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F.E.A.R. 2 unbanned in Australia

Appeal sees refused classification status of F.E.A.R. 2 overturned in Australia; uncut version of game rated as MA15+.

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin's banning in Australia in late November capped off a depressing year for game classification down under. The much-anticipated horror shooter was the fifth game to be refused entry in Australia in 2008. It seems that local gamers have been given an early Christmas present, however, because confirmation came today that an appeal has overturned the Australian Classification Board's original banning of the game.

A Warner Bros. Interactive spokesman told GameSpot AU that F.E.A.R. 2 has been reclassifed as MA15+ and is now slated to go on sale in Australia in February 2009. Warner Bros. appealed the original decision, which saw the game refused classification due to its high-impact violence, and the Australian Review Board ruled in favour of the publisher. And in even more positive news for gamers, no cuts had to be made to F.E.A.R. 2 to accommodate Australia's ratings regime, which means Australians will play the exact same version of the game as the rest of the world.

"We've always believed in the merit of the game as an MA15+ title, and we're pleased that the Review Board saw it our way," the Warner Bros. spokesman said. The appeal process involved Warner Bros. representatives performing a live game demonstration with the Review Board members, as well as taking questions from the Board. The Warner Bros. spokesman said the appeals process allowed them to better explain the "detail, context, and storyline behind the game."

F.E.A.R. 2 was initially struck back by the Classification Board due to violence, with the original Board Report stating that: "The violence is considered highly impactful in such scenes as where Michael uses his sub machine gun to explicitly bisect an enemy, the two parts of the body lying separately on the ground, with copious blood spray. There are also a number of explicit close range decapitations involving both human and mutant creatures. The decapitations are the result of close-up throat slashing from behind and close-up gunshots to the throat."

In Australia, the highest rating available for a game is MA15+, as opposed to other forms of media, such as film or DVDs, which have an R18+ classification that prohibits sales to anyone under the age of 18. Games that feature content deemed unsuitable for an MA15+ rating are refused classification and are effectively banned from sale.

F.E.A.R. 2 is not the first game this year to have its ban overturned. Both Dark Sector and Fallout 3 were initially refused classification because of violence and drug use, respectively. But unlike F.E.A.R. 2, both games had to be modified slightly in order to pass Australia's ratings regime.

For more on Australia's lack of an R18+ rating for video games, check out our Censory Overload feature.

88 Comments

  • TheGhettoDT

    Posted Jan 6, 2009 5:08 am GMT

    im so happy to hear that FEAR 2 is coming back to Australian shelves the only reason i rekon games should be banned is if it has porn in it. and who gives the Australian game raters guys the right to say "We're not gonna let you guys sell it to any Australians because it's to violent" it's a damn spit in the face in the Australian gamers from the Australian game raters guys if you ask me

  • Leons-Hell

    Posted Jan 4, 2009 1:17 pm GMT

    xlizard-beta how can you be against games with a huge amount of drug use? Almost all FPS games have drug use in them, medi packs in halo, painkillers in Max Payne, steroids in Duke Nukem, injecting plasmids and EVE into your arm in Bioshock, there is drug use in a lot of the FPS but do we hear about kids injecting themselves with blue liquids, no because gaming doesn't have a large enough impact on people to make them commit crimes.

  • Zensword

    Posted Dec 30, 2008 3:21 pm GMT

    This is good news for Aussies. And good news for the game too.

  • xlizard-beta

    Posted Dec 28, 2008 9:42 am GMT

    well i believe if it is pornographic or has a heavy amount of drug use it shud be banned at least f.e.a.r2 doesnt have any of those and it shud be the right of the gamer to choose what they play

  • gromittd

    Posted Dec 27, 2008 1:07 pm GMT

    Fusion Master

    if there was a game involving pretty pink unicorns and rainbows which you had to shoot down with love and gumdrop smiles it would be banned in Australia due to obvious drug use by the developers.

  • Gretzky1106

    Posted Dec 22, 2008 1:50 pm GMT

    I'm so excited to see the Review Board's Report. And my consumer advice: MA15+ (Strong stylized violence and gore) and side note (under the label): Unsuitable for persons under 15.

