classification
Latest
Age ratings for online UK music videos are here to stay
After a six-month trial, the UK government has successfully persuaded record labels, YouTube and Vevo to display age ratings on music videos. Under the new system, labels will pass their work onto the BBFC before sending the final rating onto YouTube and Vevo. The video will then list the classification in its description and, in YouTube's case, be restricted to adult viewers if it's been given an 18. Vevo says it's looking at a similar system that would link ratings to age controls on its site, but we're still waiting on the details.
Age ratings for UK music videos start appearing on YouTube and Vevo
Last summer, the UK government said it was working with the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) to bring age ratings to music videos available online. The scheme is intended "to help parents protect their children from some of the graphic content in online music videos," by grading them in the same way movies and video games are -- based on the amount of sex/drugs/rock and roll depicted. As part of a pilot program to see how this might work, the labels Sony, Warner Music and Universal have been running any video they suspect may deserve a 12, 15 or 18 age rating by the BBFC for judgement. And today sees the first batch of ratings being adopted by pilot collaborators YouTube and Vevo.
Hotline Miami 2 refused classification in Australia [update]
Hotline Miami 2 is effectively banned from sale in Australia, following the Australian Classification Board's decision to refuse classification. According to Kotaku and Player Attack, the legislative body's report describes an implicit rape scene featuring "visual depiction of implied sexual violence" as part of the offending content. On its website, the ACB says the ruling is accordance with National Classification Code that refuses classification to games featuring "matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or abhorrent phenomena" that offend accepted standards. The site's listing doesn't note the scene specified in the report obtained by Kotaku and Player Attack. According to both publications, the report notes that it doesn't include a complete list of the content that contributed to the ACB's decision. [Update: Devolver Digital published a response to the ruling this morning, which you can read in full below the break. The publisher says it's "concerned and disappointed that a board of professionals tasked with evaluating and judging games fairly and honestly would stretch the facts to such a degree..." Devolver added it has no plans to officially challenge the decision.]
Left 4 Dead 2 now uncensored on Steam in Australia, 75% off
Australian residents age 18 or older are able to play the uncensored version of Left 4 Dead 2, after the R18+ classification for the game sprouted up earlier this month. Those with a censored copy of the game in Australia will be able to apply a free update to the game to upgrade to the bloodier original version on Steam. What's more, Left 4 Dead 2 is currently 75 percent off across all regions it is available ($4.99, £3.74, €4.99) until next Monday, September 22. Left 4 Dead 2 first launched in November 2009 as the sequel to Valve's multiplayer zombie shooter. The R18+ rating in Australia has been in the works for years, and created guidelines under the premise that certain types of graphic content are more impactful in video games than in films. The first game published under the restricted classification in the region was Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge's in January 2013. Deep Silver opted to re-work Saints Row 4 to meet Australia's MA15+ rating in August 2013. [Image: Valve]
Final Fantasy 3 rated for PC in Germany
Square Enix is bringing Final Fantasy 3 to PC, according to a German classification for the game. The USK, Germany's entertainment software regulation body, published a rating for the game earlier this month with the platform PC attached to it. The organization rated the game USK 6, approving it for children aged six and above. Square Enix previously ported other games in the series to PC, including both Final Fantasy 7 and Final Fantasy 8's appearances on Steam in July and December, respectively. Final Fantasy 3 originally launched on Famicom in 1990 and didn't arrive in North America until its 2006 3D remake on DS. Since then, Square Enix republished the game on WiiWare in 2009, iOS in March 2011, Android in June 2012, PSP in September 2012 and Windows Phone this past December. The North American classification board ESRB does not have a rating for the game's PC version. We've reached out to Square Enix to see whether the PC version of the game will come to North America. [Image: USK]
Sony-published Dare to Fly outed by Australian Classification Board
A recent ratings submission from the Australian Classification Board has revealed Dare to Fly, a previously unannounced console game that will apparently be published by Sony Computer Entertainment. The classification points to console and mobile developer GameShastra as the game's creator. Though Dare to Fly does not appear on the company's website, GameShastra has released a handful of PlayStation 2 and PSP games in the past, and cites testimonials from Sony employees, indicating an existing relationship. Interestingly, as PlayStation Lifestyle points out, Dare to Fly's unlockable trophy set has already been leaked, classifying the game as a downloadable title for the PlayStation 3. We've contacted GameShastra for clarification regarding Dare to Fly's upcoming release.
