Update: Saints Row IV Refused Classification in Australia

[Creator002]

"Here, guys! An R18+ rating. Just what you wanted! By the way, we still get to decide what you play. You just wanted the pretty, black sticker, right?"

Just... why? How? What was the point of giving us the rating if we're still, as adults, told what we can and can't play?

 

[ThunderOne]

Incentives for drugs? What's wrong with that?
The police and politicians over here do the same thing (CHICAGO)
But that is Australia.. So I don't know how it is over there.

 

[Something Amyss]

The biggest problem with the ACB has always been its inconsistency on what deserves to be Refused Classification and what doesn't. Introducing the R18+ rating for games didn't change the members of the ACB being a bunch of useless fuckwits.

That doesnt'surprise me a single bit. Damn. Granted, most bodies made of people have a tendency to be inconsistent.

 

[Stealthygamer]

I thought the Australian Government had woken up and were winding down this sort of behaviour? Obviously not. Give it a day or two and you can get the content right back with mods - can/does the Government do anything with regards these? What about the typical/common mods for.. pretty much any Bethesda game - are any of them subject to this treatment or do they avoid it based on the fact that they're mods and aren't classified?

Also, a few in here seem to be advocating piracy. Schoolboy error..

It's not piracy if you buy the game, then download the uncensored version.

If I get an over seas friend to preorder it on my behalf and (and cancel my own pre order) Would that work?

PC and PS3 yes, Xbox 360 no due to region locks (unless its a UK version)

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

... Really.... what the hell was the point of bringing in an adult rating if you're still going to ban stuff? WE'RE ADULTS DAMN IT! Yes I realise the irony...
It's like you don't want local retailers to have our business. It's bizarre.

As someone who voted in favour of every petition to bring an R18 category in, I'd just like to point out that the aim wasn't to let everything in without question. The aim was to allow games designed for adults to not have to be made safe for children before they came into the country, by creating a separate, enforceable ratings category. Simple. Censorship has its place, as long as it's well-regulated. If the developer wants to appeal the verdict, there are channels for them to do so.

Thank you. I don't understand what about this is hard to understand. An adult rating isn't a "Get Out of Censorship Free" card, any more than the M rating over here in the US is. It makes it so that games don't have to be child-friendly in order to be sold. There was a time when there was no video game censorship. You know what the result was?

Spoiler: somewhat NSFW

Yeah. I'm really not seeing any problem with putting a limit to how far games are allowed to go, as long as they stay consistent and reasonable with it. Although banning it because it uses a dildo as a weapon is far from reasonable, so take that as you will. I'm not saying that they were necessarily right to do it to this game for the reasons they put, but saying that they should not ever censor any game ever is unreasonable.

 

[Teoes]

It's not piracy if you buy the game, then download the uncensored version.

I disagree, but this isn't the thread for it. If/when the time comes I will honestly wish you luck in convincing authorities to drop their charges with your "But I bought a copy too, so that makes it ok!" argument.

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

As for standing up for censorship, yes, I don't happen to like rape. And unless you can convince me that Saints Row 4 is actually using the concept in an intelligent, sophisticated and above all sensitive way as a means to bring about positive change or education, then I see no reason why anyone needs to play it with that shit left in. Intelligent people might be able to make up their own minds about the scene in question, but if all you're left with is a litmus test for decency and human empathy, it's a pretty pissweak reason for the scene to exist.

Oh noes the horrible rape..

Today, we?ve learned exactly what those depictions are. And in the context of the game, they?re kinda funny.

?The game includes a weapon referred to by the Applicant as an ?Alien Anal Probe?, said the Australian Classification Board in a statement. ?The Applicant states that this weapon can be ?shoved into enemy?s backsides?. The lower half of the weapon resembles a sword hilt and the upper part contains prong-like appendages which circle around what appears to be a large dildo which runs down the centre of the weapon.

?When using this weapon the player approaches a (clothed) victim from behind and thrusts the weapon between the victim?s legs and then lifts them off the ground before pulling a trigger which launches the victim into the air. After the probe has been implicitly inserted into the victim?s anus the area around their buttocks becomes pixelated highlighting that the aim of the weapon is to penetrate the victim?s anus.

