Australian censors have banned the forthcoming [Q2 2010] Aliens vs. Predator videogame and developer Rebellion Games’ CEO Jason Kingsley isn’t happy about it.
The developer “will not be releasing a sanitized or cut down version for territories where adults are not considered by their governments to be able to make their own entertainment choices,” said Kingsley in a scathing statement on Tuesday. The game will be released in February.
Australia’s Office of Film and Literature Classification is notoriously tough; sexually explicit art films like Salo and Ken Park met with ratings difficulties in the country.
But videogames have a particularly tough row to hoe in Australia because the restricted 18-and-up movie rating does not apply to them. If a game in Australia is deemed by the government to be inappropriate for children, it is “refused classification” — that’s doublespeak for “banned.”
The game contains first-person perspective, close-up depictions of human characters being subjected to various types of violence, including explicit decapitation and dismemberment as well as locational damage such as stabbing through the chest, throat, mouth or eyes. Characters can be stabbed with a Predator's wrist blade or an Alien's tail in depictions reminiscent of impalement. The Predator collects "trophies" by explicitly ripping off human heads, their spinal columns dangling from severed necks. Heads can be twisted completely around in order to break a character's neck. Eyes can be stabbed through or gouged, leaving empty, bloodied eye sockets. It is noted that a player is able to combine manoeuvres together in quick succession, which further increases the impact; for example, a Predator can stab a character through both eyes with its wrist blade and then rip off their head, with a spinal column still attached. Extensive post mortem damage, including decapitation and dismemberment, is also possible.
Jason Kingsley's outrage seems a bit silly here. If L4D2's depictions of violence had to be so thoroughly nerfed to be granted classification, AvP's ban was entirely predictable. There is some irony here, however, in that the uber-violent AvP movie was not similarly banned. The OFLC does have an "R" rating for films; just not for video games.
Upon further review, the Aussie's have determined this game is acceptable.
ReplyDeleteAt the time of inspection, they were unaware that the aliens target Minorities. Apparently, Predators in the game will also only target Illegal aliens and Minorities. These in-game features not only rendered the game acceptable in Australia, but launched it straight to their Department of Education.
All Students in AU must now play the game twice a day.