Crimecraft Refused Classification In Australia

14 years ago

November 30, 2009 at 1:00 pm

You may not have even heard of Crimecraft. But you will know it now. It’s just been banned in Australia.

See? The Classification Board last week handed down an RC to Vogster’s gangster-themed MMO.

Crimecraft looks like a cross between Saints Row and APB, a mix of team-based shooting and character customisation in a persistent world. It features violence and plenty of rude words. We have contacted the Board to find out precisely what content didn’t fit into the MA15+ rating.

Crimecraft Refused Classification [R18 Games]

Comments

47 responses to “Crimecraft Refused Classification In Australia”

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Alinos

November 30, 2009 at 1:18 pm

But its an MMO i was under the impression they werent rated as online expierence changes the rating anyway

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1. David Wildgoose
  
  November 30, 2009 at 1:21 pm
  
  Online-only games are not required to be classified, however publishers can choose to submit them for classification.
  
  Reply
  1. NegativeZero
    
    November 30, 2009 at 7:41 pm
    
    So they probably would have been fine releasing the game had they not submitted it for classification?
    
    And I thought that our system couldn’t get more arbitrary…
    
    Reply
Ben Scott

November 30, 2009 at 1:19 pm

I approve of the banning of violently bad games.

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1. Andrew Hobbs
  
  November 30, 2009 at 1:22 pm
  
  What about badly violent games?
  
  Reply
  1. Ben Scott
    
    November 30, 2009 at 1:39 pm
    
    I’m not sure what badly violent entails? Its like asking who won the retard award. Is ‘winning’ really what you are aiming for?
    
    Reply
    1. Jesse Matheson
      
      November 30, 2009 at 3:30 pm
      
      I think by badly violent we are talking about a video game that is so bad at being Violent meaning they kill people and such but you just dont believe the killing or violence you are seeing… kinda like the Mission impossible series
      
      Reply
      1. Australian Bushman
        
        November 30, 2009 at 9:08 pm
        
        How believable do you think violence in video games should be?
      2. Michael
        
        November 30, 2009 at 9:22 pm
        
        mission impossible was a violently bad game…
Glenn

November 30, 2009 at 1:19 pm

Ok… I think they have Digital Distribution options for this one… seeing as though its an MMO, cant we just play it online anyway?? Or at least import it?

Not a major deal anyway… I hear this game sucks…

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1. CycKath
  
  November 30, 2009 at 2:00 pm
  
  Yep, and its gone free to download and play (within 10 level cap) to try and lure people in, so disturbingly easy to bypass the “ban”.
  
  Clap OFLC, Clap
  
  Reply
  1. Glenn
    
    November 30, 2009 at 2:59 pm
    
    I think you are confused, the 10 level cap was Warhammer online, not CrimeCraft.
    
    Reply
Trent Gore

November 30, 2009 at 1:27 pm

lol “deep cleavage”, god forbid my fragile mind should be witness to such things…

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1. Mr Waffle
  
  November 30, 2009 at 2:34 pm
  
  rofl yeah. Because we can’t turn on prime time TV and have it shoved in our faces already…
  
  Reply
AndyN

November 30, 2009 at 1:39 pm

wow the olfc is useful for once because this game is god awful.

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1. David Wildgoose
  
  November 30, 2009 at 1:42 pm
  
  That’s not really the point, though, is it?
  
  Reply
  1. Vel
    
    November 30, 2009 at 1:50 pm
    
    David, there would always be people who cry foul over the banning of L4D2 and then give them thumbs up for the banning of another game that they do not care about.
    
    This whole attitude won’t help us win the R18 rating argument, sadly :<
    
    Reply
  2. Ben Scott
    
    November 30, 2009 at 1:51 pm
    
    I think it IS the point. When you have bad games come out that rely on crutches of violence, blood, gang violence etc all delivered in a ham-fisted way the OFLC seems it as a bad game with bannable offences (justifiable).
    
    Then when you have a GOOD game which uses blood and violence (but in no way relies on them for shock value but to simply realistic portray what is happening), the OFLC looks at it and goes ‘heh, we’ve seen this before, just like that game before’ and bans it.
    
    This is why crappy games bring down good games.
    
    (I have made a HUGE assumption on crimecraft based on pre-release information, so i can’t say with certainty if it is actually bad)
    
    Reply
    1. David Wildgoose
      
      November 30, 2009 at 2:03 pm
      
      Ben, the Classification Board does not consider the quality of a game.
      
      Reply
      1. Ben Scott
        
        November 30, 2009 at 2:08 pm
        
        I mean ‘bad’ not as a quality term but how it delivers its content.
        
        In the same way that GTA4 is a ‘good’ game because it takes on drugs and violence in a realistic manner, with consequences and highlighting negative effects compared to a ‘bad’ game that has you become an ultra villain that runs around shooting cops and being rewarded for doing so.
        