'Men's Room Mayhem' rated for Vita in Australia
A Vita game called "Men's Room Mayhem" has been rated by the Classification Board in Australia. It's the work of developer Sawfly Studios, a group of four former Sony Liverpool employees.Sawfly hasn't officially announced its game yet, but on the studio's website, art director Jon Eggelton said "We take a lot of inspiration from games like That Game Company's Journey, and Playdead's Limbo." Maybe Sawfly is working on two games? It's either that, or we're heading to a future in which something called "Men's Room Mayhem" surprises us with subtlety and beauty.We've asked publisher Ripstone just what this is, because there's no way we can read that title and not have questions. Ripstone confirmed its existence, but is still waiting to make an official announcement. "What I can say is it's a game about mens rooms and what goes on behind closed cubicle doors (but not in a dodgy way!)" the publisher told us.
Virtua Tennis 4 'World Tour Edition' rated in Australia
The Australian ratings board has posted a classification for some kind of new version of Virtua Tennis 4, called "Virtua Tennis 4 World Tour Edition." This one differs from the original in that it's got an M rating and warnings for severe, graphic violence. No, we're totally kidding. It's rated G ... for graphic violence. Kidding again. It's "General." Our best guess for the identity of this "World Tour Edition" is that it's the Vita release of Virtua Tennis 4. The PSP Virtua Tennis game bore the "World Tour" appellation as well. It certainly makes sense for a game you can take with you.
Australian gov releases R18+ guideline proposal
Australia's federal government has released a proposed draft of new guidelines to reform its video game classification system and introduce an R18+ rating. Meaning, the country's uncomfortably long struggle to introduce an adult-friendly classification for games may finally reach a conclusion. The R18+ rating would allow "virtually no restrictions on the treatment of themes," allow violence to a more liberal degree than the current MA 15+ cap and give the option for sexual activity to be "realistically simulated," according to the draft. Australia's Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor says the new rules would "bring Australia into line with comparable nations." The federal government and the attorneys-general (including those opposed to the new rating and the ones who feel the government isn't going far enough) will meet in July, when they are expected to reach a consensus to introduce the R18+ classification.
'Kinect Me,' 'Crimson Alliance' among new Microsoft games rated
A trio of game ratings appeared on the Australian Classification website today, perhaps spoiling some of the titles Microsoft will announce just around the corner at E3. New entries for "Crimson Alliance," "Fusion: Genesis" and "Kinect Me" all list Microsoft as publisher and run the gamut from Mature-rated to PG to G. Only the Crimson Alliance page notes a developer, Certain Affinity, which is corroborated by the game's Brazilian classification. Likewise a rating for Fusion: Genesis has also shown up in Brazil, where both titles are listed for Xbox Live Arcade. Kinect Me remains the most mysterious of the mystery titles and could perhaps feature some connection to the kinect.me promotional site (pictured above) that's been live since last summer. A source tells Siliconera to expect an E3 announcement of "Kinect Fun Lab," which the site surmises could be a working title for Kinect Me -- both names are at least sufficiently generic-sounding to be one and the same game. Additionally, Brazil has classified two more Xbox Live Arcade titles, Fruit Ninja Kinect and Hole in the Wall (from Ludia), supporting previous ratings of the pair of pending releases.
'Hydrophobia Prophecy' pops up in Australian game rating
Last we heard from Hydrophobia and the game's developer, Dark Energy Digital, the studio was doing its best to respond to fans' criticisms of the first, not-so-warmly received installment. The plan all along, however, has been a Hydrophobia trilogy, which likely explains why a listing for something called "Hydrophobia Prophecy" has popped up on the Australian Government's classification website. Outside of noting Dark Energy Digital as the "author" and Microsoft Game Studios as the publisher, the listing provides little other information. Though it does confirm some important basics, like acknowledging that Prophecy is a video game and not, say, a line of Hydrophobia-branded sunglasses. We've reached out to Dark Energy Digital, but we're not exactly holding our breath for confirmation.
