Sony Computer Entertainment has always had to toe the line when it comes to Australia’s Classification Operations Board and their violent and visceral God of War series. Speaking at Game Connect: Asia Pacific, God of War creator David Jaffe commented about dealing with ratings boards and the attitude often surrounding their decisions.
"There's a government board and if they say it's too offensive, in that case there's no fight to fight — it is what it is," said Jaffe to IGN. "There's not much you can do if you're making games aimed at a mature audience. We never like to cut it, but what are you going to do? You're dealing with governments.”
"There's absolutely an inconsistency in the consciousness about video games,” he added. “The reality is people still see a lot of these things as kids' toys. It's utter BS."
Australia’s Office of Film and Literature Classification recently denied classification to Aliens vs. Predator and South Australian Attorney-General Michael Atkinson vowed to appeal the rating of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
2 Comments
December 8, 2009
Here's the problem, which I've commented on many times. I guess its time that I wrote a book about it. Politicians being of small brain, and one that is easily stuffed with greed and psychopathology, use the gaming industry to pander to their electorate. The gaming industry is a whipping boy that is easily whipped, for electoral profit, and political job security. A game that is whipped is a vote that is gained. Its very simple really, much like the mentality of the politician that perpetrates such fraudulant social policy. Bad psychology apparently makes good politics!
December 8, 2009
It will be interesting when Rockstar finally releases 'LA Noire' which will obviously be an 'M' rated title in the USA. Will the overly-conservative Australian Board refuse to allow an Australian game developer to release a game in their own home country?
Besides, this is the country that brought us Mad Max . . . and they complain about violence? Really?
Look, if you want to give the games a rating that does not allow them to be sold to people under 18, fine. But to totally censor games made for an adult audience is ridiculous.