        Its a ham-fisted and careless way to deliver content. This is why it damages the appeal of all other games because they get lumped into together as the same thing.
      2. Vel
        
        November 30, 2009 at 2:15 pm
        
        Glad I cancelled my reply before you posted this. I agree with you on the bad delivery point. Perhaps there should be broader use of the term ‘Adult Themes’ as itt implies that there is actually points attached to the game that justifies it’s depiction of violence/sex/bannable materials.
        
        But then again I’m not sure this can apply to, say, L4D2
    2. Stinky
      
      November 30, 2009 at 2:16 pm
      
      It’s not the OFLC’s mandate to “ban” material, this is a free country after all, the OFLC’s job is to classify content according to the guidelines.
      
      Some content is illegal in Australia which the OFLC can rightly refuse classification, but I don’t recall portrayed violence, strong language or sex ever being deemed illegal.
      
      Reply
      1. Ben Scott
        
        November 30, 2009 at 2:27 pm
        
        You are definitely right, i was too quick to lump banned and RC together because they effects are so similar. It means i cant play the game without going through great measures.
  3. Sean N
    
    November 30, 2009 at 2:43 pm
    
    It is not the point, but who ever lamented the fact that Leisure Suit Larry Magna Cum Laude was never released in Australia?
    
    I made the mistake of buying it overseas. Stupid me.
    
    Reply
Nicholas Bruning

November 30, 2009 at 1:47 pm

Maybe the OFLC meant for RC to stand for ‘Really Crap’, in this instance.

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Scott Vandonkelaar

November 30, 2009 at 1:55 pm

With all the publicity at the moment perhaps the ratings board is actually starting to stick to their own MA15+ guidelines and actually block games where they are technically meant to. From the brief description I’ve read so far it seems this game is on a par with GTA:IV perhaps on the violence/profanity scale, of course I doubt it gets anywhere close in the drugs/sex department.
A scantily clad woman…? Should we ban Australian’s from going to the beach perhaps?

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1. AussieSniper
  
  November 30, 2009 at 6:35 pm
  
  Yeah, I was at the beach last Tuesday, and there was a group of 4 topless young women, sunbathing and sitting around laughing etc. Nobody paid much attention to them. There were kids, teens, pensioners, people of all ages around them, but no one freaked out, went to hell, acted pervy, or raped anyone after they saw them.
  
  But yet if you put the exact same scene into a video game, you risk getting banned. And you’ll definitely get a MA15+ rating if you aren’t banned. Prudes would say the game was “porn”, and idiots would say it was negatively affecting kids. What a crock of shit it all is.
  
  Reply
Ribs

November 30, 2009 at 1:56 pm

Its funny how people go up in arms about what is percieved to be a ‘good’ game getting banned but couldn’t care less when its a crappy game.

Don’t let yourself get lured into the false perception that if we get an R18+ rating we’ll suddenly be awash with higher quality titles.

If we’re to be taken seriously in this debate we must argue for the artistic merit of poor games as well as quality ones.

After all, no industry gets its content disallowed due to the quality of the finished product.

Crap game or not you should all be furious about your right to play this piece of shit being denied!

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1. Sean N
  
  November 30, 2009 at 3:03 pm
  
  The question over quality of production is an interesting one. The perception of good generally means higher budget. Those “good” games that are RC’d are generally resubmitted with changes made that appease the ratings board. The companies with higher budgets can afford to do this.
  
  So, isn’t the perception based on the production values and, more often than not, these games are resubmitted with changes in hand.
  
  Reply
  1. Australian Bushman
    
    November 30, 2009 at 9:15 pm
    
    It is an interesting one. If gamers don’t care about a poor quality game being banned, then doesn’t this show that gamers care more about the game rather than the violence etc?
    
    Might it be a different story if the violence etc was more realistic?
    
    Reply
2. Dave
  
  August 31, 2011 at 3:26 am
  
  I totally agree. There is greater access to Violent/sexual/profane etc material through internet and movies, yet we can chuck and 18+ rating (that definately doesn’t stop minors) and everything is ok…. But to do the same with computer games is soooo bloody hard??? I am an adult capable of deciding what material if wish to expose myself to. Why can I not have my games that the stinking prudes dont like!
  
  Reply
Cerberus

November 30, 2009 at 1:57 pm

If the crap games can’t make it through then what are the chance for good games, this was made to stoke the fire, but after reading the comments no one will mourn crimecraft, now to wait until another good game gets banned for people to be pissed off yet again, though i’d wait for a bit the kids are still getting through MW2.

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Newguy

November 30, 2009 at 1:58 pm

Some of these comments made me laugh. XD

So they had the option to send the game in for classification, and it got RC’ed. Whoops!

On the bright side, sounds like not too many people will worry about it.

