News Alien probes deny Saints Row 4 classification in Australia

I'd rather be murdered than raped as i'm sure a lot of rape victims would agree. And Its a fine line deciding what should and shouldn't be censored without a doubt. Generally I'm against censorship, but I just feel the anal probe thing is a step too far.

 

Societies make a choice on what shape their community will take, and in a democratic society this shape is formed through a bit of give and take. To get an R18+ classification in Australia required a bit of give on the extreme end of the sexual violence and drug use spectrum.

Furthermore, we can all argue about how stupid this is, but the wider (non-core gamers and/or anal-probe enthusiasts) Australian community will no doubt agree with this determination. That is democracy in action.
No doubt there will be calls for liberty by adults who want the freedom to anal probe NPCs to death. As an intellectual exercise I yell "Simulated Anal Probes And/Or Death!" at your cause, but in the real world social and personal liberty isn't a black or white/all or nothing spectrum. If a society is allowed to restrict gameplay that simulated violent sexual abuse of children or women, then it has both the legal and moral right to extend that ban on extreme sexual violence to "enemies and civilians".

Also, Saints Row 4 is no Tropic of Cancer and Volition is no Henry Miller.

People talk about censorship. Sometimes they refer to the inter-racial kiss on Star Trek and how that was an important step in breaking down race barriers on US TV, and official or internal censorship could have stopped that in its tracks. Do you think in 20/30/40 years we'll be referring back to the Alien Anal Probe in SR4 and how it broke down the social barriers between . . . um . . . and . . . ?

The Australian Classification Board isn't a bunch of government appointed prudes. I watched a documentary (which I can't find online now) about the process. It was very informative.
They are AVERAGE Australians who apply for a position, it is a job and not a crusade and they aren't a bunch of Mary Whitehouses. They are of all ages, social positions, and interests. They are gamers (whatever one of these actually are) and non-gamers. If you are an Australian you can apply yourself.
The member determinations of the game are then peer reviewed to ensure consistency and that it adheres to the Board guidelines. It is discussed so a consensus is formed. It is not a knee-jerk process.

 

That anal probe is MINE, I had my spaceship broken into when I was shopping at Aldi, bleedin neer' do wells

 

you mean and/or proctologists

 

Not at all the point - shall we burn Slaughterhouse 5 for being "dangerous filth"? The Catcher in the Rye?

Much as I loathe Beyonce, I'm not going to try to have her banned for either her messages of submission nor her 'empowered woman' bit (she's a touch contradictory, since her songwriters haven't agreed on a consistent message.) After all, she's no Joni Mitchell.

My being able to "violently rape someone to death" by twitching my thumbs doesn't have any more impact on the likelihood I'll go out and do it than seeing violent rape in A Serbian Film.

Likewise, as has been the case since I started playing video games in the early 80s, Narc didn't make me go shoot drug dealers, Mario didn't make me kill turtles, MSX didn't make me take up street racing, TF2 didn't make me shoot people, etc, etc.

This is comic violence - I'm as horrified as anyone by sexual violence. I'm married to a victim of it. Given the style and sensibilities of SR, I guarantee she'd find it more entertaining than anything.

And come on - I can't comically launch someone into the air via some sort of alien *****, yet I can mow down people on the sidewalk in my car for blocks at a time, and then stalk the city on foot, only killing people by shooting them directly in the face (a realistic face with a realistic gun, resulting in realistic blood spatter while they realistically hit the ground like a sack of meat)? And when the cops come, I'll take one as a human shield, switching tactics to holding off the cops by shooting them in the groin to slow them, then shooting them in the face when they straighten back up. That's totally fine?

 

@Adnoctum, i understand what your saying, and im not against the decisions of the Australian Classification Board. But i do question if a classification board is best suited to be making the choice on what any individual adult is allowed view, especially as they are not democratically elected AFAIK.

I would hazard a guess most reasonable adults would be able to tell the difference of violence, drug use, etc. depicted in a game from real life. The hint is in the name "Classification Board" meaning they are supposed to be classifying something not banning it.

The question is should the current laws meant to restrict the selling of 18+ games to people under age be enforce better, or should the politicians be introducing new laws ?