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.
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Contest:
3:30 PM on 01.20.2009 | 
;)
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.
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..
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.
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....
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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....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_banned_video_games#Australia
This game should remove references to morphine for "misleading information on the affects of a controlled substance" :D