Here we go again! Aliens vs. Predator has been refused classification by Australia's ratings board, becoming the latest victim of General Attorny Michael Atkinson and his pathetic refusal to allow an adult rating for videogames in the country. Interestingly, I have never heard of the Aliens or Predator movies ever getting banned, despite having more or less the same content.
In Germany, Sega chose to pre-empt the predictable banning shenanigans by not even bothering to try getting the game rated. Apparently Sega fancied its chances in Australia, but it appears the attempt to get a classification has been a big waste of time. I don't know why publishers even patronize Australia by trying anymore.
In any case, it seems that Australians will have to become criminals again in order to play a simple videogame. Thank you, Michael Atkinson, for essentially raising the crime rate in your country by forcing law-abiding gamers to break the law. Hit the jump the OFLC's official summary of the game.
Characters can be stabbed with a Predator's wrist blade or an Alien's tail in depictions reminiscent of impalement. The Predator collects 'trophies' by explicitly ripping off human heads, their spinal columns dangling from severed necks. Heads can be twisted completely around in order to break a character's neck. Eyes can be stabbed through or gouged, leaving empty, bloodied eye sockets.
It is noted that a player is able to combine manoeuvres together in quick succession, which further increases impact; for example, a Predator can stab a character through both eyes with its wrist blade and rip off their head, with spinal column still attached. Extensive post-mortem damage, including decapitation and dismemberment, is also possible.
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Contest:
8:20 AM on 12.04.2009
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Too bad I won't be able to FUCKING PLAY IT.
God I hate that man.
I'd call it straight up impalement, myself.
Australia sucks. America rules. I still wanna move to the UK.
Just not in Australia. <_>
'Extensive post-mortem damage'
The first Soldier of Fortune game would like to speak with you.
Come on, come on.
*runs outside with Butters to go and freeze himself*
Laterz...
This kind of thing needs to happen more often.
Do as i do aussies, and you shall be rewarded.
@andycadaver
Hopefully, this game have nothing to do with Rogue Warrior.
I still do not understand why people hold videogames as being worse than movies or 90% of whats available on the internet.............*sigh*
I like how they say "depictions reminiscent of impalement" that you means you don't actually impale them, it just reminds you of the feeling of impaling.
"a Predator can stab a character through both eyes with its wrist blade and rip off their head, with spinal column still attached." I like the inherent badassery in their attempt to be unbiased.
If they did that here I know TPL would be leading the charge to the white house!
They might as well, because the devs will probably do some violence reduction to accomadate.
feel sorry for you australians
Good on them. I guess Australians could always import it.
LOL that south park episode was one of my favorites especially that robot cat/dog/ whatever it became after :D
boxarts there too
http://www.aliensvspredator.net/
Enjoy punching an American person in the face in an American businessplace. Please don't associate Australia with that cultural vomit of an American franchise.
The problem is, there's a National Classification Code (with no R18 rating for games) and the way they've set it up ALL of the AGs (all six plus the federal AG) have to agree to a change. They've each got a veto.
Atkinson exercises his.
And of course, because Atkinson is an MP from some electorate in SA, most Australian gamers can't vote against him. Because he's a minister in the SA government, most Australian gamers can't vote against him.
It'd be like if people living in New York needed the permission of the Governor of Texas to get an R18 rating for games.
Of course, the NCC is just an AGREEMENT between the states. There's nothing other than politics stopping each of the other states saying "right, sod this, we're adding our own R18 rating for games, SA can stay a backwater if it likes, we've had enough of it". Except at the moment, why bother? They get to use Atkinson as a handy scapegoat for their inaction, and pretend that they can't do anything about it.