Christ on a ferris wheel, there is something deeply wrong with Australia. Those defenders of Aussie innocence, the OFLC, have refused to rate Silent Hill: Homecoming, effectively banning the videogame from sale in Kangaroo Land.
Australia has either banned or forced the censorship of a ludicrous number of videogames in the past, due to the incompetent inability of its government to enforce an 18+ age rating. Because of this, most interactive material suitable for adults can't get a release.
It's pitiful, and very unbecoming of a so-called developed country. All it does is encourage piracy and imports, and helps to stunt the Australian economy. I really hope to see the games industry one day just sever ties with the country until it sorts itself out. It's not like the gamers would suffer -- any real Australian gamer should know by now that it's cheaper and easier to get this stuff shipped in.
The Australian government doesn't deserve to benefit from an industry it so regularly snubs.
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
4:40 PM on 09.25.2008
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@Heretic: fine form as usual
I'm in your airports smuggling in gamez.
I'm going to build a mansion out of my game money, with lots of women and kangaroos.
I guess having boobs on TV and having violence in videogames intended for adults are somehow mutually exclusive.
Also, how could the content of this game be considered anymore "inappropriate" then any of the previous Silent Hill titles?
@ Reaprar & Heretic - don't you have some middle eastern country to bomb or something? ;) Besides, you guys wouldn't last 5 minutes here in Oz
Of course they wouldn't last -- there's no videogames in Oz.
But then again, we don't live in America, so its a fair trade ;)
The stupidity of lawmakers in this country regarding anything other than Telstra's delapidated copper-wire network (yes, all Australia tele-communications and internets runs on copper wiring laid over FIFTY YEARS AGO) is embarrassing.
To all the ignorant ones stating about Australia's convict history... the State with the issue here is South Australia - which is the only state NOT founded by convict colonies.
Also, to all those bashing Australia. Fuck you. Jim, you're allowed, since you're British, and allowed to do so by birthright.
Unlucky aussie government, muchos cash will be flying into the pockets of importers once more.
The big question is will the aussie game retailers unite to take on the government, from hurting their business like that.
The big irony is the aussie gamers will make like their founding ancestors, and break the laws to get what they want.
Maybe the OFLC secretly wants the politicians to allow an R18 rating by constantly banning good games to keep the debate in the news. That way somebody might finally convince John Atkinson (the SOLE pollie stopping australia from getting an R18 rating for games) to change his mind.
That would make a strange sort of sense.
As for the games, there's always play-asia :)
Also, you bring up a good point. Why do they even bother with games? I'd like to think boomerangs and kangaroo rides are fun enough.
Also, this sucks! Not because silent hill got banned, I mean, seriously, who cares about silent hill. However, I'm studying games programming in country that wont let me have to freedom to create and sell my art IN MY OWN COUNTRY!!
Screw it, I'm moving to Canada!
Seriously.
Besides, bagging out Australia is like bagging out China, since the cities are 99% Asian anyway... it's a good thing.
o_O
That was an impressive stereotypical statement of Katamari-like proportions. *thumbs up* :)
As for our government, It's actually 1 single person standing in the way of an 18+ rating for games, and he's due for an election that he won't win.
BTW, Johnny Justice is correct, It's only the ratface-looking mutherfuckers who are descended from the convicts. Most of us are here because we wanted to be.
Yeah sorry bout that, between reading dtoid and making a stencil of Phoenix Wright for graphic design class + barely any sleep, I managed to screw that up lol. I was really hoping no-one would pick that up hahah.
Well that makes my argument redundant :p
Meh, I'm still moving to canada!
Pretty sick of Australia though.