Posted Sep 02, 2008 at 07:56PM by Karl B. Listed in: Opinions & Analysis Tags: Australia, Bethesda, Pete Hines, OFLC
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Fallout 3 - Image 1


Getting a game approved by a country's classification board is hard work, but what makes it even more frustrating is that different countries have different standards when it comes to censorship.

A very violent game may get the go signal in one country and be banned outright in another. The history of the video game industry is riddled with examples of this happening.

"The frustrating thing for us is that the standards and rules can be so varied across territories, that we work with five or six ratings agencies and each one has different 'hot buttons'," Fallout 3 product manager Pete Hines told CVG.

"In one place nudity is a big deal but violence is fine, and in another place drugs are a problem but nudity is fine," Hines added. "You're not aiming at one target, you're aiming at six different ones, worrying about how each one will feel about different things."

Bethesda's Fallout 3 (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC) has had its share of brushes with censorship. It almost didn't make it through Australia's Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) due to the presence of drugs in the game. The game has since been given the green light.



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5 Comments


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   by kraft - 2008-09-02
 » ..

I agree with him
Australia really ruined the GTA4 release for NZ aswell because of no R18 rating.

NZ better not get Australias censored version for Fallout 3 aswell or else I'm gona have to cut someone

   by bradz7 - 2008-09-03
 » hb

haha
you know it will!!!
our oflc are a bunch of ***** heads. our rating system is extremely *****en archaic. we desperately need an (R) rating for games.
you know, its ok for movies filled with senseless violence, hardcore drug use, nudity & rape but god help us if its in a *****en game!!!
its complete bull*****. the majority of gamers are well over 18 and have the right to buy whatever the hell we want! personally i import ALL of my games now ever since the gta4 debacle. play-asia all the way.

   by GW2 - 2008-09-03
 » import

thats all i can say my unfortunate friends.

   by Silver-Tiger - 2008-09-03
 » ...

the funny thing is , here in Germany everything is the other wy around as in the USA. We have no problem to see boobs or naked girls in games or in TV but as soon as you see only one drop of blood, everything will be cutted.

   by Galduke - 2008-09-03
 » huh...

At least in the US the only reason people censor their games is to reach a broader audience, rather than risk having said game's existence denied. Even Jack Thompson was shut up by the Florida Supreme Court.



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