SEGA wins AVP appeal in Australia

By Tom Bramwell Published 18 December, 2009

Game to be released after all.

SEGA has won its appeal against Aliens vs. Predator's refusal of classification in Australia, meaning the game can be released over there as an MA15+ title.

"We are particularly proud that the game will be released in its original entirety, with no content altered or removed whatsoever. This is a big win for Australian gamers," SEGA told Kotaku.

"We applaud the Classification Review Board on making a decision that clearly considers the context of the game, and is in line with the modern expectations of reasonable Australians."

While films can be labelled R18+ or even X18+ in Australia, games are currently ineligible for adult classification. In the past this has resulted in games like Left 4 Dead 2 being savagely cut to their detriment.

AVP developer Rebellion had previously said it had no plans to make cuts.

However, with AVP having been rated 18 in the UK, the question now becomes whether MA15+ is an appropriate rating for the game anyway - particularly given Rebellion's previous assertion that, "It is for adults, and it is bloody and frightening, that was our intent."

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (23) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Darren #1 2 years ago

    Why is it that games cannot be rated for adults in Australia? Seems a bit of a strange oversight when the media constantly derides publishers for letting underaged children play violent games yet here we have an 18-rated game being released in Australia uncut yet it gets a 15-rating. Kind of strange really. :?

  • lambtron #2 2 years ago

    Australia - sort out your age-rating laws FFS!

  • BabyJesus #3 2 years ago

    Short answer is because one attorney general is against having an adult rating for games and they all have to agree to have it in law apparently.

    @Darren
    Edited by 1 at 18/12/09 @ 08:32

  • jellyhead #4 2 years ago

    BabyJesus speaks the truth and the problem is that the one man holding up the vote for the whole of Austrailia keeps twisting the argument to say that people want children to have access to violent media and that you don't care about the kiddies. He's a despicable man. Won't somebody think of the children!?

    Good to see the rest of Australia tackling the issue sensibly though.

  • Ninja_Tino #5 2 years ago

    Look how shit it is though. If a company just pleads and pleads like an infant, then they obey!

  • Kremlik Verified Co-Founder, Crash To Desktop #6 2 years ago

    Root of all evil ppl - it's just a huge shame that ppl have to find a scapegoat for the 'evils' of the world even tho half the time it's damn simple (ie parents NOT buying their kids adult rated games), games are just the lastest scapegoat as were TV and adult rated movies no less then 10 years ago.

  • gav_and_the_gavster #7 2 years ago

    Bart Vs Australia was a good documentary..."Oi, Prime Ministaahhhh!....Annndyyyy!"

  • DevilsNeverCry #8 2 years ago

    My god, so let me get this right...

    - Australia rating body bans AVP - too violent for classification (quite true) and terrifying etc. so it doesn't make the 15+ rating - a fair rating imo.
    - Rebellion not changing game - uproar from Australian gamers and public at lack of choice given to them by government as they will miss out on a potentially AAA title.
    - SEGA seeks a review of classification decision
    - Australia governors decide it's time to put out a survey so that they can POSSIBLY introduce an adult rating for games - something they've tried to avoid because of all of the 'sickos' that may come out of it
    - Australian ratings board decides that AVP, the same visceral and gory game that it was before, is now fine to go into the 15+ classification...yet in every other country it will receive an 18+ or mature rating...and they think that by NOT having an adult rating for games that some crazy psychos WONT come about?

    Thank god for Australians

  • davisorle #9 2 years ago

    Really the Australian law is as fucked as it gets. So it was either the adluts missing on the intentional authentic content or kids getting easier their hands on it?

    Still not adjusting the fucking law when they keep saying that they do it for the kids and such, yet they hand it over to 15year olds now ? Stupid.

  • spammage #10 2 years ago

    Meanwhile the world looks down at Australia's nanny government, while other countries governments leave it up to the adults to decide what games they play.

  • TonyCocaCola #11 2 years ago

    Seems a bit of a jump going from banned to 15+

  • Murton #12 2 years ago

    And Australia fail again. By passing AvP as a 15+ not only do they give it the lowest classification rating in the world despite the fact that the concept is the same but they open up the gate for publishers to use it as precedent to sell their mature rated games there too. If a game that is seen as less graphic than AvP gets refused then the appeal will just quote this case and will undoubtedly win every time, it's a good day for Sega certainly (unless we see another U-Turn before release) but a bad day for Australia as their games classification system has been totally undermined.

    Fortunately for Australia there is an easy fix for the now broken classification system and that's to rush through an addition of the 18+ rating as quickly as possible.

  • SomaticSense #13 2 years ago

    So erm, this whole age ratings fuck up is basically because Australia is fighting against kids getting hold of unsuitable games, yet because of their stupid law it means a bone-fide 18 game will be released as a 15+. Makes a fuckton of sense that...

    I might be being an idiot, but wouldn't it make more sense to, i dunno, introduce a law prosecuting or heavily those who sell to minors, you know, like the alcohol law that already exists?

    Fucking hell...

  • mintycabbage #14 2 years ago

    A game where you can remove someone's head and spine is a 15+ and this happened because the government is trying to bypass laws that it has put in place and can remove. Something doesn't quite add up.
    Edited by 1 at 18/12/09 @ 13:45

  • DevilsNeverCry #15 2 years ago

    I wonder how Valve will respond? was L4D2 really THAT gory that it couldn't pass under these same allowances?

  • callum9999 #16 2 years ago

    People keep referring to "the government" stopping this. As "Babyjesus" pointed out, it is 1 single person that has stopped an 18+ rating coming into being. They have to reach a unanimous yes vote before an 18+ rating is approved, but one person says no - ironically to stop children getting the games!

  • Ninja_Tino #17 2 years ago

    I basically said what everyone else is saying and get negative galore. Cunts.

  • ardamillo #18 2 years ago

    Another nail in the coffin of this stupid situation (I hope)

  • MrSixer #19 2 years ago

    I'd like info on why the OFLC changed its mind. It's nothing if not consistently inconsistent when handling our rights.

    "How am I feeling today? Hmmm...."

  • hiddenranbir #20 2 years ago

    And they're racist!

  • canIdoyabombsforya #21 2 years ago

    And they murder backpackers!!

  • Vordred #22 2 years ago

    thats the stupid thing with them not having a 18+ classification for games, either they lose out on a game, or they put out games like Gear of War 2 as a 15, thus giving a adult game to kids anyway.

  • helenth01 #23 1 year ago

    The initiative taken for the concern is very serious and need an attention of every one. This is the concern which exists in the society and needs to be eliminated from the society as soon as possible.
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