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[HowZatOZ]

So it seems even though we have an R18+ rating in Australia the classification board still deems Hotline Miami 2 not worthy of said rating. Straight from VG247 here is their excuse:

“The computer game is classified RC in accordance with the National Classification Code, Computer Games Table, 1. (a) as computer games that ‘depict, express or otherwise deal with matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or abhorrent phenomena in such a way that they offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults to the extent that they should not be classified.’”

Sometimes I truly think our country hates letting citizens think.

Edit: Here is the reason.

Here's the reason for the ban, taken from the classification report.

In the sequence of game play footage titled Midnight Animal, the protagonist character bursts into what appears to be a movie set and explicitly kills 4 people, who collapse to the floor in a pool of copious blood, often accompanied by blood splatter. After stomping on the head of a fifth male character, he strikes a female character wearing red underwear. She is knocked to the floor and is viewed lying face down in a pool of copious blood. The male character is viewed with his pants halfway down, partially exposing his buttocks. He is viewed pinning the female down by the arms and lying on top of her thrusting, implicitly raping her (either rear entry or anally) while her legs are viewed kicking as she struggles beneath him. This visual depiction of implied sexual violence is emphasised by it being mid-screen, with a red backdrop pulsating and the remainder of the screen being surrounded by black.

- Kotaku AU

 

[The Flash]

Surprise, surprise

 

[alr1ght]

As someone not affected by the ban, that sounds great. With digital distribution, it can't be very difficult to get a hold of a copy.

 

[Tenebrous]

Thankfully the first game is DRM free on GOG, so cross your fingers the sequel is, and get a friend to snag you a copy.

'tis total bullshit, though.

 

[furious]

I couldn't feel any safer right now.

 

[PixyJunket]

Thankfully the first game is DRM free on GOG, so cross your fingers the sequel is, and get a friend to snag you a copy.

'tis total bullshit, though.

The rating will only affect the console versions.

PC distribution services do not require it.

 

[Kaybe]

All that talk about the R18 rating and this still happens. Embarrassing.

As someone not affected by the ban, that sounds great. With digital distribution, it can't be very difficult to get a hold of a copy.

Yeah, you just load the PS Store on your Vita and then... uh...

 

[Drac84]

FFS, this stupid country....

I play this game on Vita, what are the odds of it getting a physical release that I can import? less than 1%?

 

[Intheflorsh]

I thought Australia finally moved beyond this.

At least it won't be that hard to get a digital copy.

 

[MrBS]

I don't like it but I'm not against it. The code dealing with sex and drugs in games will have to change to stop this particular content from being RC'ed. The system is working as intended.

 

[TheVampire]

Damn

 

[@MUWANdo]

FFS, this stupid country....

I play this game on Vita, what are the odds of it getting a physical release that I can import? less than 1%?

Aren't Vita games exempt from the Aussie classification due to some loophole that classes the Vita as a mobile communication device and not a gaming machine?

 

[oggob]

Aren't Vita games exempt from the Aussie classification due to some loophole that classes the Vita as a mobile communication device and not a gaming machine?

I've heard this also, but considering that it is console also, all versions will be lumped together.

 

[jtm33]

Aren't Vita games exempt from the Aussie classification due to some loophole that classes the Vita as a mobile communication device and not a gaming machine?

It is not relevant as Sony will not sell an RC game on the PS Store.

I have a US account on my Vita though so whatever.

 

[shink]

Dammit. Can't get around it for Vita unless somewhere else in the world releases a physical copy.

 

[Tsunamo]

I am getting so sick of this happening time and time again.
Was looking forward to playing this on Vita too, ah well. At least it shouldn't be too hard to get with DD if you really want it (on other platforms) as alr1ght said.

 

[boredandlazy]

 

[BY2K]

Don't they have a 18+ Rating now? What the hell?

 

[drotahorror]

I just can't comprehend what could be so terrible in a 2D top down game. Yes I've heard about some of the content that got publicized a bit last year.

 

[jtm33]

I just can't comprehend what could be so terrible in a 2D top down game. Yes I've heard about some of the content that got publicized a bit last year.

If it has anything like taking drugs as power-ups that is reason enough to get it banned.

 

[TEH-CJ]

Yet they allow GTAV?

Logic....

 

[Dingotech]

Am I recalling correctly that there is a

Spoiler

movie rape scene

in the game?

If so I'm assuming this is what has caused the ban rather than the actual violence? Especially given the first game was classified.

Oh well, another reason to continue to run US accounts.

 

[BocoDragon]

Yet they allow GTAV?

Logic....

Well, about that....

http://www.carthrottle.com/post/gta...etailers-because-of-sexual-violence-petition/

 

[Kritz]

More dickwaving by the dinosaurs in control of the classifications, which will have ultimately minor effects on the people, who still have access to the game.

Am I recalling correctly that their is a

Spoiler

movie rape scene

in the game?

Australia has a habit of RCing any media which has sexual content, and also violence, within the same scene. Which is a decision that was presumably made in good faith, but one with no granularity (outside of the arbitrary slipups the board makes).

 

[Coffee Dog]

Holy shit, that quote is awesome. Like, back of the box good.

 

[TEH-CJ]

Well, about that....

http://www.carthrottle.com/post/gta...etailers-because-of-sexual-violence-petition/

This makes me fucking sick man. So it would be ok to murder males but not females...

 

[BocoDragon]

This makes me fucking sick. So it would be ok to murder males?

The special interest group that went viral with their petition to have the game pulled just happened to be interested in the topic of violence against sex workers.

It could have been anyone. It reminds me of how a Haitian interest group got a "kill all the Haitians" message pulled from Vice City a decade ago.

