Australia Won't Allow Syndicate, As It Isn't Fit For Minors
SyndicateIf this isn't a wake-up call to the people of Australia, nothing is.
As reported by several sources, including VG247, EA's upcoming sci-fi action reboot, Syndicate, has been refused classification in Australia due to the game being "unsuitable for a minor to see or play." See, the Aussie board doesn't have any video game classifications that are for anyone over the age of 15.
Yep, still living in 1985, as if all games have to be for kids. Here's part of the reason why the board says the title in question isn't for anyone under the age of 15:
"Combatants take locational damage and can be explicitly dismembered, decapitated or bisected by the force of the gunfire. The depictions are accompanied by copious bloodspray and injuries are shown realistically and with detail. Flesh and bone are often exposed while arterial sprays of blood continue to spurt from wounds at regular intervals," the report states, discussing an example mission."
Well of course it's a mature game. That's why we have these things called the "M"-Mature rating and the "R"-Restricted rating here in the US. Mortal Kombat was refused classification in Australia earlier this year, by the way. ...whatever. For more on Syndicate, check out our recent preview.
Related Game(s): Syndicate
Tags: syndicate, ea, syndicate rating, australia classification
12/20/2011 9:23:13 AM Ben Dutka
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Comments (57 posts)
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 9:46:28 AM
0 up, 0 down
Shams
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 2:30:29 PM
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Dancemachine55
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 5:24:07 PM
Wasn't interested in Mortal Kombat until it got great reviews AND was banned. Am awaiting Sydnicate reviews to see if it is worth importing.
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___________
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 @ 3:25:28 AM
oh and OFLC, when the country goes bankrupt because everyone is importing games because there either banned, or because the govs BS taxes are so high, dont come crying to us!
the economy is in dire conditions, so to reboot it back to health they send one of the biggest incomes in the country to overseas.
brilliant!!!!!
1 up, 1 down
Highlander
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 10:19:34 AM
Reply
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Lawless SXE
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 12:56:52 PM
1 up, 0 down
Highlander
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 2:07:05 PM
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Dancemachine55
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 5:26:12 PM
An R18+ IS coming, but we may not see it until late 2012 or early 2013.
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Akuma07
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 9:13:21 PM
The media MAY paint us as a bunch of rednecks from the 1800s, living in wooden houses with a family of wild kangaroos in every backyard, with the most ridiculous accents in the world, but this stereotype is massively out-dated.
The vast majority of Australians want an R18+ classification for games. There have been several petitions lately that gained 100s of thousands of signatures.
It has only taken this long, because one of our Attorney Generals was a stubborn old prick who was worse then a paranoid unintelligent catholic mother, when it came to violent video games. Which is funny, because even the religious societies in Australia were pushing for an R18+ rating.
Our government is hopeless.
Last edited by Akuma07 on 12/20/2011 9:17:11 PM
4 up, 0 down
___________
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 @ 3:41:08 AM
you know the type, a family friend of ours is exactly like that.
every time they come over and im watching south park i get lectured like im starting a cult!
her sons freaking 17 and she wont let him watch the simpsons for crying out loud!!!!!
0 up, 1 down
SmokeyPSD
Thursday, December 22, 2011 @ 10:17:02 AM
This article to be honest is a bit behind the times with it's outrage and Australia being condescending to gamers. Through no fault of Ben, he just probably isn't upto speed with the political gears/events of our country. It's unfortunate that some games like Syndicate will fall through in the coming months but we are getting an R rating within the next year and the games will be fine to come in sooner rather than later. I'm even just happy to wait for the complete edition of Mortal Kombat.
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matt99
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 10:26:50 AM
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Like what happened with Saints Row 3rd or GTAIV?
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Dancemachine55
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 5:32:14 PM
Saints Row the Third was more comedic in nature and therefore was able to pass as MA15+. A dildo being used as a bat to hit people isn't as bad as a dildo in use or a person being bludgeoned to death with a bat, with bloodspray, teeth flying and other horrific details.
Left 4 Dead 2, however, had "infected humans", not zombies, therefore the decapitations, extreme violence and all that had to be edited for Aussie release. It sucks, I know, but an R18+ rating is coming!! Might be about 2 years away though, with political red tape and acceptance into law being such a long process and all.
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Akuma07
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 9:19:42 PM
Alien Vs Predator passed, after winning an appeal against being banned. They didn't change a thing.
A few of the GTAs have had to be edited for AUS release.
Fallout3 had to be edited because it promoted "real life drug use" in the way that you take stimpacks and stuff.
Games like Dead Space passed with no problems at all, even though that whole game focuses on decapitation.
They did say that any games there were banned, can reapply for classification post-R18.
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Looking Glass
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 10:46:32 AM
Reply
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Dancemachine55
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 5:41:36 PM
Brendon O'Connor then became the new champion when he got the ball rolling for an R18+ rating. It has finally been agreed upon, but the lengthy process of passing it through Federal law and implementing it into the OFLC is still underway, meaning R18+ games won't be seen until about late 2012 or early 2013.
