List of banned video games in Australia

Below is a list and summary of video games that have been Refused Classification (banned) within Australia.

Overview

Originally, video games in Australia could only be rated up to MA15+. At the time, the R18+ classification rating could be given to film, but a video game with content deemed fitting for the R18+ rating would be 'Refused Classification' due to an appropriate classification not being available for the medium.

In July and August 2011, all Australian state Attorneys-General agreed to instate an R18+ rating for video games, which would be available by the end of 2011.^[1] Many games previously refused classification would now fit into the R18+ rating and, if the publisher chose to pay the reclassification fee, would theoretically be able to sell their game in Australia. The date was later changed to allow the rating to be introduced at the beginning of 2013.^[2]

With the R18+ rating in place, it is expected fewer video games will be Refused Classification. Games may still be Refused Classification if deemed to contain material unsuitable for R18+ classification, such as depictions of sexual violence or the promotion of illegal drug use, as well as drug use that is related to incentives and rewards. More specifically, games which may be Refused Classification include:

• Detailed instruction or promotion in matters of crime or violence.
• Depiction of rape.
• The promotion or provision of instruction in pedophile activity.
• Descriptions or depictions of child sexual abuse or any other exploitative or offensive descriptions or depictions involving a person who is, or appears to be, a child under 18 years.
• Gratuitous, exploitative or offensive depictions of:
  • (i) violence with a very high degree of impact or which are excessively frequent, prolonged or detailed;
  • (ii) cruelty or real violence which are very detailed or which have an extremely high impact;
  • (iii) sexual violence
• Depictions of practices such as bestiality
• Gratuitous, exploitative or offensive depictions of:
  • (i) activity accompanied by fetishes or practices that are offensive or abhorrent;
  • (ii) incest fantasies or other fantasies that are offensive or abhorrent

Classification is compulsory, and games refused classification by the ACB are banned for sale, hire or public exhibition, carrying a maximum fine of $275,000 and/or 10 years' jail. It is, however, legal to possess RC games (except in Western Australia and prescribed areas of the Northern Territory).

Material that is refused classification is put on the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service list of prohibited items. Any copies of such games found at the border will be seized,^[3] and the recipient, depending on the number of copies being imported, may receive up to A$110,000 in fines.^[4]

The list depicted below is of games that are either still banned, or were initially banned but have been edited exclusively for Australia. It should be noted that these games were banned before the introduction of the R18+ category; if some of these games were to be re-rated today, they would likely receive the R18+ rating. The second list is of games that have been eventually released unedited, rating appealed or the worldwide edition later being released uncut and being identical to other countries.

Lists

Currently banned/censored video games

The list below includes games where the worldwide edition has been banned for sale in Australia because either: the game has been refused classification, a classification has been revoked, or the game has received a local edit that causes it to differ from the worldwide edition ("censored").

Name	Original Date of Certification[5]	Reason	Original Rating	Present Rating
50 Cent: Bulletproof	2005-10-25	Banned because of high impact gory violence.[6] A censored version was later released.[7]	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	(Edited)
Blitz: The League	2007-01-18	Banned because of drug use related to incentives and rewards.	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION
BMX XXX	2002-10-16	Banned because of high impact sexual references. A censored version was later released.[8]	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	(Edited)
Bug Butcher, The !The Bug Butcher	2016-07-20	Banned because of drug use related to incentives and rewards. A censored version was later released.[9]	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	(Edited)
Crimecraft	2009-11-26	Banned because of drug use related to incentives and rewards.	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION
Dark Sector	2008-02-14	Banned because of high impact gory violence. .[10]	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	(Edited)
Dreamweb	1995-02-09	Banned because of a scene of sexual violence. A censored edition was re-released after gaining an M rating.[11]	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	(Edited)
Enzai: Falsely Accused	2009-08-21	Banned because of sexual violence.	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number	2015-01-15	Banned because of a scene of sexual violence.[12]	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION
Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude	2004-09-09	Banned because of sexuality and nudity in relation to incentives and rewards.	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION
Marc Eckō's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure	2005-11-19	Originally released with an MA15+. Federal Attorney-General Philip Ruddock used his power to appeal the decision, getting it banned for high impact themes involving the glorification of graffiti.	(Unedited)	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION
Manhunt	2003-10-22	Originally rated MA15+. Federal Attorney-General Philip Ruddock later appealed the rating, banning it because of high-impact violence involving torture.	(Unedited)	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION
MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death	2016-06-21	Banned because of interactive sexual activity involving a person who is, or appears to be, a child under 18 years.[13]	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION
NARC (2005)	2005-04-09	Banned because of drug use related to incentives and rewards.	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION
NecroVisioN	2009-04-08	Banned because of high impact gory violence. A censored version was later released with an M rating.	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	(Edited)
Postal	1997-11-04	Banned because of high impact themes involving depictions of revolting and abhorrent content. Like Postal 2 however, it is available for purchase on Steam without classification. It has also not been taken down.	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION
Postal 2	2005-10-14	Originally released unrated to some retail stores in Australia. When picked up for publishing in Australia it was banned because of high impact themes involving abhorrent and revolting content. The game and its expansions became available for purchase in the Steam store in 2012 without classification. It is yet to be taken down.[14]	UNRATED (Unedited)	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION
Phantasmagoria	1995-08-25	Banned because of a scene involving sexual violence.	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION
Reservoir Dogs	2006-06-24	Banned because of high impact violence and torture.	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION
Risen	2009-07-20	Banned because of sexual activity and drug use related to incentives and rewards.	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION
Saints Row IV	2013-07-29	Banned because of illicit drug use related to incentives and rewards and visual depictions of implied sexual violence that are not justified by context. An appeal was lodged but failed. An edited version was released lacking said content.[15] [16]	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	(Edited)
State of Decay	2013-06-26	Banned because of drug use related to incentives and rewards. A censored version that changes the drugs to vitamins was later released with an R18+.	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	(Edited)
Shellshock 2: Blood Trails	2008-06-23	Banned because of high impact gory violence.	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION
Silent Hill: Homecoming	2008-09-22	Banned because of a high impact torture scene involving drilling into body parts. Konami has since modified this part of the game.	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	(Edited)
Singles: Flirt Up Your Life	2004-10-21	Banned because of sexuality and nudity in relation to incentives and rewards.	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION
Soldier of Fortune: Payback	2007-10-17	Banned because of high impact gory violence. Activision has since modified the game to receive an MA15+ rating.	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	(Edited)
South Park: The Stick of Truth	2013-09-19	Banned because of a scene of sexual violence involving minors. A version was released replacing said scene with a title card.	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	(Edited)
Syndicate	2011-12-19	Banned because of high impact gory violence.[17]	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION
Witcher 2, The !The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings	2011-04-27	Banned because of sexuality and nudity in relation to incentives and rewards.. A side quest was given a minor edit (changing the context of sex being used as an incentive) and the game was subsequently re-rated MA15+.	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	(Edited)
Valkyrie Drive: Bhikkhuni	2016-08-09	Banned because of implied sexual violence related to incentives and rewards.[18][19]	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION
Voyeur	1995-02-09	Originally rated MA15+. Later appealed and banned because of a scene of high impact sexual dialogue involving incest.	(Unedited)	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION

