Aussie Gamers Angered Over ‘Mortal Kombat’ Banning
Australian gamers are, understandably, enraged at the news that the upcoming release of the new Mortal Kombat game has been refused classification. Essentially, what this means is that the game is effectively banned, though the manner in which it has is due to legalese and bureaucratic red tape.
Australia, like most nations, has a ratings system for games – however the highest rating is the MA15+ one. There is no “Adults Only” R-rating classification for gaming in the land down under, despite the fact that there is one in place for film and television. Because Mortal Kombat was deemed too violent for the MA15+ rating, it was refused classification.
So while the Australian Government is mincing words, Aussie gamers aren’t putting up with the bullshit. Aside from the fact that Aussies have to pay ridiculous amounts of cash for games compared to other nations, their ratings system has needed an overhaul for many years. Some gamers and Mortal Kombat fans have taken to YouTube to “rally the troops”:
I am against censorship no matter the media format, and this banning is not only a heavy-handed measurement of censorship, but is essentially UnAustralian. Unfortunately, this is not the first time the Australian government has made heavy bannings against media. During my youth, I remember the long ban that was placed upon the classic original version of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, not to mention the banning of Peter Jackson’s Bad Taste.
Movies and games haven’t been the only victims. Books have suffered the heavy hand of the Australian government, among the victims: American Psycho and even Ulysses by James Joyce once faced a banning. It’s a ridiculous situation that has been an ongoing problem in Australia, and in my estimation, the government needs to step up to be a western nation embracing freedom by doing what Chopper encourages: “Harden the Fuck Up, Australia!!”
The Australian Classification Board‘s findings and decisions for Mortal Kombat have been posted by Kotaku. The game’s distributor, Warner Brothers, have released this statement in response:
“The highly anticipated video game Mortal Kombat, published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (WBIE) in Australia, has been refused classification by the Australian Classification Board and will not release in Australia. We are extremely disappointed that Mortal Kombat, one of the world’s oldest and most successful video games franchises, will not be available to mature Australian gamers.
“WBIE would not market mature content where it is not appropriate for the audience. We understand that not all content is for every audience, but there is an audience for mature gaming content and it would make more sense to have the R18+ classification in Australia. As a member of the iGEA, WBIE is reviewing all options available at this time.”
It is hoped that later in the year, during a meeting of the State Attorneys-General, that the ratings system for games will be reviewed and that finally an adults-only level classification will be introduced.
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