Deep Silver and All Interactive Entertainment have come forth with the information that a modified version of Saints Row IV has been accepted as MA15+ by the Classification Board, though a rating for the game doesn’t currently exist on the Board’s website.
Deep Silver have removed a mission involving a character named Shaundi, which included the alien narcotics that proved to be the main cause of the original version being refused classification. While a secondary reason – the use of an “alien anal probe” – was left out of the Review Board’s decision to support the refusal, Deep Silver have played it safe and removed a loyalty mission in which the weapon is used:
@Mario__Bones its also in a loyalty mission within the main game. we have removed that loyalty mission from the game for AU.
— Aubrey Norris (@Chupacaubrey) July 24, 2013
Deep Silver has previously said that its goal is to eliminate any offensive content to be released in Australia. But while it looks like the elimination of both points of contention in the original RC rating is a safe strategy, it may just be a foot in the door – as it plans to bring back the weapon, which it now refers to as a “Rectifier Probe”, later on in the form of DLC:
Theoretically, it could get the alien narcotics in through DLC as well, if it wanted. Downloadable content, including full apps and smaller titles are routinely available to us without being submitted. All up, it’s a very small amount of gameplay missing in the official Australian version, so the main thing is, we’re getting it. I’ll keep an eye on the Classification Board website to make sure the rating actually shows up, but safe to say, we’re getting it.
Comments
42 responses to “Saints Row IV To Probe DLC Loophole”
I hope they don’t want try to use DLC as a loop hole – I can already see wowser’s pushing for DLC packages to be rated individually.
I hope they do. I want the powers that be to see that the system is Still broken.
Yeah I think our guidelines need to be re-visited, otherwise I’m sure this inconsistency will not be the last.
Problem is, what politician in their right mind is going to say ‘we need more sex, violence and drug use available to our adult video gamers’
The flip-side is, what politician in their right mind is going to take away an adult’s right to see said content where that right already existed these days. The R18 stuff was more or less a bust for gamers in terms of allowable content. The wowsers won. We’re still getting stuff RC’d for the same stupid reasons. But after that debacle if they then try and add further restrictions that didn’t already exist, well, I would imagine a few politicians won’t be getting re-elected for another term.
In my opinion it’s even worse than an adult’s right – now this game is going to kids hands. Who will ever check ID for an MA rated game? This is the exact problem we started with. Now with DLC, a frankly perfect candidate for the R rating went from refusal to MA, with the original content being marginally tweaked and/or added later. This is not acceptable – it clearly shows they’re ticking boxes of appropriateness rather than taking an overall impression of a game.
Laws, once conceived, need to be tested to see if they work. They’re not perfect from the get go (e.g. the constitutional amendments in the USA). This set of laws clearly do not work. Either that or those implementing/interpreting them need to be replaced.
If they lock it down with DLC, publishers will still be able to bypass it with the patching system. And you cannot moderate every single patch in existence. The issue here is that the game itself ought to have been R18+ in the first place, but the current guidelines didn’t allow for it. Do they went with RC, which is traditionally supposed to be reserved for games with content in the extremes, and forced the developers to use this sort of bypass to deliver the content they intended to. As such, I feel the implementation and guidelines need to be re-evaluated rather than the actual types of content being evaluated.
Yeah. Part of me wants them to not rock the boat but I actually hope they up the ante with it. Make Anal Probe victims say ‘no, stop! I don’t consent to this’, record a few main character line variations of ‘I am enjoying doing this to you on a purely on a sexual level’ to play every time they use the weapon. Then switch the drugs from made up alien stuff to hardcore real world drugs. Go even further and make it so that everything that gives you good bonuses is the result of using drugs. Complete a mission? You don’t get your reward until you shoot up on some heroin.
It would need to be an option you could turn off, but it’d be a fantastic way to highlight how the system is broken. It’d be worth it for them in PR alone.
I would rather the gaming industry self regulates what is acceptable for the masses.