Australian federal govt presses for consensus on R18 game rating creation
"We're becoming the laughing stock of the developed world," declared Australia's Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor to ABC News, "where we're the only country that doesn't have R18 classification level for video games." Following the Australian Classification Board's final refusal to grant Mortal Kombat a rating in an appeal decision on Monday (finding the game unsuited for MA15+, the country's most mature rating for games), O'Connor all but demanded that the states and territories reach a consensus to introduce an R18+ rating into the system when the attorneys-general meet in July. "I foreshadow that if there is not a consensus around this issue, the Commonwealth will certainly be considering other options," O'Connor vowed, "because we cannot continue to have an outdated classification system that's actually, in my view, causing harm to young people." When pressed for what the federal government's "other options" might be, O'Connor refused to clarify, saying only that he's "seeking advice" and would not "outline all of those things" at this time. "But can I say my preference," he reiterated in the full transcript obtained by Kotaku Australia, "my very strong preference, is to have consent around the table in July." "We're coming up to ten years of inaction," O'Connor observed, noting that the issue has been on the attorneys-general agenda since 2002. "I'm going into the [July] meeting with an optimistic air." To those opposed to an R18+ rating, O'Connor offers: "Just because sometimes people speed on the roads, doesn't mean we shouldn't have the right speed for each particular road." He acknowledges that laws can be broken -- that children could access R18+ games -- but argues that a revised classification system is necessary to provide better guidance to parents (who should be the ones supervising their children's media usage -- sound familiar?); and to solve Australia's current issue of adult games being shoehorned into the MA15+ category. [Thanks, Shane]
Why did Pluto lose its planet status? Because it never mattered enough
It's kind of hard to accept, Pluto has always been our favorite underdog, but the truth is that the Solar System's ninth planet was never really significant enough to earn that designation. Such is the coldly logical reason given for its removal from the planetary annals by a man who had a lot to do with its demise. Caltech astronomer Mike Brown discovered Eris, what he'd hoped was the tenth planet, back in 2005, but its extreme distance from the Sun and diminutive (by planetary standards) dimensions disqualified it from consideration. Unfortunately, its discovery is what doomed Pluto to be downgraded to a "dwarf planet," though Mike's not shedding too many tears over it. In fact, he's gone and written a book about the whole thing, the smug planet destroyer that he is. You don't have to buy it to learn more, however, as the source link has an interview with Mike all ready and waiting.
Defining Playstyles: Beyond casual vs. hardcore
In a recent Totem Talk post, I made a loot list for enhancement shamans that have access to ICC but are not progression raiders, because they are either alts or they are -- drum roll, please -- casual. That's right: I used the c-word without context. Casual. There, I said it again without context. Excuse me while I duck from the rotten vegetables being thrown in my direction. The use of that c-word in relation to an Icecrown Citadel loot list sparked a very interesting comment thread. Most comments were well thought-out, added value and furthered the discussion. Some were, to borrow Adam Savage's favorite term, vitriolic, because of my heinous misuse of the term "casual." I said it again without context. I'm just casually throwing around "casuals" here. Given the reaction that post received, I started doing some research into what exactly "casual" and "hardcore" actually mean. What I found was not surprising at all: They mean completely different things to absolutely everyone. The MMO population of players, across all games, is estimated at over 61 million people. There are as many variations on play time and playstyle as there are players in the game. Do you really think we can divide this many people simply into two groups of just casuals and hardcores? I think it's time we move beyond the polarizing definitions of casual and hardcore and come up with some definitions of our own.
Australian ratings board looks ahead to App Store crackdown
It's not a done deal by any means, but the Australian government's Classification Board is taking a hard look at games for mobile devices, which up until now have skated by the country's regulatory requirements that mandate a pass for content and age-appropriateness -- at a cost to developers of hundreds or thousands of A$. By November, we should know for sure whether or not App Store developers will have to choose between paying to have their games rated or pulling them out of the Australian market. This issue came up as long ago as October of last year, in response to the infamous BabyShaker app. Aussie devs Lloyd Kranzky and Nick Lowe have weighed in on their blogs, and raise some good points: although it's not necessarily a level playing field between the iDevices and other phones, and the console and PC games (which have been complying with the classification rules, in some cases leading to indie or casual/free games avoiding the Australian market), it's also not completely fair to lump mobile games in with the big boys when Flash games and other online content are completely free and clear of regulatory burden. Another stat of note: back in 2007/08, the board reportedly classified under 1,000 video games -- a pittance compared to the thousands of games streaming out of the App Store and Android Market. It's unclear whether the regulatory infrastructure is even prepared to deal with the new order. Here's a question for Mac, PC and console game developers: do Australian rules affect your decision-making when it comes to game releases, vs. the US industry-driven ESRB ratings system? Pipe up in the comments. Thanks to Jarrod for sending this in. [hat tip to Kotaku]