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DavidR

November 30, 2009 at 1:58 pm

Jesus.

How many does that make in 2009 now? Five? Is it five or six?

Another day, another reason to despise Atkinson.

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Jesse Dobie

November 30, 2009 at 2:01 pm

Way to be consistant with the bannings, eh?
If I could be bothered I bet I could point out a dozen more games in my collection that are twice as violent, with twice as many curse words and with twice as much ‘deep cleavage’ on display (I own that DoA volleyball game, yeah, shut up.)

Not putting it in the most eloquent way possible I’m sorry, but I mean it sucks they keep banning stuff when I’ve got ‘worse’ things on my shelf already.

Not that anyones lining up to play Crime Craft but yeah, as has been said that’s not the point.

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Sing Nguyen

November 30, 2009 at 2:14 pm

The folks over at Giantbomb did a quick look of this previously and from the brief 30 min they showed it didn’t seem to be anything besides generic, both in terms of gameplay and presentation/impact. In that regard I am interested in why they’ve banned it.

Actually I’m more interested in why it’s continuing to be pushed, though I guess recuperating losses is a totally valid tactic. From what I understand it was an MMO-ish game that had a huge hub world, but only small instances when it came to getting into matches. That practically meant it was an FPS with normal matchmaking but a game-based lobby instead of a text-based one. Besides being not an overly fantastic shooter, it was also originally subscription based (following the free 60 day pass you get for buying it). It has since changed to a free-to-play model with microtransactions/premium subscriptions I think.

The bit about recuperating losses stems from the fact that Vogster Entertainment shut down two of its three studios a month after Crimecraft was launched. They left their HQ open to continue working on Crimecraft, but their prospects were never high, even less so now with the availability of other far superior shooters.

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fairplay

November 30, 2009 at 2:14 pm

Banned does not mean RC. Banned entails it is illegal or prohibited. Whilst RC means that the game cannot be sold here, you can still play or own a copy without facing any legal action. If you are caught with a ‘banned’ game, then there are legal consequences, no?

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1. MrSpaceCowboy
  
  November 30, 2009 at 4:09 pm
  
  Actually, I did some reading about what you said…
  in my state (WA), there’s a law prohibiting anyone from possessing a game that’s RC or an unclassified game that would be deemed RC by the OFLC.
  
  The penalty is a $10,000 fine.
  
  I imagine the other states have similar legislation in effect.
  
  Reply
Mae Sam

November 30, 2009 at 2:18 pm

Raise your hands if you clicked the link on the article and was able to see that Dante’s Inferno got through classification and is happy about being able to kill bad babies?

In all seriousness though, how could they ban a game based on a poem that gave birth to the modern Italian language? The guys in the board have got to be some of the best informed people in the industry.

I am just happy to see inconsistency continue to show that the board needs to be re-addressed and changed.

More than happy to play DI, but a 15 year old kid? Not too sure about that.

Samurai out

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Gobbo

November 30, 2009 at 2:50 pm

Hooray for the Streisand effect!

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clint

November 30, 2009 at 3:34 pm

looks like it should be 18+ to me.
but dont ask me how gta4/cod6 and a dozen other games made it into 15+

but it looks fine for an adult to play if they choose to.

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Thomas Baskerville

November 30, 2009 at 3:50 pm

Well it may be banned in Australia…but If i invade my property and claim it on behalf of another country i can make up my own rules.

Nothing shall be banned in my country…as as such this game will not be banned.

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NoOtherDestiny

November 30, 2009 at 3:55 pm

I’ve played Crimecraft, and yes it is boring and very generic. Lobby based system with instanced team fights.

I have no idea why it would of gotten RC though, I couldn’t remember anything from it that wasn’t in other games, or even worse in others.

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Jason

November 30, 2009 at 4:17 pm

It doesn’t matter how bad the game is, the point is, we are adults and should be able to decide for ourselves what we should or should not be allowed to play.

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Kira Hall

November 30, 2009 at 4:37 pm

I think if the classification board had its way all Australian gaming will consist of sunshine and rainbows. >.>

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rob

December 1, 2009 at 11:44 am

As has been said, whether a game sucks or is fantastic is not the issue. The issue is that under the current classification system, as an adult, I don’t get the option to purchase games with adult themes. As a voter and a citizen, I should get the choice, but because 1 person from one of the smallest states in the country, continues to block the reclassification system overhaul, I don’t.

Atkinson is your neighbourhood bully and it’s time we stood up to this bully on a national level!

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scotty

December 1, 2009 at 9:29 pm

man it would suck to live in your country and be a gamer.you either dont get games or get cut versions of games.doesnt your goverment realise sum of you might be adults who should be able to play what you want.we get everything in the uk so fuck your goverment and import from us.do they edit films there also?

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Crimecraft Refused Classification In Australia

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47 responses to “Crimecraft Refused Classification In Australia”

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