We have just recently discovered that EA’s new Syndicate reboot, has been Refused Classification in Australia.
We’re currently attempting to get in contact with EA locally, and with the Classification Board to find out precisely why this is the case, and will update the story with more details as we get them.
Thanks to Luke Lawrie
lol, wtf? :/
*sigh*
I second that
Why sigh? Haven’t people been complaining it is a bad FPS remake?
No. That would be the uninformed idiot internet masses. Infact, word from those who have ACTUALLY PLAYED IT, comes back saying its quite damn good.
I’m looking forward to X-Com too, if that means any thing. 😀
I am complaining because its called Syndicate, I firmly believe it will be a great game simply because of the previous games Starbreeze has made.
Ahahahaha. But Aliens vs. Predator is allowed through?
Also, I couldn’t play this anyway, as it’s only on Origin. Sadface at Origin.
AVP was originally RC. Then they retorted with “Come ooon”. So we get the game at 15+ despite everywhere else has it for adults.
They also had to pay $10,000.
So it was ‘come oooooon’, /waggles roll of hundreds suggestively.
Alien vs. Predator was initially RC too, but it was appealed and overturned. Let’s hope the same happens here.
No – lets hope it’s turned over because it meets the guidelines; the whole point of us gamers arguing for an R18+ is because games that are outside the guidelines are being crammed in to the wrong category, thus giving conservative pundits more ammo to block a reform.
I’m as sad face as I can get about this news, but I’m not going to give pressure groups another game they can ‘scare’ Australian politicians with.
Here we go again.
+1
Well at least people pissed off about it being reimagined as a first person shooter don’t have to worry anymore as they wont be able to play it
Anyone else will just pirate/import as they did with Mortal Kombat and all Australian companies miss out on profits.
yup, either an ebay purchase or ozgameshop for me 🙂
Offensive misuse of a classic title?
Haha!! Thats classic!!
Let the downloading begin. Refusing classification actually make me want it more, and I know I am not alone. Refusing classification isn’t the answer. I thought we were close to a R18+ rating for games.
Close for our goverment means still quite a while away 🙁
Forbidden fruit FTW 😀
BWAHAHAHA xD Our rating systems so screwed its funny in a tragic way
Hey, we still have about 10 days to get an adults rating that was promised to be here before the end of the year…
Have to say I’m not real surprised- everything I’ve seen about this game puts it at the pretty extreme violence end of the spectrum.
I’m banking on drugs, in one of the trailer you see your character helping a co-op player out and the needle it driven into the person to revive, I’m guessing it will be another Fallout situation and the drug is a real life one.
Latest trailer had you stabbing a guy and removing his eyeball…
This time last year we were hopeful we wouldnt have to worry about this kind of thing with the introduction of R18+… Times change, huh? Not when the governments involved…
10 bucks on the brain digging thing/forced suicide being too much.
Just when u thought this crap was over with!
as far as i was aware it had nothing going for it, that would cause Refused classification … not that im after this game but still ….
I mentioned this on twitter, but i am starting to wonder if someone at the classification board is getting kick backs from companies who export to aus. The serious amount of coin that goes overseas when games like this get RC’ed is amazing.
You can’t blame the Classification Board, they can only work to the criteria they are given. They must get as frustrated as any of us over these issues. The game is unlikely to be certified ok for 15 year olds anywhere in the western world
The certificate has a ‘duration’ entry, which shows the system was clearly built to certify movies.
The video game industry is out-grossing hollywood, and Australia is yet to specifically acknowledge it.
Too much to worry about with “stopping the boats” and figuring out just how quickly we should kill the planet I guess.
Uh, you can absolutely blame the board. Your argument is like saying you can’t blame nazis for stuffing jews into boxcars, since that was their job.
(blah blah blah godwin’s law blah blah blah. It’s a valid comparison because we’re comparing fascist states)
WTF? Now you’re comparing the Classification Board to Nazis
Yes, I’m comparing two groups that decide what adults may or may not see, listen to, or read. Censorship is an evil, evil act. If nobody is harmed in the creation of a book, movie, game, or any other work, there is no justifiable reason for a consenting adult to not be able to view it. Anyone who disagrees is fascist trash.
I’m really torn now … I don’t like nazi’s, but can sympathize with the classification board. How can I sleep at night?
I don’t know how anyone who would seek to deprive someone of liberty can sleep at night, ever.
