Kotaku: Classification

Germany Gets Around to Banning Dead Island

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 02:00:00 EST

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Zombie paradise action game Dead Island may have been out since early September, but it's only now that the Germans at the wonderfully-named Federal Department of Media Harmful to Young Persons have got around to banning it. More »

Australia is (Probably) Getting Adults-Only Games

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 01:00:00 EDT

Despite one of the state Attorneys General required to change Australia's classification laws not turning up to a meeting earlier today, those present (and the Federal Government) have agreed "in principle" to institute an adults-only game rating for the country. More »

Dead or Alive: Dimensions May Not Be For Kids After All

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 03:45:00 EDT

The international ratings absurdity surrounding 3DS game Dead or Alive: Dimensions just got a little more absurd, as the game is now being reclassified in Australia after media reports pointed out the game's somewhat adult photography mode. [Kotaku Australia] More »

The Absurdity of International Game Ratings

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 31 May 2011 03:30:00 EDT

Different cultures have different tastes. That's a given, and will always result in slight differences in game ratings. But what's just happened to 3DS game Dead or Alive: Dimensions is too strange to overlook. More »

How Working at the ESRB Can Be the Best Job in the World

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 13 May 2011 03:30:00 EDT

The Entertainment Software Ratings Board used to manually assess the content of the games it was awarding a classification to. Now, computers do most of the work. Which must be a bummer to anyone hoping to get a job there. More »

Australia is Getting Adults-Only Games (Sort of) [Update]

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 02:30:00 EDT

Since Australia's State Attorneys-General can't ever seem to get their heads together on the issue of a national adults-only rating for video games, one state is breaking off and introducing its own R18+ classification. [Updated] More »

Aussie Government Wants Adult Games, Considers Stepping In And Cracking Some Skulls

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 02:15:00 EDT

It sounds like the Australian government, fed up with being the "laughing stock of the developed world", is going to step in and find some way to let Aussie adults play adult video games. About time! More »

Guess Which Country Just Banned Mortal Kombat

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 00:30:00 EST

The upcoming Mortal Kombat game is brutal as hell. Meaning, and this shouldn't come as too great a shock to most of you, it's been "banned" in Australia. More »

Germany Cuts Bulletstorm's Legs Off

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 06:00:00 EST

Upcoming shooter Bulletstorm, which is revelling in its violent trimmings, has had to face a reckoning of sorts in Germany, with much of the game's trademark content cut just so it could be released. More »

Turn Your Phone Into A Game Rating Encyclopaedia

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 05:30:00 EST

The Entertainment Software Rating Board, America's classification outfit for video games, has a new iPhone (and Android) app out, and it's surprisingly handy! More »

This Was Supposed To Be The Day Australian Gaming Grew Up

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 02:30:00 EST

But it's not, after a lengthy meeting between government officials earlier today wound up without, as was expected, an adults-only video game rating being introduced. Bummer! More »

Australian Study Finds No "Conclusive" Evidence That Games Harm Kids

Mark Serrels — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 05:00:00 EST

As this report on Kotaku AU details, Australia continues to deal with how it classifies and views video games. More »

Australia Might Lose Many iPhone, Mobile Games

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 05:30:00 EDT

Australia's lack of an adults-only rating is a tricky issue, one in which there's really no longer any "villain". A new move that could threaten mobile games in the country, though, is a little more sinister. More »

Report: Online-Only Games The Latest Problem For Aussie Censors

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:30:00 EDT

Blacklight: Tango Down, a recently-released online shooter, hasn't been released in Australia. Why? According to Xbox Australia, it's because it's an online shooter. More »

Sony Calls For Aussie Game Rating Changes

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 18 May 2010 07:30:00 EDT

Michael Ephraim, boss of Sony Computer Entertainment Australia, has spoken out against the country's continued lack of an adults-only rating for video games. More »

Zombies Protest Against Aussie Game Ratings

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Last year, Australian gamers protested against the government's lack of an adults-only video game rating by...dressing up like zombies and shambling through Sydney. This year, they did it again, only with more zombies. More »

Australia's Moral Defender Has Hurt Feelings, Interest In "Research"

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:30:00 EST

As the most public - and pivotal - opponent of an adults-only video game rating in Australia, Michael Atkinson is a rather public figure. Just don't call him a crook. You may end up being sued by him. More »

How Australia's Proposed Internet Censorship Will (And Won't) Affect Video Games

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST

While the lack of an adults-only rating for video games hogs all the headlines when it comes to gaming and Australia, there's a far more sinister threat lurking on the horizon: internet censorship. But how does this affect gaming? More »

How Australia Rates Video Games

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:30:00 EST

The Classification Board is the body responsible for rating video games (and other stuff!) in Australia, and as such, is often blamed for the mess our system currently finds itself in. Thing is, it's not their fault. More »

EB Games Pushing For Changes To Aussie Game Ratings

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST

At the moment, Australia's classification laws are stuck in the stone age. There's support for changes from gamers, of course, but hardcore gamers don't have much in the way of political clout. Multinational companies, however, do. More »

Aliens vs Predator "Unbanned" In Australia

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 01:00:00 EST

Knew something was up with that trailer rating this morning; Sega just let us know that Aliens vs Predator, a violent game which had previously been refused classification in Australia, has had that ruling overturned. More »

