14 DAY TRIAL // Every time a new games comes out, the question that becomes number one on everybody's mind is whether or not it will be approved in Australia. The country has a very faulty rating system, where the maximum rating a title can receive is an MA15+, after which it is refused classification and, as a consequence, it's illegal for retailers to peddle it. The country does have an R18+ and also an X18+ rating for the movie industry, but games aren't so lucky, mainly due to the efforts of South Australian Attorney General Michael Atkinson, who rejected the MA18+ classification for video games.
A lot of titles faced considerable resistance from the Australian Rating Board, and, while some managed to get by with compromises, like cutting down on the violence or on any mature themes, most of them ended up being banned altogether. One such game is Rebellion's upcoming Aliens vs Predator that has been “refused classification” and, in its current state, won't be available for distribution in the country.
The game does indeed announce itself as a very graphic and gory one, but if the controversial Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 managed to get by, one must wonder why AvP is so much worse.
Sega Australia, the one responsible for publishing the game in “Kangaroo Land,” is the one that revealed the Board's decision, but also that it planned to find a way for the game to become available for local distribution. Vispi Bhopti from Sega Australia said that, “SEGA Australia can today confirm that the initial submission of Aliens vs Predator has been Refused Classification by the Classification Operations Board of Australia. We will continue to investigate all options available to us, including the possibility of appeal.”
Cutting back on the gore is an improbable solution, considering the very nature of Aliens vs Predator, where the most shredded and dismembered race is going to be, without a doubt, the red-blooded human one.