Saints Row IV Refused Classification In Australia… Again
You would think that if a country was going to add an 18+ rating for games that they’d use it, but apparently that’s not the case in Australia. Last month the country’s classification board refused to give the game Saints Row IV a rating, due in part to what seems to be the “glorification” of drug use, as well as extreme violence (aka the Anal Probe Weapon). The game was set to be reviewed by the Classification Review Board again and was… refused classification. Again.
Here is what the Board had to say about the matter:
A three-member panel of the Classification Review Board has unanimously determined that the computer game Saints Row IV is classified Refused Classification.
In the Review Board’s opinion, Saints Row IV could not be accommodated within the R 18+ classification as drug use related to incentives and rewards is not permitted.
The Classification Review Board has issued a media release with more information about the decision. You can access this release in the Media Releases section.
The reasons for decision will be published in the Classification Review Board Decisions area of this site, as soon as they are available.
I’ll say it again: what is the point of having a rating for ADULTS ONLY if the country won’t even allow those kinds of games to be rated in the first place? It seems to me that Australia adding that rating is just a sham, and with this review it sends a clear message about what the board thinks: only kids play video games. Looks like Australians are going to have to put up with neutered content after all.
