Previously we have had reports about Mass Effect being banned in Singapore while Manhunt 2 being rejected by the British Board of Film Classification in the United Kingdom. Now it has emerged that post-apocalyptic action role-playing game Fallout 3 has been banned in Australia.
The Office of Film and Literature Classification has refused to classify Fallout 3 and one of the reasons is drugs. An excerpt from the OFLC report on Fallout 3 reads, “Corresponding with the list of various “chems” are small visual representation of the drugs, these include syringes, tablets, pill bottles, a crack-type pipe and blister packs. In the Board’s view these realistic visual representations of drugs and their delivery method bring the “science-fiction” drugs in line with ‘real-world’ drugs.”
Developers Bethesda Game Studios are keeping mum on the whole issue. This is not the first time that a game has garnered controversy Down Under due to drugs reference. A few months ago, Blitz: The League was refused to be classified, the reason being in-game drug issues.