ALRC Report: Video Game Classification is Broken

Wednesday, October 5th, 2011

The Australian Law and Reform Commission has just released a discussion paper commissioned last year by the Federal Attorney General, Robert McClelland. The ALRC agrees that the video game classification system is failing.

The ALRC has heard loud and clear that the current system is broken and no longer fits with how people are consuming media content. It is poorly equipped to deal with the challenges of media convergence, and the case for reform is strong. The ALRC is proposing reform that can be phased in to allow time for industry and the community to adapt to the new scheme. Responses to the paper will help inform the development of final recommendations for reform.

There are forty-three proposals, with the major one calling for an introduction of voluntary classification for G, PG, and M games.

“The classification of most other media content–for example, books, magazines, websites, music, and computer games now likely to be G, PG, and M–should become or remain voluntary. However, the ALRC proposes that industry bodies should develop codes of practice that encourage the voluntary classification of some of this other content, such as lower-level computer games, using the categories, criteria, and markings of the National Classification Scheme.”

In addition, games rated MA15+ or higher should be referred to the Classification Board.

More information is available on GameSpot.

The discussion paper can be found here. Note that submissions can be made before November 18, 2011.

SEGA challenges RC rating for HOTD: Overkill – Extended Cut

Monday, September 12th, 2011

Last month, the Classification Board slapped House of the Dead: Overkill – Extended Cut with an RC rating. According to an article by Kotaku Australia, the Board had a problem with the game’s recently added ‘Hardcore’ mode.

“The “Hardcore” game mode allows players to play in a manner that exceeds strong in impact,” claims the report, “engaging a headshot-only mode which results in frequent, detailed blood and gore as the zombies and mutants [sic] heads explode into bloody pieces that spread around the environment and onto the screen. The game also contains an “Extra mutants mode” which increases the amount of mutants the player must kill to proceed, resulting in an increased intensity and frequency of violence. In addition the game contains a baby mutant that jumps onto the screen and explodes into bloody chunks when killed.”

In response to the ban, SEGA’s managing director, Darren Macbeth, had this to say:

“There are far worse titles currently available in the marketplace which involve more than shooting down mutants in humorous circumstances. We will do everything we can to prove that House of the Dead: Overkill is worthy of an MA15+ rating in Australia.”

The company had three choices on its hands: edit the game’s content so that the game is passed MA15+, challenge the RC rating, or don’t release the game in Australia. They chose the second option, and the Review Board will meet on September 26 to review the decision.

DOA: Dimensions has rating revoked

Saturday, June 11th, 2011

According to Kotaku Australia, THQ’s fighting game, Dead or Alive: Dimensions, was previously awarded a PG (‘mild violence and sexualized gameplay) rating from the Classification Board. However, negative media reports like this one alerted the Board, which decided to revoke the rating on June 10th.

The media release linked here reported that three of the games characters are described as under 18, and the in-game pornography mode allows the player to look up characters’ dresses in certain poses. Dimensions is already not available in several Scandinavian countries.

The original PG rating is the result of THQ providing inadequate information when submitting the game. The pornography mode is a feature that may very well cause Dimensions to be placed into a higher rating. Nintendo is now re-submitting the game.

Adult Party game referred for review

Wednesday, June 8th, 2011

On March 16th, We Dare, Ubisoft’s adult party game, was released in Australia under a PG rating (‘mild sexual references’). According to Wikipedia, it is marketed as a “sexy, quirky, party game” and involves kissing, striptease, and spanking.

A member of the web site Collective Shout has written a review of the game, slamming the Classification Board for making the game available to minors. What’s unique about the review is that it encourages its readers to e-mail department stores as well as the Classification Board and the Attorney-General.

Judging by the comments, enough people made complaints to warrant a review.

We Dare is already released in Europe under a PEGI 12 rating, but it has attracted criticism in North America, with Ubisoft removing a trailer of the game and plans for a North American released shelved.

People may be entitled to file an application for a review of a computer game, but doing so after the game gets released is pointless.

The Review Board will meet on June 18 for the review.

The Witcher 2 modified for MA15+ rating

Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011

The latest game to be classified by the Classification Board is The Witch 2: Assassin of Kings, which was awarded a rating of MA15+ (‘Strong violence, sex scenes, nudity, and course language’). However, according to Kotaku Australia, the Australian release was modified due to some elements not suitable for minors. Namco Bandai told Kotaku why this modification was necessary.

In the original version your character Geralt was given the choice of accepting sex ‘as a reward’ for successfully completing this particular side quest. The Australian Classification Board originally refused classification as they deemed the inclusion of ‘sex as a reward’ as not suitable for an MA15+ classification.

The change is only minor, in that the character choice is now made automatically for him. The character and the side quest are still in the game but presented in a slightly different context. No other changes have been made and this change has no impact on gameplay, storyline or character development.

Earlier, CD Projekt wrote in their April 2011 FAQ update:

WILL THERE BE DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE WITCHER 2?
The Witcher 2 will have the same content worldwide. There will be no regional differences aside from
the languages. And no censored versions – so no wondering about importing the game, nudity
patches, etc.

Now, CD Projekt thought that the game would be approved without running into trouble with the Board, but even though they were wrong, they still agreed to release it here. As mentioned before, the change is only minor and it does not affect gameplay or storyline in any way. Otherwise, the game would not get released here if sex played a big role.

However, the same type of content is already present in The Witcher, which was released unedited. And this is further proof that the Board inconsistently bans or forces edits to the game. This is why we need an R18+ rating in Australia, and according to comments made by ACT and South Australia, this may definitely happen.