?The weapon can be used during gameplay on enemy characters or civilians. In the Board?s opinion, a weapon designed to penetrate the anus of enemy characters and civilians constitutes a visual depiction of implied sexual violence that is interactive and not justified by context and as such the game should be Refused Classification.?

and

?The game contains an optional mission which involves the player obtaining and smoking drugs referred to as ?alien narcotics?. Smoking the ?alien narcotics? equips the player with ?superpowers? which increase their in-game abilities allowing them to progress through the mission more easily.?

My god, what would australians ever do if they didnt have the government to protect them from alien probes and alien drugs... If it weren't for their brave censorship people would run rampant shoving alien dildos up peoples asses and smokin space reefer...

I repeat: who in their right mind wants to play a game where you anal probe someone to death? That, by the way, is defined as rape under Australian law.

Also, point me to wherever I said that having anal probes in the game would lead to people raping other people with anal probes? I didn't. This isn't a matter of "X will cause Y", this is a matter of "no one in their right mind should want to play this, so let's send the message that they need to tone it down if they want to sell this here."

If Halo 5 allowed players to literally teabag each other, animations and all, it would be a step too far. Why does Saint's Row get a pass from gamers? The wacky, over the top violence peaked in the second game: now they're just desperately trying to stay relevant by pushing the envelope as far as it will go. Why should that be defended? I'm not a huge censorship fan, but if one thing it does is occasionally remind people what the boundaries of good taste are, it's acceptable.

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

I'm actually glad to live in this country for once.

Hooray for censorship! Prohibition is the solution for all of a nation's woes!

I like how censorship is something that apparently you can only be either completely for or completely against. No middle ground for well-regulated classification systems with room for oversight and appeals or anything.

 

[Something Amyss]

I like how censorship is something that apparently you can only be either completely for or completely against. No middle ground for well-regulated classification systems with room for oversight and appeals or anything.

Nice strawman, there, buddy. Doesn't really change the nature of the argument. Censorship here is still quite ridiculous, and it's ridiculous to support it.

You're proud to live in a country because it's censoring fantasy drug use (and let's be realistic, that's the element they clearly object to). That's farcical.

 

[Something Amyss]

I repeat: who in their right mind wants to play a game where you anal probe someone to death?

Who cares? If it bothers you so much, don't buy the game. Why police other people?

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

I like how censorship is something that apparently you can only be either completely for or completely against. No middle ground for well-regulated classification systems with room for oversight and appeals or anything.

Nice strawman, there, buddy. Doesn't really change the nature of the argument. Censorship here is still quite ridiculous, and it's ridiculous to support it.

You're proud to live in a country because it's censoring fantasy drug use (and let's be realistic, that's the element they clearly object to). That's farcical.

Firstly, I don't personally object to the drug use, and that's an area of the classification system where I would like to see them develop a more nuanced approach.

Secondly, it's not a strawman to point out that you can be against the more extreme forms of censorship but tolerate some form of regulated censorship, as in this case.

I'm not so much 'proud' to live in this country as I am slightly annoyed by the fact that a whole bunch of people who don't actually live here, don't know how this system works, haven't played the game in question and are just all-in against censorship in any form are actually saying 'Australia is so retarded'.

Who cares? If it bothers you so much, don't buy the game. Why police other people?

Something about having some basic standards of decency as part of a society comes to mind.

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

Plenty of people in their right mind would want to play a game where you can use an anal probe as a weapon. Just because YOU are too much of a prude to enjoy the comedy doesn't make people crazy or less somehow for enjoying the humor in it.

So, just because YOU dont like something it is obviously ok to try to police what other people find entertaining, or what they want to buy.

And did you ever consider that they get away with it because there is a market for it? Or because they are making the game they WANT to make? Just because you dont like something shouldn't mean they cant make what they want, it just means you shouldn't buy it, while the rest of us who enjoy their brand of entertainment should be free to.

And yes, you are a huge censorship fan, you want to police what other people find funny or entertaining because it doesnt fit within your narrow scope of what should be allowed and what is in good taste. Thank god we live in a world where you are in the minority, and there is a thing such as international shipping and online stores.

I used to think it was prudish to not find rape jokes funny and such, but it kind of loses most if not all humour once you've known someone who's been through that experience.

And while I respect your views on censorship, I'd appreciate you not telling me what mine are. If you want to debate the merits of censorship vs complete freedom of speech, let's take it to PM.