Classification Board bans another title

PC News | Say goodbye to ever playing... CrimeCraft?

The Classification Board, who most recently banned Left 4 Dead 2 and later classified a heavily cut version, have again wielded their sizable Refused Classification hammer. This time the deathblow has landed upon a game most people aren't too familiar with: an MMO called CrimeCraft.

The Board's primary beef with the game isn't with violence or sexual content, but drugs. In particular, they object to the use of 'Boosts', the game's fictional representation of drugs. The Board's report stated that there was 'insufficient delineation' between the fictional drugs and real-life drugs. Additionally, the Board objected to the advantageous effect of using Boosts within the game, claiming that the negative effects did not sufficiently outweigh them.

Despite the fact that the Boosts use entirely fictional names, (many readers will no doubt recall the morphine saga for Fallout 3, which led to drugs being renamed in all versions of the game) the Board found that names such as K-Dust, Birth and Frenzy were still too close to actual drug colloquialisms.

According to Gamespot AU, the report stated that: "Boost parallels the names, chemical elements, administration, treatment, and addictive elements of real-world proscribed drugs, and when used provide quantifiable benefits to a player's character. The game therefore contains drug use related to incentives or rewards and should be refused classification."

While CrimeCraft is of a much lower profile than Left 4 Dead 2, its banning nonetheless further highlights the inconsistencies plaguing our classification system.

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32 Comments

JD-Ferel

2 years ago

And once again we lose another title. What more it's funny; GTA: Chinatown Wars got away with players selling and buying drugs; which seems to be fine, but as soon as any drug use is implyed...whoops there we go. I would not be surprised if something like Bioshock 2 gets banned. Sadly we really need some reform and I have to agree with Atkinson on that also; but I still don't agree with his 'Games are for kids' viewpoint anyhow. Though now it's banned my intrest is piqued.

GooberMan

2 years ago

I was under the impression that MMOs are exempt from classification due to the changing nature of online games? o_O

defcon420

2 years ago

i'm sick of the government telling us what we can and cant play. They should get off their lazy ass and legislate a r rated classification. Its a parents job to control what their children do, not the governments!

Ken_Gooner

2 years ago

The classification system is incredibly inconsistent...

Bioshock, anyone?

Cham

2 years ago

No, MMO's are not exempt, I thought this was covered way back when people realised that WoW wasn't classified.

I have to say I was a got my hopes up a bit when I read the subtitle. I was hoping this would be a case of a game being banned not for drugs, violence or sex but for real mature adult themes (which crime certainly is, just look at the ratings for crime TV) which would give the R18+ crowd a bit more ammo in saying what they want is not all about drugs, sex and violence.
But alas, no, it's all about the drugs this time.

@defcon420 thats not what SAAG Atkinson thinks, he thinks parent are unable to parent with a ratings system, that they will buy anything their little darlings want. He's probably right. He ignores that this would mean parents are already buying their 15yo's R18 porn, because parents just ignore the ratings. At the same time, he makes the claim that movies in the cinemas are better policed, because obviously the bored uni student behind the counter would give a rats about if he let little Timmy 14yo into an MA15+ film.

Azza

2 years ago

^
Amen to that. I am getting really tired of every Tom, Dick and Harry's game getting banned because it hurts the oh-so-precious children, whom are already spouting constant profanities by the time they're 13, let alone the apparent zenith of maturity; 15.

G J FLAME

2 years ago

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhg

well thats about it for me.

G J FLAME

2 years ago

It was meant to say argh but it didnt show up so here i go again Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggghhhhhh hthere we go all better.

Well not really because of the The Classification Board sigh.

G J FLAME

2 years ago

Damn it I give up.

Black Wolf

2 years ago

This is just getting ridiculous. They approve Fallout 3 regardless of the fictional representation of drugs, yet they ban this game because of this?

Fetidchimp

2 years ago

They approve GTA's also, pretty sure there is taking and selling of real world drugs.......pretty sure i remember samuel L jacksons character in san andreas punching down bongs in it. I recall people smoking weed and snorting lines in in gta iv.
And yet Risen gets banned for them smoking some made up **** weed in it.

Hmmmmmm

Ok the developers guide to not getting your game banned in Australia.........

