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Silent Hill Homecoming refused classification in Australia by OLFC

September 25, 2008 in News comments 12

Well it seems the OLFC has struck again in Australia by giving it the big RC (refused classification) stamp. Which means the developer must either change the game, then resubmit the title for reassessment.

Read about this title and others and how the OLFC is handling the matter, or not as the case may be.

Well it seems the long awaited Silent Hill Homecoming title has received the cold shoulder from Australia's OLFC and Refused Classification.

This is yet another game to face the OLFC that has failed to pass due to their antiquated rating laws, where their highest rating for games is just MA15+, making many adult themed games, (no, not sexually based games) unable to gain classification.

Sure, some are then edited and then resubmitted, but why should they be. It's as if the world developers must bend to the whims of ONE country to make their game fit into an antiquated system that believes it is protecting their children from irreparable mental harm.
XboxOZ360 via xboxoz360gamer.com »
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Most recently commented on by on Sep 26, 2008

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  • 2
    Newcloud Sep 25, 08
    that sucks but i guess u could see this happening
  • 1
    Cruxis Mana Sep 25, 08
    GG gonna be mad...

    • 2
      Miss Razz Sep 26, 08
      I was thinking about importing it... this has confirmed it for me

      - - -

      Though this is still shotbox at it's finest. The OLFC seem to have gone ban-happy this year, and for the silliest reasons. Excessive violence? Rarely does that garner more than a 15+ rating in Australia. A movie like Saw can get a M15 rating over here, yet a game like Silent Hill: Homecoming is banned alltogether? It doesn't make sense! Either be consistent, or give us a goddamn 18+ rating. We shouldn't be made to suffer this, just because a few shitty parents might accidentally buy this game for their kids thinking it's all fun and games. (though judging by the PAL boxart they'd have to be a pretty stupid parent to even consider buying this for their underage child).

      (I can imagine how pissed off some gamers are going to be - Homecoming has quite a few pre-orders in the game stores I've been to).
  • 2
    BlackLabel Sep 25, 08
    This is going to far they need to sort out their ratings as games are only going to get more realistic, i can see that as the only reason to why they are doing this i mean last gen they only RC'd the most violent now anything with a sprinkling of blood and good graphics is RC'd by that bastard of an organisation.
  • 3
    Final Blade Sep 25, 08
    For god sakes, enough with this crap. Why the hell can't they have a universal Game rating system worldwide.
  • 1
    Immortal Kaim Sep 26, 08
    Your right, put into that context it sounds absolutely ridiculous, but now Im even more worried. As games have developed over the years we have seen vast improvements in many areas, including the graphical capabilities which is drawing us ever closer to realism. So with the archaic rating system we have here in Aus, Its looking more likely that more games will slip into the void of RC, rather than introducing a R18+ and placing these games where they belong.
  • 1
    DarkArmada Sep 26, 08
    Ahhh dammit - this is just... typical.
  • 1
    Gamesta100 Sep 26, 08
    FFS.I am sooo F-ING sick of this utter bullshit.


    At this moment I'm thinking to myself, maybe I should give up gaming.I'm sick and tired of this crap.Of course I won't actually do that, but it should be an indication to how fed up I am with this crap.

    I don't even want to play this game, it's entirely the fact that I'm sick of this happening to so many games lately.
  • 1
    Bale Fire* Sep 26, 08
    Before it was just an occasional major gory game which was probably so crap no one even cared about it. Now however good games like Dark Sector, Fallout 3 and Silent Hill Homecoming are getting Refused Classification for things I just cannot see as all that bad. They will be getting another email from me. I recommend other people here do the same.
    • 0
      Miss Razz Sep 26, 08
      On the bright side... the more major titles that get banned or censored, the more complaints that will start pouring in from both gamers and game stores. It might be enough to finally push an 18+ rating into happening.

      One man in government is against an 18+ rating, and he's the reason it hasn't happened yet. Here's hoping he'll get alot of flak in the upcoming months, if this crap continues.
  • 2
    XboxOZ360 Sep 26, 08
    Well one game that will probably have the same affect with the OLFC is, oddly enough Velvet Assassin. !!!

    WHy, well during the game you are affected by a hallucinary effect brought abut by the use of Morphine to help you deal (Ruby) deal with the pain during missions etc.

    Seeing that it is a major part of the gameplay, there would be noo way for the developer to remove it without sacrificing the whole game storyline of concept.

    We need to use the same ratings as overseas do, even if it our own stickers etc as they currently are, but we need to use the CURRENT classification, which is now available called R18+ which has been in use in Australia for some time - on movies.

    Our "Adult" rating with the OLFC is of course X18+ which deals with movies of a "sexual nature", but movies that are "adult themed" ie: heavily themed towards violence, drug use, etc (other than those that fall into the MA15+ rating) are given the R18+ rating.

    WHy in gods green earth do they NOT use the R18+ rating on "games" . .?!

    For the simple reason . . . . that they (gov) see 'games" as still a young persons (read kids) activity. The word GAME has a novelty ring to it, and thus they "think" that all games are - well - aimed at kids.

    Seeing that the average for gamers in the US is now 33yrs old (although you'd wonder about that when on XboxLIVE) and the average age for gamers in Australia is around 29yrs (Bond University study) one would think that the rating would reflect that in all countries.

    As it is, games that usually are 18+ in the US/Europe are reduced to MA15+ here, making ADULT games available to minors, which is NOT The target audience the developer had in mind when designing the game.

    So they get branded as making inappropriate games for kids, when in fact, they made them for adults, they are rated for adults in all other countries, with the exception of Australia, which then marks them as MA15+, yet says it's trying to protect the kids . . Bulldust
  • 0
    Aussie Legend Sep 26, 08
    This is a daily occurence these days...

    ...I'd trade an R rating for Jack Thompson, if anyone is interested

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