  • ChrisBohlsen

    Posted Dec 20, 2008 3:54 am GMT

    imprezawrx500

    Posted Dec 17, 2008 3:42 am GMT (hide)

    so what Australia is saying its ok for people under 18 to play games that you have to be 18 in most countries to play it. That's encouraging violet game for youths. Australia should just come part of New Zeland and then this problem would be gone



    That is the most ridiculous thing I have heard in a very long time. Australia is awesome, our ratings system is s*** and you need to learn punctuation.

  • enviovore

    Posted Dec 19, 2008 9:26 pm GMT

    I can't wait till Michael Atkinson dies. Im throwing a party, @ Michael Atkins gravesite. The day after he's buried. All are welcome, BYO alcohol, narcotics, violence, random acts of sexual degradation, explicit language, racial intolerance, just whatever you do don't bring a copy of Postal k, there may be children present.

  • Liam_the_dude

    Posted Dec 19, 2008 6:39 pm GMT

    Why does a game like this, which involves shooting people's limbs off in a gory, bloody mess, IN SLOW MOTION, get through the ratings system, and yet a game like GTA San Andreas in which you can have softcore sex with your girlfriend must be modified. So are you telling me I can shoot someone in the face and go on a murder spree, but I can't do something completely natural like have sex?

  • human-wolf

    Posted Dec 19, 2008 5:08 pm GMT

    if worst comes to worst, ile just order it from amazon.co.uk, for cheaper and wait 6 days for delivery. banning its sales will do nothing, and i think its ridiculas that we can have 18 moves but not 18+ ganes!

  • Payback7

    Posted Dec 19, 2008 3:16 pm GMT

    @splotto - lol! couldn't have said it better myself! HAHA

  • Payback7

    Posted Dec 19, 2008 3:12 pm GMT

    Good news, I was stung just before Fallout 3. Shame we got a censored version, but I'l still loving it Like maf17 said though - this just shows how naive the Australian government is if they believe games are a childs toy. It's a legitimate form of entertainment for adults. Now back to murdering people in GTA 4 HAHA

  • maf17

    Posted Dec 19, 2008 3:43 am GMT

    Fantastic news, but it demonstrates more than ever that Australia's censorship policy on games is archaic & ridiculous, worthy of Stalinist Russia

  • gameie1994

    Posted Dec 18, 2008 11:18 pm GMT

    A Step in The Right Direction

  • the_mighty_cow

    Posted Dec 18, 2008 7:04 pm GMT

    anyone know when the draft discussion paper on the R18 classification will even surface?

  • heavymetalzplin

    Posted Dec 18, 2008 5:50 pm GMT

    Also, I don't see the big deal with an R18+ rating for games. R18+ rated games are usually filled with blood and gore, but R18+ rated movies are usually pornos which are much more harmful if someone under the age of 18 gets their hands on a copy.

  • heavymetalzplin

    Posted Dec 18, 2008 5:48 pm GMT

    For me, this is the only downside to living in Australia. We have missed out on so many good games thanks to that knob Michael Atkinson.

  • BDL91

    Posted Dec 18, 2008 5:15 pm GMT

    I thought this might happen i think its more drugs and sexual content they dont allow over here. They should allow the uncut versions of GTA IV in , they let the PC version in so why not?

  • burgo69

    Posted Dec 18, 2008 1:20 pm GMT

    Im just glad it isnt banned.

  • chaoscougar1

    Posted Dec 17, 2008 10:50 pm GMT

    gameking wtf? that has to be the most ignorant jack thompson thing i have ever heard. what if i played spyro? does that mean i want to fly and shoot fire out of my mouth? how bout viva pinata? if i play that will i want to roam around in a garden all day waiting to be sent off to a random party and wacked to death only to be returned to the garden shortly after in tact? i dont think so...

  • chaoscougar1

    Posted Dec 17, 2008 10:47 pm GMT

    worst ratings board ever...