Rebellion refuses to 'water down' Aliens vs. Predator, readying demo
In a recent interview with AvPGalaxy, Rebellion Studios' Martin Kennedy and Alex Moore openly spoke their minds regarding last month's Australian ratings fiasco with Aliens vs. Predator before revealing news of an upcoming demo for the game. "People who want the game will get [it] imported, it's not going to hurt us ... if anything it's been a bit of decent publicity," Kennedy said. "We're not going to water down the game for countries that can't treat adults like adults," continued Moore. Moore even went as far as to compare Australia's ban-happy government (as of late, at least) to past situations with Germany. "Germany's always one of those places that we've known it was going to be difficult because the first one [game] got banned in Germany as well." When pressed on the subject of a demo, however, the duo were more careful in their wording. "There will be a demo ...that's all we can say," Moore confirmed. Considering the game is still on schedule for an "early 2010" release (maybe February?), we're hoping that the demo will be arriving sooner rather than later. %Gallery-63762%
Heavy Rain handed '15' rating, BBFC explains
In a rather surprising act of mature judgment, the British Board of Film Classification has assigned Quantic Dream's Heavy Rain a "15" rating. Given the so-called adult themes of the western interactive novel (a genre we're classifying right here), the expectation had been that the game would receive an "18" rating, which is even reflected on retail art mock-ups. The other European ratings board, PEGI, has yet to post its classification for the game. Speaking with IncGamers, a BBFC spokesperson explained, "These are obviously not real people, or real people acting, and it all depends on the level of blood and violence. We use the same classification for games as we do for films, and this game is suitable for a 15 audience." That's odd, we could have sworn many "real people" acted in Heavy Rain. Still, we're pleasantly surprised to see a ratings board bring equity into play by reviewing a game within the same guidelines used for movies. %Gallery-30067% [Via Eurogamer]
Australian Attorney General offers insight into Aliens vs. Predator classification refusal
We've heard from Australian Attorney General Michael Atkinson in the past on why he thinks certain games shouldn't be available to Australian consumers. And when he was asked recently by ABC why the upcoming Aliens vs. Predator was refused classification in his country (read: banned), he echoed previous sentiments on the interactivity of games having a stronger affect on people than other mediums. "I accept that 98 percent, 99 percent of gamers will tell the difference between fantasy and reality, but the 1 to 2 percent could go on to be motivated by these games to commit horrible acts of violence," Atkinson said. When the subject of AvP comes up, though, Atkinson put on his game reviewer cap and offered, "You don't need to be playing a game in which you impale, decapitate and dismember people." So, what're you thinking, Mr. Atkinson -- 5.0/10 maybe? 4.7/10? We're all ears. [Via GamesIndustry.biz]
Rebellion won't release 'sanitized' AvP in Australia
In a statement released this morning by Rebellion's Jason Kingsley, concerning the Australian Classification Board's so-called "ban" of Rebellion's Aliens vs. Predator game, the CEO expressed his studio's disappointment with the board's ruling, but added, "as we understand the law in that country the authorities had no choice as we agree strongly that our game is not suitable for game players who are not adults." The subtle swipe at the Australian ratings system, which tops out at an MA15+ classification, turned into a full-on blow as Kingsley concluded, "We will not be releasing a sanitized or cut down version for territories where adults are not considered by their governments to be able to make their own entertainment choices." Ouch! You feel that too, Germany? "It is for adults," Kingsley insisted of AvP, "and it is bloody and frightening, that was our intent." Clearly, that's why PEGI assigned an 18-rating. Check out the box art for PAL territories that will release the game -- for adults -- come February 2010 worldwide: %Gallery-79584%
Unedited Left 4 Dead 2 refused Aussie classification for second time
On this day of reckoning, Australia's Office of Film and Literature Classification has denied Valve's appeal to sell the unedited Left 4 Dead 2 down under. The three-member board determined unanimously that the game "could not be accommodated within the MA 15+ classification," which is the highest rating allowed for video games in the region.The board believes that there is "insufficient delineation between the depiction of general zombie figures and the human figures." The inability to clearly distinguish the humans from the "clearly fictional 'infected'" was a "major consideration" of the board.The unedited version of Left 4 Dead 2 is classified RC (refused classification) and "cannot be sold, hired, advertised or demonstrated in Australia." Sorry, mates. An edited version of the game has been approved by the OFLC for consumption in Australia -- censoring "decapitation, dismemberment, wound detail or piles of dead bodies lying about the environment."[Thanks, Adam]
