Risen refused classification in Aus

Stefan9

Stefan9

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Simply hilarious. Game got a 12 rating in germany, pegi gave it 16+ and the US mature but Aus banned. This is one of the major reason I don't consider aus is an option for myself.

Risen banned down under

* By James Kozanecki, GameSpot AU
* Posted Aug 11, 2009 4:14 pm AEST

Drug and sex incentive gameplay causes Australian ban of fantasy RPG.

Australia's videogame classification system has claimed its third victim for 2009 with Piranha Bytes developed role playing game, Risen, turned back at the border. The game joins the banned club alongside titles Sexy Poker and Necrovision, both of which were later passed fit for sale after resubmission with changes to their respective offending content. The Classification Board’s refusal to grant the game green light status at the maximum MA15+ rating due to its inappropriate sexual material and drug use now makes Risen illegal to, sell, rent, or promote down under.

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GameSpot AU was able to obtain the Classification Board’s full decision report for the game and the document outlines specifics of its failure to adhere to the maximum available rating. In several instances the Board found that the game used sexual activity and drug use in conjunction with in-game incentives. “The game contains ‘quests’ which a player may choose to complete by acquiring the sexual service of prostitutes. Though it is purportedly not a necessary element of the gameplay, players gain rewards or advance through the game more easily by engaging in sexual activity with prostitutes.“ The ruling specifically highlights a scenario in which the game’s protagonist is able to bribe or distract a guard by visiting a brothel and paying the mistress for the use of a girl.

The Board also found that use of an in-game drug called “Brugleweed”, which is “commonly referred to in text and dialogue as ‘weed’ or a ‘weed reefer’ and rewarded players who used it with experience points, failed to meet acceptable classification guidelines. In Risen a player can both trade and smoke this drug, which mirrors an illegal ‘real-world’ drug in its terminology, use and depiction”.

Madman Interactive, the game’s Australian distributor, confirmed the ban to GameSpot AU but a spokesperson declined to outline specifics of the company’s future plans for the title. "we're working with the publisher to come to a resolution, but before that we're looking at the options available to us, whether we take it to review, or to amend and resubmit," he said.

Risen is set in a fantasy island named Faranga, where your character has been stranded after a shipwreck. The island has been experiencing strange occurrences which have seen the sudden appearance of dangerous creatures threatening the island's equilibrium. The game currently has no planned Australian release date, though it’s due to launch on the PC and Xbox 360 platforms in October this year.

For more on Australia's classification regime, check out our Censory Overload feature.
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http://au.gamespot.com/news/6215052.html?part=rss&tag=gs_news&subj=6215052
 
Risen looks like a pretty sweet game.
But isn't because Australia doesn't have a rating beyong 15+ ?
I think that's a big issue too.
How germany classified it so low is a laugh, the more strict than the Oz ppl usually
 
Gradius said:
Risen looks like a pretty sweet game.
But isn't because Australia doesn't have a rating beyong 15+ ?
I think that's a big issue too.
How germany classified it so low is a laugh, the more strict than the Oz ppl usually
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Germany have an issue with violence not with sex.
 
And Risen isn't violent because it takes place in a fantasy world? I suppose that makes sense about the sex thing, because demon boobies obviously don't count as nudity :p
 
Gradius said:
And Risen isn't violent because it takes place in a fantasy world? I suppose that makes sense about the sex thing, because demon boobies obviously don't count as nudity :p
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No but they obviously didn't consider the violence bad that's why they give it a 12+ compared to me,witcher and dao who got a 16+.
 
South Africa has lots of crime, there's corruption everywhere, jobs are scarce and so forth.

Australia tends to ban good games.

I can't decide where I want to live.
 
Solitude said:
South Africa has lots of crime, there's corruption everywhere, jobs are scarce and so forth.

Australia tends to ban good games.

I can't decide where I want to live.
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I would never live in Australia. As much as I abhor the majority of Americans, I'd sooner live in the US.

You'll find good things and bad things about any country. But I'd never live in a country that enforces any form of censorship. Although, a nice country to call home that doesn't enforce some form of censorship is becoming more difficult to find.

There's just something messed up about a country that censors media (be it games, literature, film, news, etc). I think that's a very paranoid country that thinks very little of its people.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to Risen. Gothic 2 is my all-time favourite game. I believe the Gothic series died the moment Piranha Bytes lost the development rights... :(
 
Gradius said:
Gothic 2? I preferred no3 though :)
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No way!

Gothic 3 was way too easy, commercialised, perhaps worst of all "Americanised."

In G2, there was just that joy of starting as almost less than nothing. Working a bit in the fields (or stealing :p) to get into Khorinis. The first person you meet is this cocky Paladin who views you as scum. The guards up at the upper quarter tell you that there isn't a chance in hell they'd let you through. Then you find out about the Fire Magicians, you go to their Monastery where they tell you that you need to give them 1,000 gold and a sheep. Finding that damn sheep took me ages xP

Then when you're finally allowed in, you start off as a novice and work your way up. Then you do your test where you had to steal the hammer of Innos to destroy the golem, and to do that you had to cast sleep on the guy who never slept :p Then once you're eventually a Fire Magician, you know you deserved it after all the crap you went through to become one. And the pleasure in walking back to Khorinis and wiping the smugness off of those guards' faces when you say, "You dare question the authority of a Magician of Fire?" and they cower, it's just sublime!

