Rumours were swirling late last week that Australia's strict games classification regime had struck its highest-profile victim for 2008, with Fallout 3 apparently being refused a rating. It seems the rumours were true, with confirmation coming tonight that Bethesda's upcoming postapocalyptic action RPG has indeed been banned for sale in Australia.
The most recent update for the Web site of Australia's Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) shows that Fallout 3 has been refused classification. Unlike films or DVDs, the highest rating allowable for a game in Australia is MA 15+, which means any title that has content deemed unsuitable for a 15-year-old is illegal to sell or promote in this country.
While the OFLC website has no details on why Fallout 3 was banned, a user in GameSpot's PC forum last week suggested it could be due to the use of the drug morphine within the game. Australia's game classification rules state that titles that "depict, express or otherwise deal with matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or abhorrent phenomena in such a way that they offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults" will be refused classification.
Fallout 3 is the third game in 2008 to be banned in Australia. Dark Sector was originally refused classification, although an edited version has recently been resubmitted and passed with an MA 15+ rating. Last week, Shellshock 2 was banned due to graphic violent content.
UPDATE: Australia's OFLC has provided GameSpot AU with a copy of its Board's ruling on Fallout 3, which states that the game was indeed refused classification because it contains "material promoting or encouraging proscribed drug use".
In its ruling, the OFLC states that "the game contains the option to take a variety of drugs known as chems using a device which is connected to the character's arm."
"These chems have postive and some negative effects (lowering of intelligence, or the character may become addicted to the chem). The positive effects include increase in strength, stamina, resistance to damage, agility, and hit points. Corresponding with the list of various chems are small visual representations of the drugs; these include syringes, tablets, pill bottles, a crack-type pipe, and blister packs. In the Board's view, these realistic visual representation of drugs and their delivery method bring the 'science-fiction' drugs in line with 'real-world' drugs.
"The player can also select and use Morphone (a proscribed drug) which has the positive effect of enabling the character to ignore limb pain when the character's extremities are targeted by the enemy." In Fallout 1 and 2, players could take a wide range of drugs both to boost health and character attributes. Both games were freely available for sale in Australia and were rated M.
And despite the violence in the game, the OFLC's ruling is solely concerned with drug use in Fallout 3. In the ruling, the OFLC states that "the violence throughout the game could be accommodated at an MA 15+ level of classification".
Fallout 3's Australian distributors Red Ant refused to comment when contacted by GameSpot AU. The company suffered a similar setback with another game it was distributing in Australia last year, when Blitz: The League was refused classification due to similar in-game drug issues. For more information on Australia's game classification system, check out our special Censory Overload feature.
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Shmacky
10/07/2008 12:57 PM
Another great game ruined by the OFLC. They really dont get it do they? This hurts the Australian economy in more ways than they obviously know or care about. Not to mention kicking every adult gamer in the nuts. Game makers are moving offshore. We are having to buy offshore to get these games. And its becoming a lot cheaper to do it this way too. For an industry of this size, this is a real concern. And a real shame. I could go on forever, but I did enough of that when they censored GTAIV. I dislike the OFLC more than parking inspectors! Sean Age: 28
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Itch
10/07/2008 01:41 PM
I hope this is the straw that breaks the camel's back and actually gets us a R18+ game rating.
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Brian
10/07/2008 02:20 PM
Trying to have a go at the OFLC here is really just shooting the messenger. The role of the OFLC is to enforce Australia's censorship laws. It's the law that doesn't accommodate an R18+ rating and the OFLC has no choice but to refuse a game like this classification. It's the law that needs to be changed, not the OFLC
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Lore
10/07/2008 02:54 PM
Yet we can buy these games quickly and easily offshore, and often for a much cheaper price. It's sad that they won't simply bring themselves up to date with the rest of the world.
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MrMattyMo
11/07/2008 12:13 PM
I agree that this game is not suitable for <15 year olds... BUT FFS im 23!!!!!!!! I KNOW THAT MORPHINE IS BAD! LET ME PLAY !!
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Fishy
18/07/2008 05:12 PM
I think this game is less harmful then the filth that masks as music videos these days. Adults and those over 15 should be allowed to play it and parents should invest more time into looking at what children are watching and playing. I'm 24 and I know what is good and bad but many parents don't give a crap about ratings or teaching their kids proper morals and honer and dignity that's why Australia is a moral sewer these days because of American filthy 'products' that are marketed at kids. There is nothing wrong with adults playing an adult game.
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JohnnyCage
21/07/2008 11:45 AM
This is bullsh#t. They got worse stuff on Big brother big mouth/uncut. Man ban other crap games like postal but not a high quality game like fallout 3. This sucks balls. Lets start a big petition to Kev Rudd government, maybe he will change it cos at least he is more younger than old grandpa Howard..
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JohnnyCage
21/07/2008 06:49 PM
This is bullsh#t. They got worse stuff on Big brother big mouth/uncut. Man ban other crap games like postal but not a high quality game like fallout 3. This sucks balls. Lets start a big petition to Kev Rudd government, maybe he will change it cos at least he is more younger than old grandpa Howard..
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JohnnyCage
21/07/2008 07:19 PM
This is bullsh#t. They got worse stuff on Big brother big mouth/uncut. Man ban other crap games like postal but not a high quality game like fallout 3. This sucks balls. Lets start a big petition to Kev Rudd government, maybe he will change it cos at least he is more younger than old grandpa Howard..
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Ell
26/07/2008 05:40 AM
Don't be stupid. Download a pirated version from the Internet and enjoy it.
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NotAFreeAustraliaAnymore
20/08/2008 10:32 PM
remove kevin rudd ... get rid of him ... im not going to leave a comment on how i really feel about this and other rights we are loosing each day ... im way to angry .... GET RID OF RUDD
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