Here here. While I think your comparison is perhaps a little bit insensitive, I agree with your argument. Anyone involved in the censorship of content deserves what they get. It’s a disgusting practice and should be expelled from modern society. There is absolutely NO reason to refuse access to a game or book or film where the entire work is a work of art (ie FICTION).
I don’t think it’s insensitive. Fascist states start with little things like censorship and disarming the public, then move on to more exciting things like mass murder.
Where in your mind are you missing the point that A FIFTEEN YEAR OLD IS NOT AN ADULT. The people ON the classification board are doing their job, choosing whether or not something fits in the CURRENT system> They don’t make the rules, they just abide by them. ALL ADULTS should be allowed to play Syndicate, but there is no R18+ yet, so if this game should be viewed by adults, LEGAL ADULTS, then fair enough it should be band…
Don’t hate the player…
Is this an appropriate time for a man to cry?
The time for that was when they announced that they were turning Syndicate into an FPS.
They made it an FPS?!
Yeah, nothing of value was lost here then.
…Touché. I guess i forgot about the true origins and what was going on here..
Okay I’m good now.
Name of the game aside, have you guys actually played anything from Starbreeze? They’re Awesome, and this game looks like another top one from them.
OzGameShop will be able to afford that new Mercedes now!
And yet I can go on YouTube or gametrailers and watch the worst of it anyway.
Go on Aussie pollies ban YouTube…I dare you.
What an antiquated system we have, why so long to affect change?
The American politicians are already working on that one.
ssshhh. We dont want to give them any more ideas. No great firewall of china in australia! although seems like we are heading that way.
They won’t censor the internet any time soon, don’t worry. Remember last election they talked about it for about a week then went all hush-hush about it?
They know for a fact that internet filtering is political suicide.
I was thinking the same thing – there’s no end of gore and violence all over YouTube. Having said that some of the games that get an MA in this country are beyond the pale, it would be best for all if they just hurry up with the R rating already (what still has to happen to bring this in?)
I never understood why Mark and other games journalists yelled “hurrah, success!” when a politician promised them something with no concrete timeline or guarantee. This shit was never going to happen. It always was, and still is, ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’.
Well I’ll either import or steal it. either way no one wins. I will say this, when I watched the first walk though video I thought the graphic nature of the violence (making people kill others then themselves) might make it hard to get classified…. turns out my fears were correct.
Well in the long run your wallet will win. As we know 70% of the time the import is cheaper. Just means you’ll have to wait, and the Australian economy misses out again. But hey, the customs and postal workers will earn their 2cents for handling your parcel at least.
People who want to play it will still be able to, only people they’re hurting are local retailers. We all know this now, they should too. :S Maybe if we ignore ’em they’ll go away.
I think the classification board has a worse effect on people than Video Games.
“And nothing of value was lost”
Excellent news. A victory for good taste.
I’m guessing it relates to the suicide aspect of the games (making the gaurds kill themselves).
but you could do that in star wars the force unleashed 2
I was doing that in Kotor2.
“You want to jump off this ledge” *waves hand*
Dark side was so much fun.
Ah, you could make the stormtroopers jump, but did they die or were they just unconscious? A bloodless Star Wars universe makes it hard to tell 🙂
“The Happening” was on TV the other night with an “M” rating and that showed shit-tonnes (yes that’s a word) of people suiciding.
cant you just buy it from NZ? or Ozgameshop?
That’s hardly the point.
The worst thing about this kind of censorship, in my view, is the fact you can’t easily find out the reason for it being RC. We have censorship that isn’t even transparent.
This is incorrect. The board must provide a written explanation within 7 days of the decision by law.
It’s a PDF file that is found along with the media release generally.
this is why we need a r18+!
I wasn’t going to buy it, but maybe I’ll import just to taste the forbidden fruit. 😀
I’ve had a slight interest in this game for a while, and I’m certainly quite tempted to buy the forbidden fruit.
*Sigh* Prob with importing on PC at least I’m guessing Origin will put a blocker on it being played in the region.
Good job ACB. More sales driven overseas, and common sense defeated once again. Hey, at least we’re keeping the religious conservatives happy and our children safe. I mean it’s not like there’s anywhere else in the world, or any other form of media where people are going to be exposed to violence.
Just make sure you turn off the TV, your DVD/BD/media player, your computer, disconnect the internet – also switch your mobile off too. Oh don’t forget newspapers. Or books. Avoid them too. That should keep us safe. And retarded.
wow… was just expecting a standard shooter, obviously this one takes it to the next level.
