The Australian Classification Board has been absolutely merciless when rating video games. Until recently, when it finally saw fit to add an R18+ rating, any games that would ordinarily receive a "mature" rating were simply given the boot. That meant that games like Fallout 3 were forced to alter their game content (stimpaks were originally morphine, for those curious) in order to receive a rating by the board.
It looks like the board is going to be pretty stingy with what it defines to be within the realm of R18+, or so it seems. Recently, the Australian Classification Board refused classification to Volition and Deep Silver's Saints Row 4. Considering that Saints Row 3's humor ran along the lines of allowing the player to run around the streets beating people with an overly large dildo called 'The Penetrator,' it doesn't really come as much of a surprise that Saints Row 4 is going to be equally obscene.
Apparently, the reason that Saints Row 4 was refused classification was because of an alien anal probe. The Australian Classification Board stated the following in regards to why the game was refused classification:
"The game includes a weapon referred to by the Applicant as an ‘Alien Anal Probe.’ The Applicant states that this weapon can be ‘shoved into enemy’s backsides.'
"When using this weapon the player approaches a (clothed) victim from behind and thrusts the weapon between the victim’s legs and then lifts them off the ground before pulling a trigger which launches the victim into the air. After the probe has been implicitly inserted into the victim’s anus the area around their buttocks becomes pixelated highlighting that the aim of the weapon is to penetrate the victim’s anus. The weapon can be used during gameplay on enemy characters or civilians.
"In the Board’s opinion, a weapon designed to penetrate the anus of enemy characters and civilians constitutes a visual depiction of implied sexual violence that is interactive and not justified by context and as such the game should be Refused Classification."
It's not clear yet what steps Volition and Deep Silver are going to take in order to have Saints Row 4 receive classification in Australia. But whatever they do, they better act quickly, since the game will be launching August 20, 2013.
