The Australian Classification Board has refused to grant 1C Company’s first person shooter
NecroVisioN a MA15+ rating. Since no R18+ rating exists in Australia for video games, the title has been effectively been made illegal for sale in the country.
The game, which features a horror fantasy version of World War I, is the latest in a string of titles to be denied classification in Australia, effectively preventing them from sale there. Developed by Polish studio The Farm 51, the game has already been released in Europe and is due for release in North America next month.
The Board
explained its decision in a statement to consumer site GameSpot: "When the player shoots an enemy combatant, a large volume of blood spray results and the enemy may be dismembered or decapitated."
"Injury detail is high with pieces of flesh seen flying from bodies when shot or a high level of wound detail visible on bodies. Post mortem damage occurs when bodies are shot resulting in blood spray, dismemberment and decapitation," continued the statement.
Games such as
Silent Hill: Homecoming,
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin and
Fallout 3, which have received the maximum mature rating in other countries, have all previously fallen afoul of the Australian Classification Board. Many were later censored to achieve a MA15+ rating.
Despite repeated
calls by the Australian games industry to introduce a R18+ rating for video games, no progress has yet been made on the issue by the relevant authorities.
