as this. Plus I wouldn't say England is a nanny state. The Daily Express and Mail say it for me along with most OAPs. I'm not seeing what you mean by us being a nanny state. I'd say England is a lot more accepting than the US and Australia by the sounds of it but whatever.

Now on topic, this is just silly. Perhaps Jack Thompson should move to Australia. He might actually make sense over there.

 

[The Lost Big Boss]

"THE HORROR, MY EYES CAN'T HANDLE THE EVIL OF THIS GAME!" *Head explodes* Like iNsane said, the board has their head so far up their ass's. It's almost like they are trying to drive their own morals in the culture they live in, so they ban any game that has illegal sex and drugs. This is why I love the first amendment, it protects games from idiots like Jack Thompson, who drive home their own cultural agenda.

 

[Pimppeter2]

Risen had just become a very high game on the list of Imwaitingfors

 

[ArcWinter]

I call censorship, along with bullshite and correlation does not imply causation.

 

[Grayjack]

Pretty ironic considering Australia was settled by convicts.

 

[Comma-Kazie]

"Sensitive citizens"? Come on, have these people EVER heard of Yahtzee?

 

[Keepitclean]

LOL. doing druga gives you EXP!??! Thats funny shit.

There is skooma in Oblivion and they didn't ban that.

 

[Alex_P]

"The game contains 'quests' which a player may choose to complete by acquiring sexual services of prostitutes," the Classification Board said in an email. "Though it is purportedly not a necessary element of game play, players gain rewards or advance through the game more easily by engaging in sexual activity with prostitutes. Despite sex being given discreet treatment within the game, sexual activity is clearly linked to incentives or rewards."

... And yet they gave a "15+" rating to Bloodlines?

-- Alex