EA Slams Classification Board; Refuses to Censor Syndicate
Games On Net says that EA Games will not release Syndicate in Australia, modified or not. They have released a statement heavily criticizing the Classification Board’s decision to ban the game.
It’s regrettable that government policy in Australia is denying adults the right to play Syndicate. The game will be not be available in Australia despite its enthusiastic response from fans. We were encouraged by the government’s recent agreement to adopt an 18+ age rating for games. However, delays continue to force an arcane censorship on games – cuts that would never be imposed on books or movies. We urge policy makers to take swift action to implement an updated policy that reflects today’s market and gives its millions of adult consumers the right to make their own content choices…
· We are not releasing Syndicate in Australia. The reason for this is because we do not have an R18+ in place as yet.
· We will not be appealing the RC decision. Syndicate is a game made for a mature audience and any changes to would significantly affect the game’s quality and appeal.
· Syndicate will continue to be released in New Zealand (unchanged) on the 24th February 2012, and has a confirmed rating of R18
EA chose not to release Syndicate for two reasons. Firstly, as mentioned, the game is designed for adults, not those under eighteen.
And secondary, it costs a lot of money to appeal the decision, and to send the game back to the developer so that they can tone down the content just for Australians and release it under the MA15+ banner. Other companies may do this, but not EA.
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Troy says:
I think I may have fallen in love with EA LOL and I think it is a good thing that a developer/publisher has finally told the Classification Board/Goverment what they think of our dumbass rating system.
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Dave P. Terrinal says:
http://wordswithmeaning.org/2011/12/another-video-game-banned-in-australiarant-alert/
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John F says:
Good on you EA, I applaud you for your response. It’s about time someone told the Classification board to go and get fucked with their censorship laws. Australian Government – you got what you deserved, LOL.
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Wiimeiser says:
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/685/failedstatesindex2012.png/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/266/democracyindex2012.png/
Also, I know I’ll regret saying this, but no more games should be released here until further notice.
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Justin says:
Well, by the sounds of things, it seems Syndicate will be a mainly single player-focussed game. Fuck you Australia. I’m going to download this game. Fix the rating system you fucking bitches in power. 2 more years? Fuck off. It does NOT take that long to get something like that through. To get it through straight away, like you’re saying you want to (but seemingly DON’T want to), do the following:
- Add the R18+ rating to the system.
- DON’T change any of the other ratings and their qualifying criteria.
- Anything that can’t go to MA15+, put in R18+.
- Obviously hardcore porn and things like that will still be banned. WE UNDERSTAND THIS.
- Make Australian gamers everywhere EXTREMELY HAPPY.
- Mission accomplished.
Now how long did that take me to write? Not long at all. So it should take BARELY longer to put it in action. Follow my instructions, and no one gets hurt. Easy.
Fuck you Australia.
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Joel R says:
I’d like to see all major game companies, cancel all their games in Aus adult rated child rated… doesn’t matter.
It would suck for us all but that might help push things a long. Anyways happy that EA wont edit their games.
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Matt says:
Good on you EA, best response I’ve heard yet, and the right idea!
The banning of Syndicate might not hit the Australian gaming market too hard (certainly wont be making a profit though), but other developing companies should follow EA’s lead. Their next Dead Space game will no doubt be in the line of fire in the future, as a core part of the game is dismemberment, and that is becoming a more well-known franchise too. But then again maybe we need a major game to be denied in Australia to get more public attention/support.
Hurry it up Australia and get your ass into gear! You are only making it worse!
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Jon says:
Good job EA, maybe publishers should just open (and encourage) pathways for consumers to import anyway – fuck the government. People who REALLY WANT the game are either going to import it or steal it.
Why do they persist in delaying this? I thought we were due for an R18+ rating by the end of the year?
With the release of Postal III, I would love to see that game here (fat chance). I loved the second one and found it great to play after a crap day.
Furthermore, adding this R rating and shifting MA to R is bullshit. If they are concerned about extremely high impact material, why not do what they did for the porn industry and have an even higher rating as well (to inform the consumer that the game is extremely high impact). No game should be banned because after all, IT’S A FUCKING GAME. Anyone who has hang-ups in relation to certain material contained in some games has a choice to buy it or not. Nobody’s holding a gun to your friggin’ head making you play it either.
And for those scare mongers out there who believe that high impact games can lead to psycopaths, have you ever considered that those nut-jobs committing those crimes are just looking for something/someone to point the finger at? Even if it were true, consider the following…
Out of all the material out there, what ONE thing has caused more violence, hatred and bloodshed than anything else? THE HOLY BIBLE, that’s right. How many wars over the years have been in GODS NAME? How many lives destroyed? How many people misjudged? hmmm…
Now, take a look at the bible itself… Maybe the OFLC should use their scale and classify IT, that is IF books are even classified at all (it has been out for longer than 2 years anyway). I bet it would be RC’d regardless of it’s format. Here’s an even scarier part, most books rely on the imagination of the reader to VISUALIZE the story.
My point is that NOTHING out there has had MORE NEGATIVE IMPACT than the bible iteslf and I don’t see anyone moving to ban it either (and so they shouldn’t).
Australia is a laughing stock. The country where you can say FUCK on live TV (as opposed to the USA) doesn’t allow it’s citizens to play explicit games (as opposed to the USA). It’s obvious that with this R rating (as well as every other decision by our DICTATORSHIP of a government) is clearly showing that they’re completely out-of-touch with todays Australian person.
If only there was a way we could just vote the lot of them out…
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John F says:
@Jon
Your quote – “My point is that NOTHING out there has had MORE NEGATIVE IMPACT than the bible iteslf and I don’t see anyone moving to ban it either”.
That my friend is the problem with the world today, religion is ever so powerful that it dictates how they live their lives and they try to force their beliefs onto others who don’t. They will use whatever means necessary to prove their moralistic views and that in a nutshell makes their influence on society extremely powerful and we can’t do fuck all to oppose it.
I do agree with you that the bible should be banned but that will never happen because as I said, religious influence is too powerful. We need fresh blood (younger politicians) in office who are in their 20′s and 30′s that has an understanding of modern day society without the religious influence.
I know what I intend to do when the next election is due, either to put a blank vote in the ballot box or simply vote for any independant party that doesn’t involve Labor or the Liberals, either way they can all go and get fucked.
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Thepal says:
Hopefully this sort of reaction from publishers will get the ball rolling a little faster. I wonder if the government realises just how much money they are losing to people getting games online.
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Andrew says:
You know what once again the government is trying to deny me off another game that I would like. I’m 20 been playing games since I can remember, their are a number of games that I can’t have because were under control r18 gaming is in NZ why not here? I’ve got manhunt, n.a.r.c both good games but it’s a game it’s not real! just push the law through the courts cant be that hard thank you.
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Todd says:
This just promotes the importation or stealing of this game and other games refused or re-hashed.
Which one has the government forced you to do?
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Paul says:
Simple fact is the goverment does care!! Just look at the assilym debate.. neithr side with give groud for any reason to come to a descition unless the other side adopts there idead in full. The carbon tax. Nobody in Australia wants it, but they know that if they let us vote on it, it wont get through.. so they dont. We have a dictatorship in Australia in all but name. Changing the ratings so that more games can come into austrlia.. this wont happen for a very.. long ..time.