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Technology Lifestyle Australia bans another game
Technology Lifestyle Australia bans another game | Australia bans another game |
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| by Mike Bantick | |
| Wednesday, 12 August 2009 | |
  
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This time the game in the Classification Board’s sites is the multiplatform title Risen, a typical sword and sorcery role play game from developer Pirhana Bytes, makers of the well received Gothic series. Obviously the game is aimed at a mature market, with the ratings board in Europe (PEGI) giving the game a 16+ stamp and the U.S’s ESRB giving the game a ‘Mature’ stamp of approval. The ESRB describes the game-play of Risen: “During the course of the game, players can interact with prostitutes (referred to as “whores” in the game) at a local brothel. Players can trigger a lengthy dialogue to engage in their services; sexual activity is strongly implied, but never depicted on screen. Many of the characters in the game smoke a fictional drug called “brugleweed.” The “wood reefer” plant is described as having a mild relaxing effect on users, and can be bought, sold, and used by players. Some profanity (e.g., “f*ck” and “sh*t”) can be heard in the dialogue.” Lacking a higher rating than MA 15+ in Australia, the Classification Board is many a time hamstrung in handing down a UC, or Unclassifiable decision for some interactive entertainment. Effectively this bans the game from sale in the country. This is a situation that frustrates people like the Game Developers Association of Australia president Tom Crago, who describes the classification system down-under as a joke. In Australia, Risen was to be distributed by Madman Interactive. A spokesperson told Kotaku that the Classification Board felt that the game contained “sexual activity and drug use related to incentives or rewards.” This means a UC under the board’s guidelines. A Madman Interactive spokesperson has subsequently told iTWIre “We're working with the Publisher/Developer & the Classifications Board to ascertain our options & the right way forward.” Giving a glimmer of hope to Risen fans in Oz. |
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