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1C Company’s NecroVisioN Denied Classification In Australia
by David Jenkins [PC, Console/PC]
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April 15, 2009
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The Australian Classification Board has refused to grant 1C Company’s first person shooter NecroVisioN a MA15+ rating. Since no R18+ rating exists in Australia for video games, the title has been effectively been made illegal for sale in the country.
The game, which features a horror fantasy version of World War I, is the latest in a string of titles to be denied classification in Australia, effectively preventing them from sale there. Developed by Polish studio The Farm 51, the game has already been released in Europe and is due for release in North America next month.
The Board explained its decision in a statement to consumer site GameSpot: "When the player shoots an enemy combatant, a large volume of blood spray results and the enemy may be dismembered or decapitated."
"Injury detail is high with pieces of flesh seen flying from bodies when shot or a high level of wound detail visible on bodies. Post mortem damage occurs when bodies are shot resulting in blood spray, dismemberment and decapitation," continued the statement.
Games such as Silent Hill: Homecoming, F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin and Fallout 3, which have received the maximum mature rating in other countries, have all previously fallen afoul of the Australian Classification Board. Many were later censored to achieve a MA15+ rating.
Despite repeated calls by the Australian games industry to introduce a R18+ rating for video games, no progress has yet been made on the issue by the relevant authorities.
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It's really about education and awareness, I personally try to tell anyone who's interested about the problems, and most of them are horrified when they realise what's actually happening here. Firstly having no R18 rating usually has a flow on effect, causing higher rated material to be altered only slightly and then being shoved into the MA15 rating, this often results in children playing games that probably should still be restricted to those aged 18+. Worse parents aren't aware of the kinds of things their children are playing.
Most adults also don't realise that this is a freedom of speech issue (and this is related to the view of games a child's plaything anyway, most Aussies would be instantly outraged by the attempts to block an r18 movie.), once you explain to people the kind of potential games could have as a form of media, most people begin to question the lack of a rating. It gets even worse when you point out that we actually don't have a constitutional right to free speech in Australia, you'd be amazed how many Aussies tote the right to free speech, not realising we don't actually have one :( . Ultimately the reason that's an issue is that our government doesn't have to bring such issues to our attention, they can just slip classification changes through without any form of referendum.
Pfft... and don't even get me started on the ACMA and the issues, and the lack of education, understanding and insight inherent in that that particular government body. Or the lack of policing that goes on surrounding their reasoning and classification decisions. Unfortunately though as long as the majority of Australians are unaware or uneducated about the issue, the gaming community isn't a large enough entity in Aus to actually force a change, I do believe this will change in time mainly due to our aging and growing gaming community.