Because killing sex workers or killing Haitians are the main and only controversial topics in GTA? Smh

 

[Renpatsu]

Eugh. Not again.

 

[chaobreaker]

I thought PC games aren't beholden to following local game rating laws? I mean whose gonna stop Valve from selling it in Austrailan steam?

 

[Shaneus]

What a fucking surprise. Sure glad we got that R18+ classification all done and out of the way.

 

[Conor_Fool]

Wow, I would be fucking furious if I lived in Australia.

 

[toastyToast]

I was gonna play it on PC anyway. Won't make a difference to how easy it is to purchase.

This thing is coming out soon, right?

 

[ZeroX03]

Wonder if this will affect New Zealand. They would have had to pay for classification for the first one so they'll probably do it for the second.

 

[dan2026]

So the 18+ rating was pointless then?

 

[fluffydelusions]

I was gonna play it on PC anyway. Won't make a difference to how easy it is to purchase.

This thing is coming out soon, right?

Just says q1
http://store.steampowered.com/app/274170/

 

[Subpar Scrub]

It's good to see that every petition I signed was pointless.

But seriously, individuals over the age of 18 are adults. Stop telling us what media we can handle and what we can't, I was looking forward to eventually getting this on my vita, but eh.

Can anyone give me a heads up on what caused this to not even pass the R18+ restrictions?

 

[el_Nikolinho]

Hope the vinyl record stuff comes with a drm free code.

Sick R18+ rating, god damn it

 

[RoboPlato]

This is one of the few games where this news actually makes me more excited for the game.

 

[fluffydelusions]

It's good to see that every petition I signed was pointless.

But seriously, individuals over the age of 18 are adults. Stop telling us what media we can handle and what we can't, I was looking forward to eventually getting this on my vita, but eh.

Can anyone give me a heads up on what caused this to not even pass the R18+ restrictions?

This?
http://www.kotaku.com.au/2015/01/ho...sification-because-of-an-implicit-rape-scene/

 

[banagher]

Here's the reason for the ban, taken from the classification report. - Kotaku AU

In the sequence of game play footage titled Midnight Animal, the protagonist character bursts into what appears to be a movie set and explicitly kills 4 people, who collapse to the floor in a pool of copious blood, often accompanied by blood splatter. After stomping on the head of a fifth male character, he strikes a female character wearing red underwear. She is knocked to the floor and is viewed lying face down in a pool of copious blood. The male character is viewed with his pants halfway down, partially exposing his buttocks. He is viewed pinning the female down by the arms and lying on top of her thrusting, implicitly raping her (either rear entry or anally) while her legs are viewed kicking as she struggles beneath him. This visual depiction of implied sexual violence is emphasised by it being mid-screen, with a red backdrop pulsating and the remainder of the screen being surrounded by black.

 

[Dryk]

Can anyone give me a heads up on what caused this to not even pass the R18+ restrictions?

Sexual violence, the ratings board has a zero tolerance for it in games and a super low tolerance for it in other media. There's apparently a part of HM2 that involves killing a bunch of people and raping the survivor in the pool of blood. Honestly knowing Hotline Miami it's probably not overly problematic in the context of the series' message, but the ACB doesn't do context.

In the sequence of game play footage titled Midnight Animal, the protagonist character bursts into what appears to be a movie set and explicitly kills 4 people, who collapse to the floor in a pool of copious blood, often accompanied by blood splatter. After stomping on the head of a fifth male character, he strikes a female character wearing red underwear. She is knocked to the floor and is viewed lying face down in a pool of copious blood. The male character is viewed with his pants halfway down, partially exposing his buttocks. He is viewed pinning the female down by the arms and lying on top of her thrusting, implicitly raping her (either rear entry or anally) while her legs are viewed kicking as she struggles beneath him. This visual depiction of implied sexual violence is emphasised by it being mid-screen, with a red backdrop pulsating and the remainder of the screen being surrounded by black.

I thought PC games aren't beholden to following local game rating laws? I mean whose gonna stop Valve from selling it in Austrailan steam?

Apparently nobody, since Marc Ecko's Getting Up released on Steam here and that was banned. It's still there too.

 

[Coffee Dog]

Midnight Animal? That's same chapter that they previously caused controversy with, the fake movie based on the events of the original game. It sounds like it still has a rape scene.

 

[Bubbavelli]

So this means that the game is going to be fucking awesome right?

 

[Yagharek]

So it seems even though we have an R18+ rating in Australia the classification board still deems Hotline Miami 2 not worthy of said rating. Straight from VG247 here is their excuse:Sometimes I truly think our country hates letting citizens think.

I have no doubt this is the case.

Australian Censorship Board needs to go.

 

[Abylim]

Aren't Vita games exempt from the Aussie classification due to some loophole that classes the Vita as a mobile communication device and not a gaming machine?

Incorrect. Valhalla Knights 3, for instance. Was RC'ed and not released in Australia.

 

[RoboPlato]

Here's the reason for the ban, taken from the classification report. - Kotaku AU

It doesn't mention that this scene is from the filming of a movie? Seems like that's an extremely important bit. I know I personally would have a serious issue with this if it was a typical sequence but in context it makes it much easier to deal with.

 

[Deadbeat]

I thought they took out the rape thing because they caved. I wonder how many whine induced articles journalists are going to pump out due to the rape scene alone in hm2.

 

[The_Dude]

Meanwhile, Salo is about to get released uncut on blu ray.

 

[soxinthebox]

Thanks Papa Abbott

 

[SolidSnakex]

I thought they took out the rape thing because they caved. I wonder how many whine induced articles journalists are going to pump out due to the rape scene alone in hm2.

No, they removed it from that demos that they were showing. They said that they'd discuss whether or not it'd be in the final game, but it's obvious they decided to keep it.