Distributor All Interactive Entertainment told Kotaku that the Classification Board rejected the game this week due to unspecified content. The game’s publisher Rising Star Games will not being making changes to that content in order to qualify for an MA15+ rating, the highest possible rating in Australia’s classification scheme.
We have requested the Classification Board’s report on the title and will reveal those details once we have it.
UPDATE: Well, this story has taken a curious twist! The Board has just informed Kotaku that they have no record of Deadly Premonition having been submitted for classification. We’re trying to verify that with the game’s distributor. Stay tuned!
UPDATE #2: We’ve received a statement from Rising Star Games on the matter. Check over here.
Deadly Premonition was developed by Japanese studio Access Games and released in Japan and North America earlier this year. Rising Star Games signed the title for release in PAL territories later this year. A cult classic in the making, Deadly Premonition has received mixed reviews but was praised by many for its quirky, Twin Peaks-inspired take on the horror genre.
Stinky
Friday, August 13, 2010 at 2:33 PMNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ;______;
Michael Ormando
Friday, August 13, 2010 at 2:35 PMgeez talk about mixed reviews. 100 from destructoid. 2/10 from ign.
must be one of those love it or hate it games. seems to have gotten more positive reviews going by metacritic.
would be worth looking at. pity we’re not getting it
Aaron Meacham
Friday, August 13, 2010 at 3:42 PMFrom what I’ve heard, it’s one of those “so bad it’s GOOD!” type of deals.
It was definately on my radar, hopefully it still makes it’s way here.
Ross Moir
Friday, August 13, 2010 at 2:39 PM“Well, there’s your problem. The guy’s smoking, can’t have that giving kids ideas that smoking’s okay…”
If the reason it’s been rejected is because the main character smokes, Australia is in worse shape than I thought,
Pat Hogan
Friday, August 13, 2010 at 3:03 PMI highly, *highly* doubt that’s the reason.
plenty of smoking characters in other games(although fewer titular characters). And lets not forget Solid Snake!
Michael Ormando
Saturday, August 14, 2010 at 10:11 AMthe illusive man was constantly smoking in ME2.
Matthew Dive
Friday, August 13, 2010 at 2:39 PMI guess a certain Let’s Play is the only way I’ll see the game formerly called “Rainy Woods”.
Kyle_Katarn
Friday, August 13, 2010 at 2:46 PMProbably just a PR stunt to boost sales.
Luke Marshall
Friday, August 13, 2010 at 2:49 PMThese updates, publisher says it’s been refused, board says it hasn’t been submitted is getting disturbingly frequent. Wasn’t that what happened with that XLBA game as well. Are publishers trying to use the OFLC as a scapegoat when they can’t be bothered releasing a game in Australia?
Greg
Friday, August 13, 2010 at 2:55 PMOr are they just trying to drum up some free publicity?
f4cti0n
Friday, August 13, 2010 at 3:02 PMOR are they trying to bring the lack of an R18 rating back into the media spotlight, since it’s basically now ignored in favour of the NBN discussion?
Doubt it, actually.
Cerzel
Friday, August 13, 2010 at 2:59 PMYeah, I got a hit of deja vu reading this. I kept hoping we’d get this game, but to find out they don’t even want to bother bringing it over…
It’s just terrible. Right, Zach?
Corey Lee
Friday, August 13, 2010 at 2:52 PMAnother one to import.
Hahahaha
weresmurf
Friday, August 13, 2010 at 5:58 PMJust what the developer was hoping would be the result by lying to you!
Techa
Friday, August 13, 2010 at 7:33 PMNo it wasn’t you fool. Aus prices are higher so why would they want even less profit?! Also it’s not the developer but the distributor, learn to read.
weresmurf
Friday, August 13, 2010 at 10:16 PMI really must learn that sarcasm doesn’t show up well on the intramanetz…
MrBS
Friday, August 13, 2010 at 2:54 PMThe advantage of having a US model 360 is I have the game sitting at home. I’m a couple hours in playing with a friend of mine. It’s a must play if you’re after something Twin Peaks inspired.
f4cti0n
Friday, August 13, 2010 at 3:01 PMSounds like another studio tries the ol’ “Australia rejected us!” trick. I hope it backfires on them (somehow).
Luke
Friday, August 13, 2010 at 3:13 PMNot again… Devs/ pubs are just using our crappy classifiation system as an excuse not to submit games. You cant blame the OFLC if you didnt submit the game.
Ross Moir
Friday, August 13, 2010 at 3:29 PMDistributor All Interactive Entertainment told Kotaku that Deadly Premonition rejected the game this week due to unspecified content.
How can a game reject itself?
What, specifically, did all interactive say?
Did they reject it because they thought it wouldn’t make MA 15+, or did it get rejected under a different name?
Was the board involved?
David Wildgoose
Friday, August 13, 2010 at 3:33 PMFixed!
Korwin
Friday, August 13, 2010 at 4:50 PMThere is nothing in the content of this game that would cause it to fail classification. Yeah it’s a horror game (basically a campy budget homage to Twin Peaks) but no where near as visceral as God of War 3, Gears or Dead Space.
I dare the distro is just fibbing.
Kenny
Friday, August 13, 2010 at 5:11 PManother case just like Blacklight Tango Down… the publisher is trying to generate interest in the game….
Kordos
Friday, August 13, 2010 at 5:44 PMA quick search of the OFLC website doesn’t bring up anything for this game
David Wildgoose
Friday, August 13, 2010 at 5:52 PMTheir database is rarely updated immediately, so it’s not always a reliable indicator. I’m waiting to hear more news from Rising Star’s UK office overnight. Will update when I do.
Shaun McGarry
Friday, August 13, 2010 at 6:36 PMWhether it gets banned or not, I’ve been waiting too long for this game to get a PAL release and I’m going to import it from the UK.
mvillain
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 at 4:34 PMI’ve ordered the PS3 Japanese version from ebay for $30. I can’t wait to for it to arrive.