We’re probably 10 years away from having actual gamers on the ACB and by that time a lot of good games will have been butchered to meet the expectations of the uneducated panellists.
The whole product or none at all. Yes yes, retailers will take what they can get, publishers want to sell more copies, most people wont even notice blah blah blah… Anyone who buys this version is directly supporting a broken censorship regime. Every edited copy sold validates the ACB and there unrepresentitive board members.
And for the record, it would be nice to see some action taken by the local gaming media. “Good enough” is what got us in this mess in the first place. Time for you journalists to earn your stripes and start kicking up a fuss instead of always looking for the light at the end of this VERY long tunnel.
…I just want to play the game, not get in to some protest about government censorship and stuff.
The problem is theres enough that think the same way you do to ensure this system will be around for years to come, potentially denying you the right to purchase future games. If you must buy this, at least consider importing. Its cheaper, and you get the whole game.
I’ve been playing games in Australia for over 30 years, I’ve never felt that I was missing out on something, I’ve never been anticipating a great game that was suddenly and irrevocably pulled. So in the end it doesn’t matter, maybe because the system isn’t broken enough to give a crap about.
What the hell is the difference if you miss out on something as stupid as an anal probe weapon.
The media are supposed to present an unbiased report of the situation, sometimes with an opinion piece about the situation presented by the individual author about their personal feelings on the matter. Taking sides in an argument is not part of their role. They simply report the facts as they are. This is a job for the political lobbyist groups.
“Remove all offensive content.”
Here’s an idea, if you find it offensive, don’t play it. I find stupidity offensive, but you don’t see me punching every poopiekins I see.
Thank you for the edit, mod 😀
And lets face it, removing the offensive content from a Saints Row game results in a game that’s a start screen where you press Start to see the credits.
Exactly! If you’re playing Saints Row with the intention of not being offended, you’re playing the wrong game. It’s so wildly overdone, that it shouldn’t be taken seriously.
I’ll just do what I did when Mortal Kombat was RC.
Yeah, this is how GTA got some altered content included back into the game, or rather, left in for the expansions.
So it was RC’d, had imaginary alien ‘drugs’ and a comical weapon removed and it gets back in with MA15+? Why do we have a R18+ rating again?
And before someone brings it up, yes yes I know only the guidelines involving violence were changed for the R18+ rating, but its still incredibly stupid.
I’m pretty sure it was only RC’d because rewarding drug use is an instant no-no. the rest of the content must have been only MA15+ and not violent/pornographic/whatever enough to justify and R18+.
it would kinda be like if they had some kiddy game that rewards drug use in it, once its removed the rest of the content would only justify like a G or a PG rating
Because it made the super vocal minority shut up for two minutes I suppose.
I remember GTA IV suddenly becoming fully uncut (blood spatter, sex in the car, blowjobs in the car etc) with the DLC, that surprised the hell out of all of us. So yeah, why not.
I love that I cancelled my Wub Wub edition yesterday. FML…. Well whatever as long as its released and it isnt missing anything overly important.
Well, from what I’ve read, it’s only missing a 20 minutes side mission. I honestly don’t think people should get upset about that.
“so the main thing is, we’re getting it.”
No, the main thing is we’re getting a sh*tty, watered down version while everyone else in the developed world gets it uncut because of some conservative f**kwits in the Attorneys-General Department who screwed up the R18 rating. In addition to that, we’re expected to pay at least $20 MORE than the USA for our sh*tty, watered down version ($69.99 USD on Steam for us, $49.99 USD for them). Deep Silver can go f**k themselves for the Australia Tax and the AGs Department can go f**k themselves for not treating adults as ADULTS.
The whole god damn thing is a flat out insult to adult gamers in this country. Anyone who buys the game here is a f**king idiot. For the love of god, buy the game from overseas. Wait the extra week and don’t give the bastards the satisfaction of dictating what we can and can’t see.
Cause it’s ADULTS that can’t enjoy a game because it doesn’t include drugs and anal probing.. yup, that’s an awesome argument bwahaha, oh man.
