Shellshock 2 Banned in Australia

[Kerrby]

According to reports from Gamespot, Eidos Interactive’s upcoming Shellshock 2: Blood Trails has been banned in Australian territories due to the game’s excessive violent content.

Due out on PlayStation 3, PC and Xbox 360, the FPS takes place in Cambodia during the events of the Vietnam War, where individuals have become infected by the outbreak of an unknown chemical in the middle of the jungle.

There are currently no plans to appeal for the game’s release.

Shellshock 2 joins a substantial list of games that have been refused rating by Australia’s Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC), including Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and more recently, Dark Sector.

Unlike the film and DVD market, which have a dedicated rating system applicable to adult-orientated content, Australia allows for videogames to be rated only as high as MA15+, meaning that anything deemed unsuitable for consumers aged 15 and below is effectively banned for going on sale in the region.

Source: http://www.psu.com/Shellshock-2-banned-down-under-News--a0004110-p0.php

Another games fall victim to the OFLCs disapproval !

 

[Conan Troutman]

this is getting ridiculous

you can get on the net (or watch the news) and see real people dying, but god forbid we play a game teenagers elsewhere in the world can play. Like i've said before, fix the world first, then games

 

[scooterb]

this is getting ridiculous

you can get on the net (or watch the news) and see real people dying, but god forbid we play a game teenagers elsewhere in the world can play. Like i've said before, fix the world first, then games

On Today Tonight a few hours ago, they showed a 70 year old man get absolutely hammered by a car at 6:30 pm for god's sake.

 

[Viney]

Absolute load of garbage.

Add to that the amount of games that get editted for release. We are apparently getting an editted version of Dark Sector and we did get an editted version of SOF: Payback (and of course GTAIV suffered cuts).

I've played Dark Sector and cannot understand why this was cut, particularly when a game like Ninja Gaiden 2 gets through, which is perhaps the most graphic, brutal game I've seen in a long time.

The upcoming title Prototype is also set to be editted when released here.

The OFLC is so backwards.

Oh well, thank god for importing hey?

 

[boydsno1]

i'll still get it

 

[drew_j]

Vent you spleen at this guy: http://www.ministers.sa.gov.au/ministers.php?id=7
He's the only AG apposed to the change in classifications, it's something every attorney general must endorse before it can be legislated. Because South Australia have a pious ****** the rest of the country has to suck it up. Send him all your hate mail here:

attorney-general@agd.sa.gov.au

Or send a letter:

GPO Box 464
ADELAIDE SA 5001

Or give his office a call: 8207 1723

 

[Viney]

Vent you spleen at this guy: http://www.ministers.sa.gov.au/ministers.php?id=7
He's the only AG apposed to the change in classifications, it's something every attorney general must endorse before it can be legislated. Because South Australia have a pious ****** the rest of the country has to suck it up. Send him all your hate mail here:

attorney-general@agd.sa.gov.au

Or send a letter:

GPO Box 464
ADELAIDE SA 5001

Or give his office a call: 8207 1723

I know the weak way out is to say "why bother it'll do no good" but honestly, why bother, it'll do no good.

The governments (both state and federal) have far more to fear from parents / lobby groups by allowing an R rating than they do from a bunch of gamers.

I'd love it to change, but sadly can't see it happening

 

[drew_j]

I know the weak way out is to say "why bother it'll do no good" but honestly, why bother, it'll do no good.

The governments (both state and federal) have far more to fear from parents / lobby groups by allowing an R rating than they do from a bunch of gamers.

I'd love it to change, but sadly can't see it happening

I'm not going to bother. What I'm going to do is download a copy of shellshock 2, burn 20 copies and give them out to people under the age of 15. Then I'm going to tell Atkinson I did it. Won't do much but it'll make me feel better.

 

[raffrox]

Problem is that there is no 18+ rating for games in Australia. So anything deemed 18+ is banned.

They need to get a new (or better) ratings system and things will be sweet.

 

[Viney]

Problem is that there is no 18+ rating for games in Australia. So anything deemed 18+ is banned.

They need to get a new (or better) ratings system and things will be sweet.

It's weird, it's technically not banned, it's refused classification (which I know is a small point and ultimately it is banned because it's not available here).

But they are not banning these games, simply refusing to classify them, thus allowing the developers a chance to edit and resubmit.

I believe (and may be incorrect) that as they are refused classification and not banned, you are still freely able to import and that is where the difference is.

 

[Ed_Gein]

Oh well, thank god for importing hey?

Yup, pretty easy to get it from Asia these days for what? $50-60.

I've taken the stance to import any brand new game these days like i did with GTA IV (which i picked up for $65 incl shipping) i don't see how they can justify $100+ for games now.

And more to the point, ban the game for all i care, sadly, i'll just take my business overseas. It just annoys me that there are obviously way too many people in australia that can't distinguish fantasy from reality to have all these games edited/banned.

 

[HBK619]

Whether or not that it will be cheaper overseas it is deplorable to see such inconsistencies in the OFLC, they edit GTA IV because of blood pools appearing after someone dieing and bruises and cuts on Niko Bellic when he loses some health.

They ban Dark Sector for having dismembering finishing moves and because of the games gory content.

Also obviously the title of this thread but now we get a game like Shellshock 2(Which I have to say I had never heard of before now), getting banned due to 'excessive violence', no specific details though.

We also have rumours of Fallout 3, a game which is already being considered for GOTY potentially getting banned or edited because of the use of a morphine injection, when other games such as Battlefield: BC, Haze and Bioshock have pretty much the exact same thing.

On the other hand we have a game like Ninja Gaiden make it through unharmed when it involves decapitations and blood spurting in a fountain like manor out of the spot where the head use to be.

It is alarming how inconsistent they are becoming with their decisions to edit or ban games, I am really worried that games with any sort of political, violent or any other purpose suddenly getting banned because of these wusses at the OFLC not having any balls to let these games through, or at least consider a R18+ rating.

 

[Viney]

Whether or not that it will be cheaper overseas it is deplorable to see such inconsistencies in the OFLC, they edit GTA IV because of blood pools appearing after someone dieing and bruises and cuts on Niko Bellic when he loses some health.

They ban Dark Sector for having dismembering finishing moves and because of the games gory content.

Also obviously the title of this thread but now we get a game like Shellshock 2(Which I have to say I had never heard of before now), getting banned due to 'excessive violence', no specific details though.

We also have rumours of Fallout 3, a game which is already being considered for GOTY potentially getting banned or edited because of the use of a morphine injection, when other games such as Battlefield: BC, Haze and Bioshock have pretty much the exact same thing.

On the other hand we have a game like Ninja Gaiden make it through unharmed when it involves decapitations and blood spurting in a fountain like manor out of the spot where the head use to be.

It is alarming how inconsistent they are becoming with their decisions to edit or ban games, I am really worried that games with any sort of political, violent or any other purpose suddenly getting banned because of these wusses at the OFLC not having any balls to let these games through, or at least consider a R18+ rating.

Good post.

On Ninja Gaiden 2, I believe it passed because they were not killing humans. Apparently they advised the Ninjas were actually fiends with 5 eyes (or something like that).