Gothic 2 held so many wonderful moments for me. It was difficult and everything you did felt like an achievement. I remember going to the mines where you had to get in the orc besieged castle. Running past those orcs trying to find the damn way in the first time, dodging their massive axes... it was fantastic xD

G2 is simply a game I fell deeply in love with. It felt challenging and interesting. The way the world's perception of you changed based on the way you developed your character... It just had so much character and charm. Something that was completely wiped from number three.

I loved G1 as well, but it was nowhere near as polished as G2. And to me, the Gothic series is gone. I kind of see it "living on" in Risen, though. At least I hope so :)
 
I loved G2 as well, best of the gothic games.

On Aus or the US, I would chose any of the western european countries above those 2. US also has their issues with censorship take the witcher as an example.

For those who are looking forward to Risen here are the system requirements:

2.5 gig is small compared to DAO's 20 gigs.

Risen: System requirements officially revealed

The official system requirements of the forthcoming RPG Risen have been revealed. On October 2, 2009 the game will be released on PC and Xbox 360.
Click the image to open in full size.
Click the image to open in full size.
Risen: System requirements officially revealed (15) [Source: view picture gallery]


Publisher Koch Media and developer Piranha Bytes have released the official system requirements for Risen. The forthcoming RPG from the creators of Gothic is scheduled for release on October 2, 2009. Besides several mood videos there also are a lot of impressive screenshots of the role-playing game which has last been reported to be in Beta status.

PC Games hardware already reported about the role-playing game. So if you want to know more about risen take a look at our articles Risen: Developers seem to rely on copy protection TAGES and Risen: New screenshots of the role-playing game from the creators of Gothic - Video Update.

Risen System Requirements:
Required Hardware Specifications:
• OS: Win XP
• CPU: 2.0 GHz
• GPU: Direct X 9.1; Pixel Shader 3.0; 256 MB (GeForce 7900 - ATI 1800)
• RAM: 1 GB
• Hard disk: ~2.5 GB

Recommended System Specifications:
• OS Win XP or Vista
• CPU: 3.0 GHz Dual Core
• GPU: Direct X 9.1; Pixel Shader 3.0; 512 MB (GeForce 8800 - ATI Radeon HD 2900)
• RAM: 2 GB
• Hard disk: ~2.5 GB
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Risen is looking to be pretty damn good game by the looks of it :)
SA is not terrible, could be worse. Could be stay in Oz with "big brother" looking over @ us
 
I dont understand why Aus would ban a game like this... I mean its a Middle Aged game with similarities to Crysis and Far cry i mean its just based in a different time.... i mean yeh the violence may be a little excessive but hell thats what alot of games are about today...

We're not living in the past anymore where violent games werent really taken into consideration however... You should be giving the public what they want and this game IMO looks damn awesome with a little bit of xtra on the side u know... Maybe the gaming company should give these Aussies a little bit of a wake up call and show them that this game is just like any other :rolleyes:
 
sycogrim said:
I dont understand why Aus would ban a game like this... I mean its a Middle Aged game with similarities to Crysis and Far cry i mean its just based in a different time.... i mean yeh the violence may be a little excessive but hell thats what alot of games are about today...

We're not living in the past anymore where violent games werent really taken into consideration however... You should be giving the public what they want and this game IMO looks damn awesome with a little bit of xtra on the side u know... Maybe the gaming company should give these Aussies a little bit of a wake up call and show them that this game is just like any other :rolleyes:
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They banned it because they feel that some of the quests promotes drug taking and prostitution. Pretty silly seeing as the same organisation don't ban films which does the same thing.
 
Stefan9 said:
They banned it because they feel that some of the quests promotes drug taking and prostitution. Pretty silly seeing as the same organisation don't ban films which does the same thing.
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yeh well they stoopid i guess considering GTA has been like that Godfather 2 and I guess the list continues :rolleyes: :p
 
Speaking of Gothic.

I bought on a whim a copy of Gothic 1 and was somewhat pensive. I really thought I was going to regret that decision since I had gotten into a habit of reading reviews before I bought anything. The game started off weird due to the control scheme, but once I got past that I never looked back! :p

So many friends of mine got into the series due to my gamble on Gothic 1 and my subsequent suggestion of the title. Then Gothic 2 came out and I felt it was far better than 1. Sadly then, Gothic 3... I don't know, the game never worked for me, and got about half way in and got so sick of it...

There is something I am confused about:
Risen, and Arcania: A Gothic Tale.

Are they the same or different games? Either way both are looking good. I really love these kinds of RPG's. Something about walking around in a huge world with a day/night cycle, being able to interact with so many things. It just gels with me. :D
 
Jowood took the right of the gothic series away from piranha bytes. They had a falling out so now piranha is working on risen and another company on a gothic tale.
 
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