Unbanned/uncensored video games

The list below includes games where the Australian edition is identical to that of other countries because either: the rating has successfully been appealed, the worldwide edition has later been released in Australia unedited ("uncut"), or the game has received a worldwide edit.

Name	Original Date of Certification[5]	Reason	Original Rating	Present Rating
Aliens vs. Predator	2009-12-03	Originally banned because of high impact gory violence. Rating later appealed and overturned.	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	(Unedited)
Duke Nukem 3D	1996-05-02	Originally banned because of sexual violence. Later released uncensored.	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	(Unedited)
Fallout 3	2008-07-04	Originally banned due to drug use related to incentives and rewards. Edited worldwide due to the small change needed (the name of morphine was changed to Med-X).	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	(Edited)
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin	2008-11-27	Originally banned because of high impact gory violence. The decision was later appealed on the basis that the violence was unrealistic.	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	(Unedited)
Grand Theft Auto III	2001-11-28	Originally released uncut, it was later banned due to sexual violence involving prostitutes. A censored version was later released. The PC version was later released uncut.	(Unedited)	(Edited/Unedited)
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas	2004-10-02	Had its classification revoked following the Hot Coffee controversy. Edited worldwide with this version of the game also achieving an MA15+.	(Unedited)	(Edited)
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City	2002-11-11	Pre-Censored before submission because of sexual violence involving prostitutes. In 2010 the game was re-released uncut, again receiving an MA15+.[20]	(Edited)	(Unedited)
Grand Theft Auto IV	2007-12-12	Pre-censored before submission because of sexual violence involving prostitutes. An uncut version was later released for the PC with an MA15+. A patch was later released to completely uncensor the PS3 version and the 360 version. The complete edition is fully uncut and all its expansions are unedited with an MA15+.	(Edited)	(Unedited)
House of the Dead, The: Overkill Extended Cut !The House of the Dead: Overkill Extended Cut	2011-08-23	Originally banned due to high impact gory violence. Sega successfully appealed the rating on the basis that the over the top violence mitigated the impact.	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	(Unedited)
Left 4 Dead 2	2009-09-15	Originally banned due to high impact gory violence. A version has been released using the same censoring as Germany.[21] On 29 August 2014, the uncensored version was passed with an R18+.[22]	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	(Unedited)
Mortal Kombat (2011)	2011-02-25	Originally banned because of high impact gory violence. The Komplete Edition was later rated R18+ in 2013 after the said rating was introduced.	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	(Unedited)
Paranautical Activity	2016-05-01	Banned because of drug use related to incentives and rewards. The game was later reclassified under the new publisher Digerati and was given an M rating.[23]	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	(Unedited)
Punisher, The	2004-11-23	Originally banned because of high impact violence involving torture. Edited worldwide due to international trouble (threats of receiving an AO rating in America and being deemed as "objectionable material" in the UK). This edition was passed, receiving an MA15+.	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	(Edited)
Sexy Poker	2009-05-13	Originally banned because of nudity in relation to incentives and rewards. Edited worldwide with this edition receiving an M rating.	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	(Unedited)
Shellshock: Nam '67	2004-06-23	Originally banned because of high impact themes and violence. Re-rated MA15+ when the game was resubmitted and objectionable content was shown within proper context.	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	(Edited)
Silverball: Product Version 8	2003-11-21	Originally banned because of sexuality and nudity in relation to incentives and rewards. Rating appealed and re-rated to an unrestricted M on the basis that the nude static images were incidental to play rather than as a reward.	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	(Unedited)
Tender Loving Care	1998-07-30	Originally banned because of high impact sexual references and nudity. Later submitted as an interactive DVD due to being more of an interactive live-action movie than a videogame. Due to being under different guidelines it was re-rated MA15+.	REFUSED CLASSIFICATION	(Unedited)

See also

• Australian Classification Board
• Australian Classification Review Board
• List of banned video games
• Censorship in Australia
• Video gaming in Australia

References