Would definitly have to be the persuadertron. Removing free will and making people commit suicide would probably do it.
Although I like the idea that the classification board just didn’t like the sound of a “visceral” FPS remake of a classic game.
I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the forced suicide that got it banned. It was probably the protagonist breaking a glass window, that is just an unaccebtable level of violence for Australian children.
But, there’s not much gore in it? I watched some gameplay videos and there doesnt seem to be any dismemberment or anything so I’m confused..
Simple, make the girls in the game have bigger boobs.
Won’t someone PLEASE think of the children?!
I’m an adult and should have the right to view whatever content I want. I want to play Manhunt 2, Postal 3, AVP? Let me.
AVP isnt banned 😉
I’m well aware of that but it was RC before being re-rated MA.
Did Postal 3 get a rating here? All I could see yesterday is that it was a Steam only release, and it’s not on the classification page.
Its to do with a positive effect from drug taking, guarantee it.
which under the R18 guidelines would still be banned
Oh how glad I am to be moving to the UK in less than a month.
Now I just need to figure out how to stop random gangs of rioting youths from stealing my laptop…
You’ll be rioting and looting with the best of them after NAUGHTY games have mutilated your senses of reason and morality
You’re celebrating moving from one police-run nanny state to another?
if its anything but drug taking they would have a strong case to have this overturned.
This better be good. Did the board play Dead Island before it was classified?
Lucky! I was afraid my grandpa might cry or get scared if he played it!
Thanks board of classification, really helped me.
this is just getting embarassing… buy all my games from overseas anyway.
The Australian Government is still trying to discover the cause of the mass blackout of its citizens across the the nation today.
Around 1.36pm Eastern Time it appears every person in the nation fainted.
The death and injury tolls are still being compiled adue to the sheer scale of the incident, as many people across the country were driving.
Medical experts are hesitant to list a cause of the blackout so far, but unconfirmed reports say a lack of oxygen could be the cause.
The timing also points to an article written by Australian video game blog writer Mark Serrels that was published at this time.
The article reported the game Syndicate was refused classification by the Australian classification board.
A source who wished not to be named said medical experts are looking into a mass “sigh” produced by readers across the country which rapidly decreased oxygen levels and caused people to pass out.
The Department of Heath would not confirm the statementment and a spokesperson said they were looking into all possibilities.
U Mad Bro?
Nah not really, are you?
oh Fuck this shit, another game i have to pirate and cant buy legally, FUCK THEMN
“that right australia, stfu and pay your taxes. the 18+ rating thing is all a big joke and there is nothing u can do about it, hahahaaaaa…now to find a way to take all your super” that all i can see realy:)
Shame we can’t find a way to make every politician and censor kill themselves like in the game.
Probably has something to do with the whole, stab someone in the side of the head and suck their brain juice out.
Surprising that they didn’t ban God of War 3. There was far racier stuff in that game. Like lesbians! 🙂
2012 – “The Year of high profile RC games”
Syndicate is our first victim.
Tune in soon for news of The Darkness 2 and Metal Gear Rising receiving RC.
No chance either of them will be classified here at all.
DOesn’t the R18+ rating come in next year? Shouldn’t that make it more likely for those games to be R18+ rather than RC,
which begs the question, should EA simply wait till R18+ is in, and resubmit?
No one knows when next year. And we don’t know the specifics of what R18+ will entail.
There’s a long way to go yet. And knowing this country I can’t see R18 happening in 2012. We have to debate about the specifics of it for another 5 years in Parliament /facepalm
Thank you, OzGameShop.
RTS -> FPS.
Good thing, as now they can tap into the whole console market thing too…
(I’m being facetious)
Importing is cheaper anyway. Whatev.
I’ve suddenly gained an interest in this game.
This is a bloody disgrace,
Typical of Australia’s nanny state. What’s the status on R+18 right now? Staled?
Are you freaking kidding me?
Ladies and Gents, to your bittorrents!!
What a disgrace. This makes me so angry.
I was just going to purchase the game from EB. I think i’ll order the collectors edition online now.
Have we not passed new legislation preventing this sort of crap from occurring?
Evidently the government still thinks this ridiculous prohibition actually works and somehow benefits society.
ARRRRRGH!!!
Should have banned it for being another generic fps.
Does not impact my decision to buy it online from overseas for half the local RRP at all.
Have fun banning stuff I guess.
The Classification Board are obviously fans of the originals.
First good decision ever. Bring on Paradox’s Cartel.