The government will still have the power to ban certain games though, for example, if Manhunt 3 were to be released and was far worse than past iterations, an R18+ rating might not be good enough for such extreme content. Games like Rapelay would still be banned too. Quite frankly, I'd rather games like Rapelay be banned.
Syndicate is just overly violent, and being such a popular title, would easily fit into an R18+ rating. Since MA15+ is, for now, our highest rating for video games, the game is banned from sale in Australia, leaving gamers with no option but to import.
Politicians seem more interested in being a nanny state than keeping money circulating in Australia to keep our economy strong (strong enough as it is though)
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___________
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 @ 3:43:45 AM
it was funny, when i was at the EB games expo i was actually talking to the guy who set the whole thing up and we had a long discussion about this exact issue.
he was saying hed be surprised if we have it by late 2013, theres still allot of red tape it has to get past and the guardians are not exactly supplying the scissors so to speak.
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BikerSaint
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 11:21:47 AM
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But I also heard that that same M18 was going to be somewhat of a farce & even with it, that they could still ban whatever they deemed ban-able.
So It seems that it's still going to suck for all the adult gamers there.
Last edited by BikerSaint on 12/20/2011 11:23:07 AM
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Dancemachine55
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 5:46:30 PM
Ratings for video games and movies are as follows:
G - General
PG - Parental Guidance Recommended
M - Mature audiences (not restricted)
MA15+ - Restricted to 15 years and over
R18+ - Restricted to 18 years and over
For films, DVD and videos, the ratings are G through R18+. Video games, however, go G through MA15+, since video games were still considered a children's pastime when the ratings were first introduced in the early 1990's.
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Jawknee
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 11:56:16 AM
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3 up, 0 down
duomaxwell007
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 12:08:26 PM
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Lawless SXE
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 12:59:20 PM
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Jawknee
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 2:21:37 PM
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Gordo
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 2:47:43 PM
Mostly we get all the same, uncut games as Europe but one or two get barred like Mortal Combat and Left for Dead 2.
Pain in the ass but there you go. They are updating the ratings in the next year or two but whenever this subject gets raised the "vocal minority" start shouting to "think of the children" and the politicians start getting nervous.
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Jawknee
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 3:12:11 PM
Crappy on their part. If they're going to be nanny statists they may as well try and be consistent.
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Dancemachine55
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 5:54:05 PM
This is a hot topic with Aussie gamers, the inconsistency of what passes as MA15+ and what is essentially banned. Left 4 Dead (the first one) was unedited and passed as MA15+. L4D2, however, had almost the exact same content but was banned, until it was heavily edited.
God of War 3 just barely passed as MA15+, while Mortal Kombat was banned, mostly due to the X-Ray bone-breaking moves animations and the fatalities. This inconsistency is the reason why most people wanted an R18+ in games for years now.
Also, a public vote, supported by EB Games, showed around 95% of the 55,000 people who filled out the form, WANTED an R18 rating for games!!!
Good news is that an R18+ has recently been agreed upon by all state Attorney Generals and should hopefully be in by next year or 2013 once the political processes have been achieved.
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Akuma07
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 9:22:46 PM
It was one of my favourite past times in that game.
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iwillbetheone
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 12:21:39 PM
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Dancemachine55
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 5:58:05 PM
Many people got a whopping $1500 fine if their copy of Mortal Kombat was caught. PlayAsia and OzGameShop use discreet packaging.
I waited several months for the heat to die down before getting my copy of Mortal Kombat. While it was a hot topic, security at customs were checking every overseas video game or DVD purchase to ensure it wasn't Mortal Kombat.
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slugga_status
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 12:34:08 PM
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1 up, 0 down
Dancemachine55
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 5:58:47 PM
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Lawless SXE
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 1:00:05 PM
Reply
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Dancemachine55
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 6:00:04 PM
We usually import it from either New Zealand or Europe, since they use PAL.
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Lawless SXE
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 @ 1:01:23 AM
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Kingharris
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 2:50:19 PM
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Jawknee
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 5:31:13 PM
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Dancemachine55
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 6:01:23 PM
I know someone whose copy was seized and who got the fine. Many of my friends got their copies alright though.
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___________
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 @ 3:49:37 AM
my collectors edition was opened by customs, i know that because it had a pamphlet from them saying they opened it and checked the contents.
but i never got fined or anything, so i guess they did not get the memo.
dunno if ill import this or not, i want to get it but last time i just got through with the skin of my teeth so i dont think i want to try my luck again.
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Gordo
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 2:51:01 PM
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I tried to trade it in but was refused as it was technically illegal to have the game in Australia.
What the stores usually do is just stick a MA 15+ sticker over the 18 rating on the box!
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Aerifale
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 2:56:37 PM
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firesoul453
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 4:26:30 PM
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and it all works out ok. Kids can't go buy a M rated game despite the laws.