Congratulations on completely missing my point. This may come as news to you, but I am in no way in favour of drug abuse or anal probing. ‘Cause guess what, they’re both morally wrong! Weird I know, right?
What I am against is other people, like yourself perhaps, telling me I shouldn’t/can’t see those things in a videogame (which, incidentally, is FICTIONAL and therefore not REAL) because they’re bad. No shit! Of course they’re bad. But just because I experience them in a videogame does not mean I’m going to run out and practice such things in real life. Let’s not forget that the rest of the game is made up of running people down with cars and shooting them in the face with guns. But oh right, I forgot. Totally abhorrent VIOLENCE is ok. It’s just drugs and sex that are bad. Yup, my mistake.
Incidentally, speaking of drug use and what not, you wouldn’t happen to know where I could get some of those alien drugs that give you superpowers would you? Because the international version of Saints Row IV is going to have them and I’d really like to get my hands on some. They sound like they’d be an awesome thing to get addicted to and since gamers across the rest of the world will soon be buying them up I really want to jump on the bandwagon before it leaves!
Haha.. still sensationalising? and wow I’m flattered.. jumping to the conclusion that I’m some sort of prohibitionist? Why should I give a damn what anyone does? I didn’t miss your point I just thought it was stupid, how does missing out on something as ridiculous as alien narcotics and anal probes leave a game.. any game, watered down? .. that’s ridiculous. Hell I don’t even agree that anal probing and drugs are morally wrong, really.. what kind of thinking is that? I’m quite sure the combination would equal a great night for some individuals. I just think it’s incredibly funny that you’re arguing for the right to be exposed to it in games… even moreso when you think it’s morally wrong.. bwahaha. Watching someone fight for a meaningless cause is hilarious these rules on censorship have no effect on the quality of the game at all… and you think it was I that missed the point?
You know what, I could keep going on about this but it seems there’s no point. I don’t want a censored version of SR4 and so I won’t buy the local one. You don’t care? Good for you mate. Support local industry and buy the Aus one. I hope you enjoy it. No really, I do. It seems the two of us have wildly diverging opinions on this issue, but whatever. Let’s just agree to disagree before this turns into a flamewar (as if it already hasn’t).
Saying drug use is morally wrong is a stretch. Not good for your health but hardly morally wrong. Anal probing on the other hand….
Is for science!
Actually I said drug ABUSE was morally wrong (eg. getting addicted to heroin and subsequently ruining your life). Drug usage is common enough these days and I have no problem with people taking things like marijuana for recreational use. Hell I’m actually a proponent of legalisation.
So since Australians are getting less, is it it cheaper? Hurr hurr, yeah good joke.
It’s not like I would actually buy it locally anyway.
I cancelled my preorder from eb yesterday and just ordered a copy from ozgameshop, so now they tell me this
Oh well, at least gta 5 got through unaltered
Do not bother buying from steam, gamersgate or greenman gaming as they will give you the censored version. i dont know about ozgameshop ( i believe they are in the same bind as GMG), the only local option is mighty ape for console users, for PC folks, get a friend from another country to buy it and gift it to you
Lack of an Anal Probe won’t make me change my vote. However the opposite may 🙂
Too many puns… Must resist… >_<
Is the steam version also modified?
yes it is. do yourself a favor and get an american friend that you trust to buy it and gift it to you ( cancel your preorder if you preordered it)
Luckily I held off on preordering it. I may just import a retail copy, I think the NZ version is uncut, which should be cheaper than from the US I’m thinking.
Wow! No thanks! The classification board ribs everything! And I’m bit eating money on a half arsed version of the game just to have to by the rest of the half later, just import it from NZ or UK ^.^,
I want to know why people is Australia doesn’t have any DLC yet like Enter The Dominatrix or the GAT5 Pack America has had Enter The Dominatrix and the GAT5 pack for at least almost 2 months now yet we haven’t got anything