Saints Row IV "Low Violence" Version Appears in Australia

[SSJBlastoise]

Question is - which version is Germany getting? Default for a change or once again Low Violence? So far, it seems to be uncut.

I would be fairly confident in saying that Germany will get the edited version. It seems like they have it worse than us over there. And if by some miracle Germany does get the original version I can see many Australian gamers being pretty pissed off.

 

[Glaice]

Why is always AU and DE getting shafted because of the violent content? :|

 

[Jaeger_CDN]

Yeah but then you can keep doing it in every new game they wish to censor.

If it becomes a pattern then outright mock them in a mission.

If they start applying you extra censorship well then maybe
you can bring it up on the news how inconsistent they are.

Like I said, I'm not disagreeing with tacking on a 'F*** you ACB' message but it's not a smart business practice unless your company has nothing to lose. Deep Silver has interests globally so telling one gov't to piss off (unless it's a gov't no one likes anyways like North Korea) will possibly have repercussions when dealing with other non aussie censor boards.

 

[fletch_talon]

Odd title considering the complaints were regarding positive depiction of drug use and forced sodomy. Did they reduce the violence and keep the drug use? What about the sexual assault? Do they use rohypnol before they shove a probe up someone's arse? But that would be drug use again.
All in all I'm confused as to how a "Low Violence Version" solves the issues.

 

[Tien Shen]

What was the bloody point of them fighting for a R18+ rating and then not using it???

 

[RicoADF]

So let me get this straight, Australia introduced an 18+ rating so they could definitively treat adults like children?

If not, that's what it looks like.

Treating Australians like adults does not allow them to portray illegal drugs in a positive manner, nor does it allow sexual violance (aka rape), according to the ratings board. While I don't like censorship to be rather honest people are blowing this overboard to get clicks. Movies and TV are also given the same rules, this isn't an anti gaming move it's actually what was always wanted, that games fall in line with the rest. I also point out that it is only stopping this version being sold here, it's quite easy to just import a copy and legal too.

Also I find Andy's screwing the facts for a sensationalist headline disgusting, but it's atleast shown me how trustworthy news from this site is.... about as much as fox news.

What was the bloody point of them fighting for a R18+ rating and then not using it???

It is being used, R18+ does not mean anything can be sold regardless of legality. See above ^^

Now weather the rules regarding R18+ in our media needs updating or amending is another question, but that'd be best discussed in another topic.

 

[RicoADF]

Why is always AU and DE getting shafted because of the violent content? :|

It isn't violent content that's gotten shafted, it's showing illegal drugs and sexual assault (rape basically) in a positive way/light. That gets an RC in movies and TV as well, and while in this case it's arguable weather it's in context you can't say they don't have a point.

 

[Slash2x]

"Gratuitous Sexual Violence" huh? So how much you want to bet it was hitting people in the nuts or a weapon that does the same.... But given it is SR I am betting it launched said person into space.

It was an "alien probe" weapon. You can imagine where the "probe" goes. I think after probing, you could then actually launch the person, though.

I think it'd be awesome if they made this "low violence" version a big parody of the rating system. Make rainbows shoot out of people instead of blood, have the guns fire puffballs, etc.

Awesome! I hope the new Probe is called the huganator, and it hugs people until they explode into rainbows. I also hope they put parodies of as many Australian political figures as possible into the game. And make them enemies attacking the public and generally being assholes.

 

[IamLEAM1983]

Aaaaand something tells me a lot of IP address ranges on Torrent sites will come from Aussieland, come the game's (cracked) release...

This kind of censorship accomplishes nothing. If any Australian wants to play the non-square version of a game they're interested in, they can just hit their favourite tracker. Better yet, I'm sure Green Man or other outlets of that sort are going to carry the American version *for* the Australian market.

Basically, as soon as the product you're trying to censor is available in downloadable form - your censorship attempt fails automatically.

 

[MrHide-Patten]

Still importing and I get the game as was intended. So everybody wins... except Australian games retailers. But they've been ripping me off for quite some time, so they can get stuffed for all I care.

 

[Rebel_Raven]

The "implied sexual violence" is due to the Anal Probe weapon where, well, you ram it up a person's butt, and ... probe.
That's what other sources have mentioned.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

SR is cartoon violence. lol.

 

[Vausch]

See if I were in volition's shoes, I'd put a blatantly obvious easter egg in the final release of the low violence edition that tells the player where they could get a patch to play the game as intended. Keep changing it when/if the government censors the site, too.

 

[Evil Smurf]

And this is why Bobmus is gifting it to me from the UK.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

If New Zealand has to receive the same watered down as Australia...

I'm not going to be happy.

 

[FrozenCones]

We are a country founded by convicts. They wouldn't want us falling back into our old ways. SR IV is an invitation for us to sail back to the United Kingdom and start cutting throats and stealing purses.

Of course this all happened back in 1788, but, you know, old habits die hard.

 

[idarkphoenixi]

If you want people to buy the game legally then how about giving them the complete package for something they are paying an already ridiculous amount of money for?

All the DRM and censorship bullshit going on in today's world and you can actually get a better experience by taking something something you would otherwise have paid for. It's just like with movies where buying the dvd fairly gives you the reward of seeing a "STOP STEALING STUFF!" notice that you can't skip.

Just keep up the fight Aussie's. It can't keep on forever.

 

[lacktheknack]

What they're not telling you: The low-violence version turns all the blood hot pink, and that's the only difference.

I'd laugh.