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Dancemachine55
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 6:04:29 PM
Mostly because of the interactive nature of video games, and the fact many older politicans STILL consider it a kids thing.
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LimitedVertigo
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 5:26:56 PM
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Dancemachine55
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 6:07:42 PM
Sexual References are no problem either, heck, even nudity passes so long as it isn't sexually explicit or violent. Heavy Rain passed unedited, so did LA Noire which had fully naked corpses of women being examined.
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LimitedVertigo
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 7:53:27 PM
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Akuma07
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 9:26:56 PM
I don't want my kids running around killing people with dildos, i dont want them even knowing what one is for a decade or two. Hey its funny, but not appropriate for a 5 year old.
1 up, 0 down
Dancemachine55
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 6:15:00 PM
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Dangle a carrot in front of a hungry rabbit, then take it away, and you got yourself one angry rabbit. Same with Aussie gamers.
Dangle Mortal Kombat in front of an Aussie gamer, then take it away, and you got yourself one angry Aussie gamer.
I'll wait until I see reviews for Syndicate. If it gets great reviews, I'll wait a few months for the dust to settle and customs to relax a little before importing.
Shame, I'd rather support Aussie store owners by buying the game from them. That's more money our country won't see. It's almost an epidemic here in Australia and it's covered in the news at least once a week. Everyone here is shopping online overseas for cheaper goods, shutting down smaller retailers here in Australia. Big retail chains like Myer, Kmart, Target, EB Games, Sanity, Big W and David Jones are staying afloat, but barely.
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Undertaker575
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 6:22:56 PM
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I dont see the problem in putting in a R rating classification, I have NO IDEA WHY THEY HAVENT PUT IT IN YET!!!... hopefully it will happen soon, because if a great game such as uncharted was to be banned.. highly unlikely now but there is always a chance... i couldn't live with myself! i probably couldn't discuss the story with my friends and experience a game that could change my life.
2 up, 0 down
Snaaaake
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 7:22:06 PM
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That's all I'm saying.
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Gordo
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 9:25:20 PM
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So suppose we should look on the bright side!
2 up, 1 down
Akuma07
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 9:52:08 PM
I know nothing of this wonderful weather you speak of, its either too humid or too wet.
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___________
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 @ 3:38:34 AM
you do realise all the studio closures this year have been because of the recession right?
that and the increasing strength of the AUD which really has not helped.
you do realise that retail stores have been posting massive yearly losses for the past few years right?
you do realise one of the countries largest retail stores myer has recently cut its staff in half right?
one of their most popular stores in the city normally hires chrissy casuals for this time of the year, instead there actually firing half of their staff!
2 of them were store managers.
even our biggest airline company qantas is going under, a friend of mine who has worked there for 47 years almost lost his job only kept it because someone else messed up and as payback he bit the dust instead otherwise they would of fired a 47 year old loyal worker!
or even my father was lucky enough to get his old job back after leaving for a job closer to home and higher pay.
he was out of work for 11 months!
so to say it has not hit us as hard is utterly ridiculous!
i also dont know of this wonderful weather you speak of.
its been raining here non stop for the past 4 months!
even when i went on holidays to the "sunshine state" it was raining every day!
the sunshine state, where it rains every day.
its freaking christmass and im in long pants and a jumper.
how the ^%$# does that work!?
its suppose to be 30 degrees, not 14!
i thought global warming was suppose to increase seasonal conditions, make summer warmer and winter colder.
well, either its a load of hogs wash or its twisted.
i cant remember the last time i went out side and it was swimming weather!
either cloudy and freezing, or pissing down with rain!
im starting to forget what sunshine feels and looks like.
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___________
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 @ 3:54:05 AM
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i mean the trailers i have watched did not seem as bad as other games that have got through fine.
did not look as bad as fallout 3 for instance which got through fine.
sucks though problem is here violence against humans has always almost automatically banned a game!
i know its stupid, you can do whatever you want to a imaginary figure, GOW3 with gods, gears with locasts, dead space with necromorphs, but as soon as you do something half as gruesome to a actual human thats it the games banned!
its f*cking bull sh*t!
what does it matter if the act is against a real being or not?
why should that effect its impact?
blowing a head off a human should be reviewed exactly the same way as blowing a monsters head off!
what does it matter if their real or not?
technically none of them are real!
it is a video game after all.........
1 up, 0 down
Rogueagent01
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 @ 5:41:43 AM
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I can't understand Mortal Kombat, the game had its worldwide issues nearly 20 years ago, and the world made it threw it. I don't turn on the news and see people trying to reproduce the fatalities. And even the few instances where someone did do something similar to a violent videogame most of them claim they have never played that game or even games in general, they were just crazy to begin with. Books, movies, and even some music can be more violent then the high majority of video games it just plain sucks.
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AntDC
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 @ 2:28:33 PM
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Good to see progress being made on ratings classifications in Aus
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Shams
Reply
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 @ 9:40:44 AM