Fallout 3 banned in Australia because of drugs

Author: Joe Martin
Published: 13th August 2008
Comments (19) Stumble
Fallout 3 banned in Australia because of drugs

Fallout 3 has been re-rated and unbanned in Australia after the removal of certain drugs from the game.

Fallout 3 was recently certified for a general released, with the notable excpetion being that the game was refused certification in Australia and was essentially banned as a result.

Now, the Australian version of the game has been edited to fit with the wishes of the certification board and will be seeing a release in Australia after all, but one thing which has remained unclear is exactly why the game was refused classification in the first place. There are a number of edgy issues featured in the game judging from what we saw in our Fallout 3 hands-on preview, but Bethesda hasn't commented on whether it was the cannibalism, genocide or gore which got the game in trouble down under.

Kotaku however has managed to unearth the truth from the Office of Film and Literature Classification directly and it turns out that the reason the game was banned was because of how certain drugs were represented in the game.

Or rather, a drug.

A review of the edited version of the game remarks on the fact that the various drugs available to the player throughout the game are all entirely fictional, entirely contextual and presented in such a way that there is no obligation put on the player to use them. There are rewards naturally for dosing up on Jet or Psycho , but penalties also present themselves as players become addicted too.

This review of the edited version therefore implies that morphine has been edited out of the game, as this features prominently in other versions of the game and is clearly not a fictional or sci-fi drug. By editing out the inclusion of morphine and leaving in all the fictional drugs, Bethesda has been able to meet the Australian requirements.

All the drugs in the Australian game are now only referred to as 'Chems' and are presented using stylised icons which do not show the drug itself or how it is used. Versions of the game available in other areas will be presented as they were originally intended.

What's your opinion on how Fallout 3 is shaping up? What do you think of the censors decision? Let us know what you reckon in the forums.
Quote Arkanrais 13th August 2008, 12:16
the aussies could just order a copy from an NZ store and get it shipped across the ditch if they want the unedited version. still, no matter, at least they get the game and it's not like they're loosing out on half the gameplay because of the edit. I do still feel sorry for them though, with the strict gaming guidelines.
Quote Timmy_the_tortoise 13th August 2008, 12:42
Good idea. Britain should have similar censorship, before all our precious impressionable teenagers go out and take up Crack and Herion because they saw some fake drugs used in a game.
Quote Tyrmot 13th August 2008, 12:45
Quote:
Originally Posted by Timmy_the_tortoise
Good idea. Britain should have similar censorship, before all our precious impressionable teenagers go out and take up Crack and Herion because they saw some fake drugs used in a game.

Or even... the dreaded Cake!
Quote supaste 13th August 2008, 12:51
I personally think this whole ordeal was a huge waste of time and the only thing it achieved was to anger the Australian gaming community.
Quote Timmy_the_tortoise 13th August 2008, 12:52
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tyrmot
Or even... the dreaded Cake!

Hey, you've gotta admit, that stuff's moreish.
Quote Smegwarrior 13th August 2008, 12:54
An idiotic decision by our government yet again, how many movies show drug use?

I won't be crying torrents of tears :'( over their decision, I will get the full game anyway, just by other <this sentence will not continue as the ban hammer may be used against me>. ;)
Quote Timmy_the_tortoise 13th August 2008, 13:16
Quote:
Originally Posted by Smegwarrior
An idiotic decision by our government yet again, how many movies show drug use?

I won't be crying torrents of tears :'( over their decision, I will get the full game anyway, just by other <this sentence will not continue as the ban hammer may be used against me>. ;)

Your subtlety astounds me.
Quote Vode 13th August 2008, 13:23
I'm glad it's been unbanned, and really don't understand why they keep holding back on a R18+ rating for games here, although they will apparently be looking for public input on the subject soon, and it's somewhere on their current agenda.

Definitely looking forwards to the game, I pre-ordered it before it was refused classification, so have been sitting tense for a while on this... If I hadn't already pre-ordered I think I might look into other avenues of purchase now though as I'd like the un-editted experience if possible
Quote KayDat 13th August 2008, 16:37
Quote:
Originally Posted by Smegwarrior
I won't be crying torrents of tears :'( over their decision, I will get the full game anyway, just by other <this sentence will not continue as the ban hammer may be used against me>. ;)

Just another excuse 'eh? Sometimes it's in-game advertising, othertimes it's copy protection (which I can almost say fair call). But right now, this is out of the developer/producer's hands. If you're so desperate for the full uncut thing, go and buy it overseas and get it shipped. If anything, go write a letter to the OFLC, and buy the game to support Bethesda.

Just my $0.02AUD ;]
Quote CardJoe 13th August 2008, 17:43
Quote:
Originally Posted by KayDat
Just another excuse 'eh? Sometimes it's in-game advertising, othertimes it's copy protection (which I can almost say fair call). But right now, this is out of the developer/producer's hands. If you're so desperate for the full uncut thing, go and buy it overseas and get it shipped. If anything, go write a letter to the OFLC, and buy the game to support Bethesda.

Just my $0.02AUD ;]

Good man.
Quote Sublym3 13th August 2008, 23:52
Aussies (like me) should just buy it from the sheep shaggers across the pond. Delivery would be quicker and our dollar is better.
Quote Spaceraver 14th August 2008, 04:02
Or buy the game in aus and get the original content via alternative paths is also an option.
Bah.. just get it from where "Men are Men and the sheep are scared"
Quote CardJoe 14th August 2008, 07:05
Wales?
Quote Xir 14th August 2008, 09:06
Ah! The old sheep-fixation...sometimes I wonder what I'm doing on a commonwealth-dominated board... :D
Quote r4tch3t 14th August 2008, 10:51
Except the Aussies have more sheep than us silly people, should just start the kangaroo farms.
I really don't see the point in banning games for these kind of reasons. They are in the movies and TV and quite often depicted as glamorous. In the game they help you and then they screw you over.
Quote Timmy_the_tortoise 14th August 2008, 10:57
Quote:
Originally Posted by r4tch3t
Except the Aussies have more sheep than us silly people, should just start the kangaroo farms.

You guys made a film about sheep though.....


.. AND IT WAS AWESOME!
Quote Xir 15th August 2008, 12:50
Baa Baa Black Sheep Squadron was from NZ? :D

Or should i be lookin.....lets say in the Adult section of the videoshop?

Or just Black Sheep?
Quote r4tch3t 15th August 2008, 23:40
I think it was Black sheep.
Quote The Jambo 21st August 2008, 16:43
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tyrmot
Quote:
Originally Posted by Timmy_the_tortoise
Good idea. Britain should have similar censorship, before all our precious impressionable teenagers go out and take up Crack and Herion because they saw some fake drugs used in a game.

Or even... the dreaded Cake!

Portal only got past classification because it had a disclaimer...

...The Cake is a lie.
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