Mike Bantick
Wednesday, 01 October 2008 10:46
Opinion and Analysis
Page 2 of 3
In March this year the AG’s got together to discuss, amongst other things, the introduction of an R18+ classification for interactive entertainment titles released in Australia. With the ultra-conservative South Australian AG Michael Atkinson on record to strongly oppose such and introduction, hopes were not high.
The outcome however was reasonable positive, with the AG’s agreeing to put the question of a possible R18+ classification out for public consultation.
Unfortunately, to date, the forum or structure for this public consultation has not emerged. This despite an 80 percent approval for a R18+ classification returned in a 2004 Bond University study.
So now what for fans of this latest Silent Hill episode?
Well there is the hope that, like Bethesda did when Fallout 3 was recently banned, a couple of quick snips with the digital scalpel and the offending blood spattered drilling scenes could be toned down enough for a MA15+ rating to be applied.
But I know it is not that easy. Konami, the games developers would need to sink in costly development resources to produce a different version from that which the rest of the world already has. For a market of only 22 million souls, it is a financial decision only Konami can make.
Canny developers that have been though it all before – like RockStar Games know what it takes. Grand Theft Auto IV was not even put up to the classification board without the small edits made for the Aussie market. This saved them a few thousand dollars and a lot of heartache – and maybe further adverse publicity.
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