October 18, 2007 -
Australian website The Age is reporting that first-person shooter Soldier of Fortune: Payback has been refused classification Down Under, effectively banning the game.The smack-down was issued to the Activision release by Australia's Office of Film & Literature Classification (OFLC), which has previously dropped the hammer on a number of games, including Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure.
From The Age:
The ban comes at a time when the Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia is stepping up its campaign for the introduction of an R18+ classification as the country heads towards next month's federal election.
The IEAA says Australia is the only developed democracy in the world without a R18+ classification for games, ensuring titles which exceed the limits of the MA15+ category are refused classification and banned from sale.
UPDATE: The Melbourne Herald-Sun has more, including comment from the OFLC:
“(The decision was based on) the different ways a player could maim and injure (other characters),” the spokeswoman said.
“The violence is seen to exceed the MA classification.”
The Classification Board Report explains that “the limbs may be shot off, resulting in large amounts of blood spray and the depiction of torn flesh and protruding bone from the dismembered limb”.
Comments
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
OK Game Devs
Random Tower
But now that it's banned somewhere, it's bound to be a hit everywhere else.
Basically, it's just like the last SoF game, just with better graphics.
GTA: SA is still on sale in Australia.
Jusst thought I'd let you know.
Isn't that what usually happens in those type of games?
- Warren Lewis
Consumer responsibility is just as important as Corporate responsibility. So, be responsible consumers.
I've read elsewhere that there is an 18 rating for movies, so why not apply it to games too?
large amount of blood and gore. I think it deserves an R18. But since
we don't have one down here the only option is to not rate it.
I am more interested to see if it will be reconsidered if an R18 rating
is introduced.
-Twixn-
From the trailer, it does seem to have a lot of gibbing and high levels of blood.
Just a pitty we don't have that R18 rating yet
No they're not.
But having played them, this has FAR more blood, and looks far more realistic.
And just to jump in here before people start hurling abuse at the wrong people, the OFLC (who gave the Refused Classification) have their hands tied in this matter.
It's either MA15+ or this. Thats their only choices on the matter
Course I don't like games that are too violent and bloody, but you see how I'm not telling everyone that they should all conform to my personal standards? I'm looking at YOU Jack.
@Bloodharp - Yes, an M rating is appropriate for 17+ according to the ESRB.
Good: OFLC upholding the concept of a rating system is all that is needed to regulate the sale of games to people under the appropriate age
Bad: The lack of an 18+ rating that MIGHT allow the sale of said game.
Some of you forget: even if an 18+ rating comes to exist, it might still be refused sale at the whim of the powers that be. Also, "The Big 3" could treat an 18+ rating from the OFLC just like the AO rating from the ESRB.
So It doesn't effect me.
Though we really do need a new rating system down here.
The two highest ratings we have for games are:
M15+ and MA15+
Kind of stupid that they're loosely equivalent to America's 13+ and 17+ ratings if you look at what games get rated by either of them.
P.S. - Australia needs a R18+ rating for games really fast. Is there anyway you Aussies can challenge the lack of this rating in Australia. Doesn't Australia have anything like the U.S. Constitution or the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom.
I'm pretty sure the last few soldiers of fortune had been banned in Aussie land.
So essentially, gamers over 15 in Australia are preemptively and permanently fucked over by a lazy rating system.
Wow. If Crocodile Dundee could see those guys now.
Considering getting some friends together to write some letters in regards to the need for an 18+ rating. I can see what will happen though.
Five seconds after we get our rating Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo will declare no 18+ games on their systems.
Look at the freaking picture for the article. The game already has an M rating.
Anyway, just another ban as a result of a crippled system. Let's just hope it gets the go ahead in Eurpoe too.
Look at the freaking picture for the article. The game already has an M rating.
Anyway, just another ban as a result of a crippled system. Let's just hope it gets the go ahead in Eurpoe too.
People think the ESRB is broken, but compared to Australia's OFLC its a dream. I've never heard of the ESRB refusing a rating (they get paid to assign a rating so they have to). If its decided to alter or add to the ESRB rating system, no politician with a stick in his rectum can decide he knows better.
Face the facts, the OFLC is a truly broken and fractured system. Any system that does not contain the ability to rate the material that is submitted to it is not doing its job. We call that incompetence. So, our friends "down under," rise up and demand a R18+ rating for video games.
Considering getting some friends together to write some letters in regards to the need for an 18+ rating. I can see what will happen though.
Five seconds after we get our rating Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo will declare no 18+ games on their systems.
If that happens then think of all the games that will be banned in Europe. 0_0
I hope the Board never watches that one scene from "Braveheart"... or that 1920's picnic from Monty Python where everyone dies... ;)
Or even, god forbid, Saving Private Ryan.
Perhaps.
But Manhunt 2 is probably going to blow also, as Manhunt 1 was boring as hell. But I still don't agree with Sony and Nintendo kowtowing to hearse chasing lawyers, fear mongering lawyers and fear mongered soccer mom groups by forcing Rockstar to censor Manhunt 2.
Just because you aren't going to buy a game is no reason not to defend it.
I don't see a problem with being able to do all that, it's just a game after all :) .
I dunno, looks good. I doubt it will have anything resembling a story though.
Exactly. The BBFC is just about the most humane board you'll ever find. The others are just so bloody tight..
Aus needs a 18+ age level its silly to think they they would not.
And, just because you won't buy a game doesn't mean no one else will. When I was reading Customers Suck, I had read of at least one instance where a customer wanted a game yanked off of shelves because they didn't like it.
That about sums up Soldier of Fortune 2. Lots of action, gibbing, and the motion sickness inducing corridors, but the plots was thiner than a weak soup.
Personally I always thought the level of gore in the SoW series was just a little way too over the top. But if it wasn't for that it would just be some generic shooter that looks like every other counter-intelligence shoot-fest on the market.