According to a new rating from Australia's Office of Film & Literature Classification board, there may be a new OutRun game in the works. The OFLC has rated a game titled OutRun Online Arcade for a multi-platform release, one published by Sega and, oddly enough, "produced" and "authored" by THQ. The two companies had enjoyed a publishing agreement on Game Boy Advance titles in the past, but development duties on the OutRun series has largely been handled by internal Sega teams and UK-based indie studio Sumo Digital.

Read More »

Fallout 3 edited and set for a local release. It was only a matter of time. But what exactly can we expect from this altered version? Hopefully we'll have an answer for you soon. For the time being, all I have is comment from an OFLC spokesperson.

As expected, the main changes were to the portrayal of drug use in the game. According to the OFLC, the incentives and rewards for their use have been "removed". I don't want to cause alarm, but this doesn't sound like a simple cosmetic change (such as a rename of morphine). I mean, the "reward" for using morphine is the ability to ignore the detrimental effects of pain on the player. I can't see why you'd use morphine if this was taken away.

Anyway, I'm just speculating now. I should have the board report later this afternoon, so be sure to watch this space for more details.

[Pic]

In its original state, Fallout 3 was deemed no good for the Australian market. Too many drug references for the Australian Office of Film & Literature Classification's liking. But now, well, now it's all good! A revised edition of the game has been cleared for release, and has been classified MA15+ by the OFLC, a rating based on the title's "Strong violence, drug references and coarse language". For the record, an MA15+ rating - the highest Australian law permits - means persons under the age of 15 can't legally purchase the game. What's unknown at this stage is the extent of the edits made; it could be a few simple name changes to the in-game drugs, it could mean a more fundamental overhaul of the game's menu/icon system, we don't know yet. It's the middle of the night in Australia. We'll update when we do know.

Fallout 3 [OFLC]
Fallout 3 [EB Games Australia]

Well, we've hit a bit of a brick wall for now. After repeated attempts to get anything from distributor Red Ant, and an expanded "no comment" from Bethesda, it's unlikely we'll know what the exact differences are between our version of Fallout 3 and the original. Well, that is until the OFLC report is leaked.

According to Bethesda's PR dude Pete Hines, the developer does not "publically discuss" the classification of any of its games, which is understandable, if unfortunate. As for Red Ant, it's like there's no one home. Anything Fallout 3-related is flat out ignored. Not the most professional approach, but hey, what can you do?

Retailer rumours? Bah! This is more like it. The Office of Film and Literature Classification has acknowledged that it is has a new version of Fallout 3 from Bethesda, and is in the process of judging its appropriateness for our market. Note this build could also be refused classification, though it's highly unlikely.

Last month, Fallout 3 was refused classification by the OFLC for its depiction of real-world drugs. An edited version will assure the game gets into the hands of the average consumer, however, those seeking sane pricing and a "pure" experience will still look to the miracles of importing.

Fallout 3: May see an Australian release, after all [Internode Games Network]

Gamerchip is reporting that Fallout 3 has been edited and is on-track for a local release. Excellent. Awesome. Fantastic. Well, it would be all three of these if I was to believe the story.

The piece mentions that the game is due out later this year, with all drug references removed. Apparently this info came from "EB and Game representatives". That's great, EB Games and GAME can say whatever they want, but until I hear word from the OFLC, Red Ant or Bethesda, Fallout 3 is still refused classification.

There's also mention that the two retailers are taking preorders, yet, as far as I can tell, the title remains in exile from EB's Oz site. Even if they are, why wouldn't they? That's what retailers do - they take your money. If they have to refund it later, they'll cross that bridge when the come to it.

Saying the game is "confirmed" is wishy-washy anyway. It's unlikely Bethesda won't create an edited version of Fallout 3 for our market, and perhaps others like Germany. It's not a matter of if, but when, and the degree of content that's altered. Only when I have this information in hand will I be confident enough to throw around words like "it's confirmed" and "import it anyway".

Fallout 3 Confirmed For Australian Release [Gamerchip, thanks Nick]

With Fallout 3 refused classification, and Grand Theft Auto IV censored before it even hit our shores, one had to wonder about THQ's Saints Row 2. It contains similar themes to Rockstar's opus, and if Fallout 3 is anything to go by, the board is really cracking down on games, no matter how tame they may be.

Never fear - THQ sent word late yesterday that Saints Row 2 made it past the OFLC without a problem and, more importantly, no region-specific edits. It's now being classified by the NZ OFLC. What this means is we'll be able to enjoy the same game as everyone else.

It's got me thinking though - is it possible the world is getting less-explicit games because of Australia? What do you guys think?

SAINTS ROW 2 Game (Multi Platform) [OFLC]

A mother with an eight-year old child decides to take her son to see a movie. Kung Fu Panda? Nope. How about Get Smart? Forget it. This mum decides that The Dark Knight is appropriate. Doesn't matter that the film has an M rating, there's Batman Lego, and kids play with Lego! Infallible logic there.

It's a true story, according to an article by Alison Stephenson on News.com.au. Here's a quote from the mum in question:

"I'm horrified, this movie is rated M and I almost feel it's heavier than an R rated film. I had to cover his eyes and talk to him throughout to cover some of the dialogue.

"I mean these companies market Lego products to children like my son. This movie should definitely be rated higher. We're going to go and get some sunshine and go somewhere happier!"

Films can be better regulated than games? Please.

The day I endured the Dark Knight [News.com.au, thanks Robert]

The quality isn't that great, and the text is blurry, but it's good enough to make out the word "Morphine" and the monochromatic image of a syringe. Apparently, the OFLC, going by the classification guidelines, felt this imagery would twist the fragile, innocent minds of gamers. Wait, doesn't Hugh Laurie pop vicodin like a junkie in House? Surely that's worse than this? Michael Atkinson better get a move on before season 5 starts!

Not sure about you, but having witnessed this image, I don't in the slightest feel the need to shoot up. Yet, it's unlikely we'll have an R18+ rating by the end of the year (or even 2009), so, Bethesda should just change the name to "Fizzy-Good-Make-Feel-Nice" - to borrow from Bernard Black - and we can pretend it's Berocca or something.

The full clip after the jump. FYI, the "action" starts at 5:08.

Read More »

Australian Gamer has posted a letter one of its readers received from Michael Atkinson, the South Australian Attorney-General against an R18+ rating for games. The letter is in response to the reader's arguments for the new classification.

I encourage you to read Atkinson's entire response so you can formulate your own judgement. I've previously dissected his position at length, and I won't be doing it again here - I'm afraid my head would explode from the sheer ridiculousness of the situation.

What I would like to do is pull out a few key points from his letter and explain why I feel they're "not a good enough reason" to deny an R18+ rating - to use the Attorney-General's own words.

Read More »