When Australia's Office of Film and Literature Classification board refused to rate Fallout 3, it did so due to one too many drug references. Apparently, the virtual use of opiates in-game — "material promoting or encouraging proscribed drug use," in OFLC-speak; "chems" in game speak — is frowned upon. The uptight Aussies later cleared the game for release, giving Fallout 3 an MA15+ rating, but only after Bethesda Softworks cleaned up its act.
Fallout 3 hasn't just gone cold turkey in Australia, mind you, as Bethesda's Pete Hines tells Edge that any and all references to real-world drugs have been removed — from all versions.
"I didn't want people continuing to assume the version in Australia was some altered version when it's not," Hines tells Edge. "To avoid confusion among people in different territories, we decided to make those substitutions in all versions of the game, in all territories."
There are "no references to real world drugs in any version of Fallout 3," ensuring that drug habits in our planet's youth will be curbed before they can ever begin.
At the very least, we appreciate Bethesda Softworks for being forthcoming. Now, to shoot up and forget this whole thing ever happened. Gotta curb these fist shakes directed at our bureaucrats down under.