SouthPeak Interactive will not strip morphine references from Velvet Assassin according to an e-mail interview with MTV Multiplayer. Refusing to do so is a decision that will impact the game’s global sales. Most territories refuse to admit that drugs are what all the cool kids are abusing nowadays.

Marketing manager at Southpeak Aubrey Norris defended the usage of the drug with the game’s World War II context. She argued that it was “widely used” during the period and it “fits the realism of the game...” She also added that by keeping morphine in the game, SouthPeak was preserving the developer’s “artistic integrity.”

Morphine use in Velvet Assassin slows down time, allowing the protagonist to kick Agent Nazi ass like Trinity a quick ninja.

However valid, Norris’s points won’t be heard by indifferent ratings boards like the AOFLC in Australia. The body famously banned Bethesda’s Fallout 3 for its naughty references. The developer then swapped real drug names with fake ones and got it through. SouthPeak woud have to do the same to have a chance.
 

Legacy Comments (will be imported soon)

Pyroph

Jesus... what is with Southpeak. I picked up Ninjatown then every damn game I see (Big Bang mini, X Blades, this, and some others) are by them.

Dyson

I hear they're kind of a big deal.

;)

everybodyruns

Never surrender! Games are a valid art form and shouldn't be censored.

LukienAkeela

From what I've heard about Australia, they don't sound like the "shinning city on the hill" for videogames anyway. Also, the historical morphine usage is quite correct. It's not as if they're using meth in the game.

The Prodigal Son

It's because of the belief that video games can sway the behavior of people. I'm all for ratings board as a means to limit video game exposure to children without parental consent, but those ratings should be sufficient in determining the type of content that is acceptable for a certain age group. The ratings board should mimic that of cinema. Hell, you can find drug use in PG-13 rated movies with no problem.

mourning orange

Wait...wouldn't doing morphine speed time up Benny Hill style?

comradetrotskii

No doubt that the usage of morphine is historically accurate and that it was "widely used" in the time but if you are going to rely on the realism argument maybe they should remove the time slowing ability and have your character become constipated and physically addicted to the drug.

I have no issue with any sort of 'artistic integrity' argument, as far as I'm concerned you can put whatever the hell you want in games, movies et al., but if you are going to use realism as an argument you have to be consistent or it doesn't really fly.

Shoop

Maybe they'll add some black tar heroin too. And to make it realistic it should make the protagonist crawl into a corner, puke everywhere, and shut your game off.

TewDee

FUCK YEAH MORPHINE!

Drach

Half-Life 2 has Morphine in it. when you fall or get hurt the computer in the suit says "Major Fracture Detected, Morphine Administered."
Why make a big deal about shit that grows on the planet? Honestly, Why is some of this shit illegal? why is everyone so interested in preventing others from putting what they want into their body? Isn't this a choice for each individual? Same thing for games with drug reference, Shouldn't the user be allowed to chose whether or not he or she wants to play a game with drug references? Who are these people who seem to want to censor and ban everything that's remotely fun..

Agent Orange

I'm curious if Max Payne was released in Australia. It doesn't have morphine but you do pop pills by the bottle to refill your health, or kill the pain or whatever.

Holyetheline

I've done it.

Tet

You just have to find an agreeable middle ground. I suggest they change all references from "morphine" to "dimwitted backwoods criminal kangaroo fuckers with no sense of reality". See, everyone's happy.

pascuz46

So Morphine shows down time? To be honest with you this is kind of disappointing, why do you need to slow down time, its a stealth action game, you should be avoiding gun fights. What would make scene would be if Morphine refilled your health bar, but I will obviously wait to play this game before I make any further judgment. This game still looks good though.

Sam Spectre

Don't give in to the bully ratings boards Southpeak!

Drach

@pascuz46:
When I broke my ankle they gave me a shot of a similar drug, and it slows things down.. even your speech.. Something like that shouldn't refill your life.. why would it? that makes no sense... I think that it slowing things down for you in game is a wonderful usage of the substance, and it makes sense. Wouldn't a slow down mechanic actually help you in stealth situations? You know, slow down time, then find a place to hide? or slow down time to sneak past that guard? or slow down time to get past those moving laser tripwires? I can think of many different uses for that mechanic.

Endstiem

I'm curious if Max Payne was released in Australia. It doesn't have morphine but you do pop pills by the bottle to refill your health, or kill the pain or whatever.

Max Payne 1 & 2 were released here fine... if I remember correctly, the term was 'Painkillers'.[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_banned_video_games#Australia]Only 14 games have ever been ultimately refused classification....
[/url]

All in all, it is complete fucking bullshit. I pray to the non-existend gods that Attorney-General Michael Atkinson has a 'convenient' accident some day soon....

Endstiem

I meant this.... damn BBCode.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_banned_video_games#Australia

TrailerParkJesus

It's morphine time !!!

gamadaya

Is that even a real side affect of morphine? Anyway, this is what Bethesda should have done. Fuck those other countries and their Nazi regimes! Oh, but then Fallout 3 won't be released in Australia. Boo fucking hoo! The way I see it, the difference between SouthPeak and Bethesda is that SouthPeak isn't Australia's bitch.

hjd uk

Err morphine would slow you down and therefore the outside world would get all blurry and 'speed up'. Mmmmmm... morphine. If you want a bullet-time drug it would have to be a shit load of amphetamines.

This game should remove references to morphine for "misleading information on the affects of a controlled substance" :D

Wexx

I hope this game is good :)