Australian Government
Whoops, looks like Outlast 2 has been edited after all
I was super shocked and excited to learn this morning that Outlast 2 had been reclassified to R18+ in Australia, both because it was a surprise and also because it marked the second time I’d written a think piece about our classification system’s issues and it being followed by a positive change (the first time being GTA V being slightly reclassified soon after a 2015 article I wrote f...[Read More]
Australia’s classification problems run deeper than Outlast 2
This article discusses sexual assault. By now you’ve probably heard the news that swept across Australian video gaming channels last week: Outlast 2 has been refused classification in Australia. I know, I’m disappointed too. It was refused classification because it depicted implied sexual violence. I’ll spare you the explicit details, you can read them here if you so wish, but the scen...[Read More]
NBN Co CEO thinks Aussies wouldn’t even use faster internet and I’m literally shaking with rage
If you were on the internet yesterday, you may have noticed, between all the bullshit being flung by politicians both here in Australia and abroad, the CEO of NBN Co said something mighty interesting. And by “mighty interesting” I mean crazily idiotic, and that’s while I’m still trying to keep my language decent. I doubt I’ll keep that up for long. For the unaware, NB...[Read More]
Halo 5 showed me Australia needs better internet
If you don’t live in Australia, or you do and are just unaware, let me tell you our internet situation is a complete and total dumpster fire. For decades we’ve been running on an ageing copper network that was not designed for the levels of internet traffic we now demand on a daily basis. In an effort to rectify this, our Labor and Liberal governments have been arguing over the past de...[Read More]
The Bug Butcher is now banned in Australia for a terrible reason
Having been out since January 19 you’d think that The Bug Butcher by Awfully Nice Studios was safe from the ban heavy Australian Classification Board. Well it turns out that’s not the case, as they have indeed butchered the bug, labelled the game as “Refused Classification” or RC. Those unfamiliar with The Bug Butcher can check out my review from earlier in the year here. A...[Read More]
Do we need more games like Hatred?
-Karly Taylor It’s well known at this point by Aussie gamers that our censorship rules suck. One of the first things that come to mind when thinking about this issue, for me, was the initial release of Left 4 Dead 2. Sure, Australia got the game. What we didn’t get was what made the series fun; the blood and guts. Excuse the pun, but our censorship board literally gutted the game of it...[Read More]
Australian censorship Vs. indie developers
– Charlie Braithwaite As we’ve already discussed, on more than one occasion, the Australian classification system is pretty harsh, but what we haven’t discussed is how this system impacts indie developers. The cost and process involved is turning some devs off of releasing their product in Australia at all. LoadScreen spoke to Director of Helix Games Bailey Earley, who told us of...[Read More]
International Age Rating Coalition system has banned more games in Australia in 3 months than the last 20 years
– Tom Heath Listings on the Classification Board’s website show that more than 200 games have been effectively banned in Australia in the last three months under a new automated system being trialled by the Board. The new system is a free online tool developed by the International Age Rating Coalition, where developers of mobile and online games can fill out a questionnaire which deter...[Read More]
Refused classification 2: Double standards
– Charlie Braithwaite The sequel to the critically acclaimed retro style shooter, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number has been out for some time now. Most of the gaming world has mastered its levels while listening to the banging soundtrack, yet Australians are still left twiddling their thumbs and wondering what could have been. Some of you may be aware of the controversy regarding the classifica...[Read More]