Rebellion Studio’s game Aliens vs Predator had hit some rough tides trying to sell their new game in Australia. Namely, because they couldn’t legally do so.
Australia’s Classification Review Board had banned the game for sale in Australia, stating “The game contains first-person perspective, close-up depictions of human characters being subjected to various types of violence, including explicit decapitation and dismemberment, as well as locational damage, such as stabbing through the chest, mouth, throat, or eyes.”
However, the board has reversed the decision, and has given it a rating of MA15+, with Rebellion Studios not having to alter any content for the rating change. This decision came after Sega appealed the original ruling (and Rebellion refusing to alter the game just for Australia). The appeal was brought on in court and after debate the initial decision to ban the game was reversed.
Darren Macbeth of Sega Australia:
So if you’re an Aussie, you can join in with the rest of the world waiting for a February 2010 release date.
It is with great pleasure that we announce the success of our appeal. We are particularly proud that the game will be released in its original entirety, with no content altered or removed whatsoever. This is a big win for Australian gamers. We applaud the Classification Review Board on making a decision that clearly considers the context of the game and is in line with the modern expectations of reasonable Australians.
What do you think of Australia’s review board being able to ban games? Do you think the game looks intense enough to be banned? Don’t you hate the ridiculous header image I made?
Source: GameSpot