Australian Government Consulting Public On Changes To Game Ratings

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:00:00 EST

Yesterday, the Australian government released its long-awaited discussion paper on an adults-only rating for video games (or, as we'd call it, R18+). I've already sent in my contribution; any of you care to do the same? More »

Hey, Stop Blaming The Australian Government/People For "Banning" Games

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:20:00 EST

You know, every time a game is "banned" in Australia, I see people from the US and Europe saying stupid, stupid things. I'd like to try and put a stop to that. More »

Yeah, Another Game's Been "Banned" In Australia

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST

Free-to-play MMO Crimecraft has been refused classification in Australia, on the grounds that it uses drugs as an "incentive or reward". More »

Aliens vs Predator vs Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:00:00 EST

This story involves Germany and a video game packed with violent content, so yeah, you can already imagine where things are headed from here. More »

Left 4 Dead 2 "Banned" In Australia [Update]

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:40:00 EDT

While the Australian government dawdles on changes to the country's classification guidelines, games continue to be "refused classification" on the grounds they exceed the maximum rating of MA15+. The latest game on the chopping block? Left 4 Dead 2. More »

Company Of Heroes Online Replaces Germans With "Federation"

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:30:00 EDT

Like many Western games, Relic's Company of Heroes is in line for some changes once it hits the Chinese market as Company of Heroes Online. More »

It's Now Legal To Sell Adult Games To Minors In The UK

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 07:30:00 EDT

File under: Oh Dear. A series of administrative blunders in the UK has resulted in the discovery today that the country's video game ratings laws are not actually in effect. More »

Diablo III: Some Versions Will Be Edited

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:30:00 EDT

The world is a big place. And what's cool for one part of it may not be so cool for another. Take Diablo III, for example, which will have its violent content edited when it's released in certain markets. More »

German Gamers Venture Outside To Protest Violent Gaming Crackdown

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:30:00 EDT

Poor old Germany. The nation's politicans have in recent years really started to crack down on violent video games, and since many of the best games are violent games, this presents is a problem. More »

Australian Web Filter May Block Legitimate Import Retailers

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:30:00 EDT

There's currently a wildly unpopular (not to mention practically unworkable) piece of legislation in the pipeline here in Australia that, if passed, will be a kick in the teeth to already-suffering Aussie gamers. More »

Wait, There Was A "Recipe" For Meth In GTAIV?

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:30:00 EDT

Proof that in a world as big as Grand Theft Auto IV's you can play it for months and never see all the game has to offer: apparently there's a "recipe" for the production of methamphetamines hidden somewhere in the game. More »

Another Game "Banned" In Australia

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 01:30:00 EDT

Necrovision - which, to be honest, we'd forgotten all about - has been effectively banned in Australia, after the local Classification Board deemed it unsuitable for an MA15+ rating. More »

Dragonball Origins Recalled In Australia

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 03:30:00 EST

Whoops! Atari are recalling every single copy of Dragon Ball Origins in Australia, after it was discovered the rating handed out to the game didn't quite match some of it's naughtier moments. More »

So Dead Space Was Banned, Well, Nowhere

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 01:00:00 EST

In September, something smelled fishy. EA went out of their way to say that Dead Space had been "banned" in Germany, Japan and China, when really, nothing of the sort had transpired. More »

EA: Wii Graphics "Not Of Broadcast Quality"

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 03:30:00 EST

Yeah, you read that right. Britain's Advertising Standards Authority have busted EA trying to pass the 360 version of Tiger Woods 09 off as the Wii version. And EA's defence is just delicious. More »

For Some Reason, Australia Is Getting An Uncut GTA IV On PC

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:30:00 EST

In perhaps the most glaring example of the OFLC's utter disregard for consistency, Grand Theft Auto IV will be released in Australia on PC completely uncut. Even though the console versions were cut, cut, cut. More »

F.E.A.R. 2 Is So Banned (In Australia)

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 09:20:00 EST

Surprise, Australia! A game featuring horror elements and a bit of the ol' tomato sauce has been "refused classification" in Australia, which is as good as a ban. More »

Now Fallout 3 Trailers Are Being Pulled As Well

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 23:20:00 EDT

More Fallout 3 advertising dramas! First it was subway adverts being pulled, now it’s a bunch of online trailers, Bethesda politely requesting that a number of websites, including Shacknews (though, it must be noted, not us), remove any and all Fallout 3 trailers they’d ever posted, saying only the request was being made “in connection with ESRB's advertising guidelines”. Guess there’s something in those trailers that’s not supposed to be in there. Good thing the ESRB acted so swiftly, and locked this down before the game was released, and…oh. More »

Even Germany's Box Art Is Censored Now

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 03:30:00 EDT

[UPDATE - EA contacted us to let us know the German version has two covers; a paper sleeve and the actual DVD case. Only the paper sleeve features this edited box art]The Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle, or USK, are Germany's classification board. And as you may already be aware, they're a conservative bunch, banning games that even Australia let slide. But this, this is new. Witness Germany's box art for Valve's upcoming zombie co-op shooter, Left 4 Dead. Notice anything, uh, different? That's right. We don't know whether the USK had a say in this, or whether Valve/EA just felt like playing it safe, either way, that's a different box. While every other region's cover art shows a left hand with the thumb bitten off - zombies feast on the flesh of the living, you see, it's a joke - on the German version, the thumb's simply tucked in behind the hand there. No gore. How humourless. More »