MadWorld for Wii makes it through Australian censorship

Mike Bantick
Monday, 19 January 2009 03:43

Opinion and Analysis

Is the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) softening up?  MadWorld actually gets a release in Australia.

It is irreverently violent in its game-play. 

It uses a stark black, white and blood red palette of colours, and presents a cacophony of violence, glorified to brutal cartoon levels, as gigantic protagonists go at each other with bone crunching hand-to-hand moves as well as spine rending chainsaw attacks.

And it will be coming to Australia.  All this on the family friendly Nintendo Wii.

Like Manhunt before it, many in the industry questioned the ability of a violence glorifying game such as MadWorld to get past the OFLC in Australia.

But it seems the censors are softening somewhat, perhaps the calls for an R18+ classification for interactive entertainment down-under are beginning to have a (perhaps subconscious) effect on the classification board members.

FEAR 2: Project Origin originally got banned from Australian retail stores, before being quickly appealed, and revised to a MA15+ classification without content alteration.

Likewise MadWorld has received a MA15+ classification prior to its planned March 2009 release.  There is however consumer advice consisting of ‘strong bloody violence and strong course language’ attached to the classification.

Publisher SEGA describe MadWorld as; “... an inventive third-person action game exclusively for Wii. With its irreverent humour and over-the-top violence, MADWORLD will deliver a unique core gaming experience currently missing on the Wii system.”

With its already demographic busting standing in the community, it will be good to see a non G or PG rated title in the Wii’s library of software, something adults can get their teeth into if they wish.