Taking of and selling of real world recreational drugs - OK. (GTA's)

Taking of made up prescription drugs - OK (Fallout 3)

Taking of real world prescription drugs - BAN (Fallout 3)

Taking of and selling made up recreational drugs - BAN (Risen, Crimecraft)

Dismemberment of limbs on zombies - BAN (Left 4 dead 2)

Dismemberment of limbs on human character - OK (Fallout 3, Soldier Of Fortune (unless they are already dead), Borderlands)

Decapitations - Depends what mood they are in (Dark Sector BAN, Borderlands OK, Fallout 3 OK)

Damage dealt to corpses after death - Depends what mood they are in (Dark Sector BAN, Soldier of Fortune BAN, Fallout 3 OK, Left 4 Dead OK, Left 4 Dead 2 BAN)

Graffiti - Depends what mood (Getting Up BAN, saints row 2 OK)

See that isn't hard to understand at all

Qbert

2 years ago

It does seem suss that higher profile games get through OK compared to smaller ones. Does the way a company displays a game to the OFLC determine the rating? Eg. Rockstar could have left out totally about taking drugs in cut scenes or soemthing?

I still can not get my head around that Chinatown Wars made it through. It's even on the DS!

drinniol

2 years ago

I'll just point out, Fetidchimp, that Getting Up was passed by the board but subsequently reversed when the decision was appealed, on the baseless assumption that instructions to draw graffiti with a PS2 controller equates instructions to draw graffiti with a spraycan.

Cyph

2 years ago

Bah.

Ban CrimeCraft all you like, but imagine when they start banning more mainstream titles. Anyway, I'm off to rent out a movie with ****, decapitation and other licorice assortments, I hear all that stuff is legal here on video and in books.

[rant]I wish I was single and not in love/committed/insane. I'll leave this nanny state (and depending where I went, I might even be able to purchase a house without having to sell my children to afford one, oh imagine that... we can dream). [/rant]

lapzod

2 years ago

I imagine the banning of it has something to do with the incentives. I'm thinking it's along the lines of 'Let's steal this, here take these drugs so we don't take as much damage' versus 'Oh no, I'm dying, I'll take something for it'

It's a very fine line, but there is some difference between them.

Fetidchimp

2 years ago

Haze.....lets take nectar

**** why is this page stretched

jesuslol

2 years ago

it seems to me that they are annoyed that taking these "fake" drugs produces effects similar to real drugs but without any of the "bad" side effects.

I bet that these people also think that a side effect of MDMA is death and a side effect of pot is schizophrenia so if the user doesn't suffer these things when using the fake analogue to them, its not good enooooough

Nic_231

2 years ago

Inconsistent as usual. The board really needs better guidlines.

TheAnswer

2 years ago

Yes the inconsistency of our ratings board is quite annoying, just another reason to buy titles from overseas if you don't like the censorship inconsistencies.

Fetidchimp wrote

Graffiti - Depends what mood (Getting Up BAN, saints row 2 OK)

If I remember correctly the reason they banned Getting Up was because of the fact the game featured videos from real life Grafiti artists who gave tips on how to Graf etc.

Additives

2 years ago

brb, gong to go watch Fear and Loathing followed by Clockwork Orange whilst having a couple of drinks.

Then I will jump on the internet and grab a quick description of the growing and smoking of weed, with another tab open on the synthesis of crystal meth, because i heard about some fake drugs in a game.

One paragraph is things I can do perfectly legally, and one is something that the classification board fears is happening.

Fetidchimp

2 years ago

TheAnswer wrote

Yes the inconsistency of our ratings board is quite annoying, just another reason to buy titles from overseas if you don't like the censorship inconsistencies.

Fetidchimp wrote

Graffiti - Depends what mood (Getting Up BAN, saints row 2 OK)

If I remember correctly the reason they banned Getting Up was because of the fact the game featured videos from real life Grafiti artists who gave tips on how to Graf etc.

Yep and i think a certain council actually put the motion forward as well. Caloundra maybe?
Thing is i have watched documentries about the exact same thing....

mooreshady

2 years ago

Weird ban, should ban gta iv instead, this one of the worst games ever! Ban for being stupid.

Sin Ogaris

2 years ago

Originally Marc Echo was MA. Some governor in QLD appealed the decision. The review board ruled against the game. So the Classification Board agreed to Getting Up, it was the Review Board that refused it (two different groups of people). Of the four people that reviewed it though it was a 2 to 2 tie... pity the lead member was for banning it, cause she got two votes (can't remember her name now).