Drugs are bad
The Australian Classification Board has refused to classify open-world zombie survival title State of Decay which means, regrettably, the Xbox Live Arcade game cannot be sold in the region in its current form.
“We’ve run afoul of certain prohibitions regarding the depiction of drug use,” writes executive producer Jeff Strain. “We’re working with Microsoft to come up with options, including changing names of certain medications in the game to comply with ratings requirements. Whatever our path forward, it’s going to take a bit.
“I know this is frustrating — believe me, we’re frustrated too — but each country has the right to set its own rules about content, and it’s our responsibility to comply with them. Rest assured we’ll do everything we can to find a way to get the game into your hands. Stay tuned.”
For its part, publisher Microsoft said in a statement to Kotaku that it’s “currently evaluating the options with regards to the title’s classification.” How unfortunate. I had figured the Saints Row IV classification refusal was going to be the big one for the foreseeable future, but apparently not. I don’t like where this is going and can only imagine how you Australian gamers feel.
Microsoft Confirms That State Of Decay Has Been Refused Classification [Kotaku Australia — Thanks, Timothy]
