Sega has been successful in its appeal to the Classification Review Board over the refused classification of Aliens Vs Predator. The game will now be released in Australia with an MA15+ rating.
The Rebellion developed and Sega publisher shooter was originally refused classification in early December. In its report, the Classification Board cited “decapitation, dismemberment, locational damage, impalement, eye-gouging and the use of human heads as trophies” as some of the reasons why the game’s high impact impact violence was deemed unsuitable for a minor to see or play.
While developer Rebellion said they would not tone down the content to meet the guidelines for an MA15+, Sega decided to appeal the original classification decision to the Classification Review Board.
That appeal has now been successful and the original classification ruling has been overturned.
“It is with great pleasure that we announce the success of our appeal,” says Darren Macbeth, managing drector of Sega Australia. “We are particularly proud that the game will be released in its original entirety, with no content altered or removed whatsoever.
“This is a big win for Australian gamers. We applaud the Classification Review Board on making a decision that clearly considers the context of the game, and is in line with the modern expectations of reasonable Australians.”
UPDATE: The Review Board unanimously determined that Aliens vs Predator should be classified MA 15+ with the consumer advice “Strong science fiction violence”.
The Board noted that “the violence depicted in the game can be accommodated within the MA 15+ category as the violent scenes are not prolonged and are interspersed with longer non violent sequences. The violence is fantastical in nature and justified by the context of the game, set in a futuristic science-fiction world, inhabited by aliens and predators. This context serves to lessen its impact. The more contentious violence is randomly generated and is not dependent on player selection of specific moves.”
Aliens vs Predator will be released in Australia with an MA15+ rating on February 18 for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.
Dr_Stef
Saturday, December 19, 2009 at 11:07 AMyay!
cased
Saturday, December 19, 2009 at 12:57 PMCongrats to Sega for sticking to their guns and not making a farce of it like L4D2 and for winning the appeal.
While I don’t entirely agree with the rating I am very glad this game will get a timely release here.
Brendan
Saturday, December 19, 2009 at 4:14 PMCan someone please kick Atkinson up the ass!? He is the route of all troubles!
Cheezel
Saturday, December 19, 2009 at 5:18 PMJust to effectively sum up, the re-classification of Alien Vs Predator is both a good and a bad thing.
Good: It highlights the inconsistencies in our current classification scheme.
Adults can enjoy the uncensored version if they so wish.
Bad: This a game CLEARLY not suitable for 15 year olds.
This is easily a target for those against the push for an R18+ rating. While it would be an uneducated move, any willing politician could spin this to fill his/her wishes.
Ethan Iacobozzi
Saturday, December 19, 2009 at 5:24 PMThis is a total surprise. A game with more realistic violence than L4D2 is banned.
Step 1: Ban zombie game within MA15+ guidelines.
Step 2: Allow a more violent game within the rating.
Step 3: Refuse to introduce a R18 rating.
?????????
Profit!
mambodog
Saturday, December 19, 2009 at 5:43 PMPlease Atkinson, make a big stink about this… please! Unintentionally make the case for an R18+ rating, once again. We’ll all be very grateful!
Jester
Saturday, December 19, 2009 at 6:31 PMARE ANY OF YOU PEOPLE THINKING!
Choc was the only person who actually considered REASONS! as to why this was passed but L4D2 didn’t.
Why Sega passed:
Extreme violence doesn’t happen often
Extreme violence is optional
Coincides with the movies this is based on
Done with fictional creatures in fictional areas
Didn’t take any bullshit and offer to change the game.
Why L4D2 did NOT pass:
Unavoidable violence (i.e. dismemberment happens whether you like it or not)
Continuous violence
Done to humans by humans
Set in realistic places
Actually OFFERED an edited version whilst appealing. What possible reason would the Review Board accept the more violent game when there is a less violent version right in front of them.
Stop whining about L4D2 not getting passed when there are clear reasons as to why.
Brett Gray
Sunday, December 20, 2009 at 10:26 AMWow wasn’t expecting this! Surely this game should be R18+? Totally justifies an R18+ category now. Maybe with this cock-up of a decision they’ve handed it to us on a platter?
BloodCyanide
Monday, December 21, 2009 at 9:18 AMomg will you people who keep saying that Michael Aktinson isn’t protecting the children just shutup, last time I checked the age 15 is far of from being a child, at 15 you start looking for a job and to me thats pretty adult. Do any of you even remember what it was like when you were 15,i’m pretty sure most of you werent all innocent little kids that needed protecting from scary games and movies, most of you were probably drinking at the time of 15 and thats not being a child at all.
bennie
Monday, December 21, 2009 at 10:05 AMThat’s good news… now hopefully the game won’t be a steaming pile of dog poo…
Hamish
Monday, December 21, 2009 at 3:26 PMGreat!….. Now 15 year olds and younger will get to play a game that’s made for 18+. GOOD GAME AUSTRALIA!
Alexei
Monday, December 28, 2009 at 11:25 PMMeh most of the little underaged kids who will play this are going to be on PS3 or XBox 360.
Murn
Sunday, January 10, 2010 at 7:16 PMAnd this changes the fact that it’s obviously not a MA15+ game, but a R18+ game, and shows our need for a R18+ game rating, how?
bobby brown
Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 9:38 AMYESSS avp is aloowed so happy
Steve
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 10:54 PMTo everyone above, please STFU. This is an awesome game that we want in Australia, stop whining about the classification of other games, all that matters is that we’ll get an uncut version in stores :)