  • metamorfoza

    Posted Dec 17, 2008 10:41 pm GMT

    ffs, Australia, give us the R18+ rating already... so we don't have these news anymore, we don't ban games, and we keep adult content for adults only. easy as.

  • Azuki

    Posted Dec 17, 2008 9:46 pm GMT

    I am both happy and pissed about this. On the one hand I get to play fear 2 now but on the other I know it -should- be rated r. 15 yr old's or younger are now going to play this game and its all our governments fault for being idiots. Instead of giving fear 2 a pass they should have given us that damn r rating already and THEN allowed the title to be sold here with the correct age restriction on the box. If we end up having socially/mentally disturbed kids going on killing sprees because they were 'inspired' its all freaking atkinsons fault, of course he'd blame the game makers instead naturally.

  • rockatanski

    Posted Dec 17, 2008 8:24 pm GMT

    Agreed splotto. The first person I would love to do that to is Michael Atkinson Attorney General, certified son of a cockhead of South Australia.

    Unless he unbanns all the games he banned this year. He's got 2 days.

  • Dartadion

    Posted Dec 17, 2008 7:07 pm GMT

    Gameking5000 I don't know what your smoking but I think the more violence a game has well the better. They should make the laws less Strict by making all these banned games R18+. Though it does harsh imagine a 12 year old n00b online with that sort of game. Impossible unlike the MA15+ games where their parents are gullable enough to buy them. Oh well gores galour for Australia for the moment but let me leave you with this.

    If you can have 18+ Movies, why don't have 18+ games in Australia as well? I'm Australian and I'm outraged!

  • LysanderNaFaile

    Posted Dec 17, 2008 3:21 am GMT

    Thankfully i wont have to download a "proper" copy of this. Hate having to download pirate copies just so i can play the real thing.

  • zig_star

    Posted Dec 17, 2008 3:08 am GMT

    this just shows that Australia's government don't want their country to have fun but atleast this was allowed in australia, and i tell you if fall out 3 was banned and not ever to be allowed i would've went psyko.

  • splotto

    Posted Dec 17, 2008 2:46 am GMT

    I love my country and I'm 37 yrs old and if I wanna cut a dudes head off and pinch a loaf down his blood spurting neck in a game - that should be my choice!! G0DDAMMIT!!!

  • gameking5000 posted Dec 17, 2008 2:25 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    gameking5000

    Posted Dec 17, 2008 2:25 am GMT (hide)

    The Australian government needs to tighten it's laws on these type of games. If everyone starts buying these than they'll be like the character on the game. They'll be violent and do things against humanity.

  • mrklorox

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 10:30 pm GMT

    Nice. Now The ESRB needs to make rating in-between T and M so they can reserve M for the games that actually deserve it.

  • AlmaDanny

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 8:20 pm GMT

    Now that's my Christmas present.

  • imprezawrx500 posted Dec 16, 2008 7:49 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    imprezawrx500

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 7:49 pm GMT (hide)

    "If the review board had access to the R18+ rating, I have no doubt that this game and various other "mature" games would be reclassified to have this rating."

    that is so true why is it alright for Australian 15 year olds to play left 4 dead, Fear, Fallout 3. GTA, Resident Evil and many others as well as all the R16 games like Gears of war call of duty, crysis and 90% of all fps while if those 15 year olds come across the ditch they couldn't buy any of them. Australia is just making it much easier for young teens to get violent games than the rest of the world.

  • andy_factor

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 7:49 pm GMT

    yeah don't be a dick imprezawrx500 (lame car btw). australian gamers have been fighting hard for an R18+ rating for years and it's finally on the way.

  • imprezawrx500 posted Dec 16, 2008 7:42 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    imprezawrx500

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 7:42 pm GMT (hide)

    so what Australia is saying its ok for people under 18 to play games that you have to be 18 in most countries to play it. That's encouraging violet game for youths. Australia should just come part of New Zeland and then this problem would be gone

  • HaTmAn101DK

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 5:49 pm GMT

    What? the game isn't gory enough to be banned in Australia?
    to me that is a bad sign.

  • Aero-Sayou

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 5:09 pm GMT

    Thank the lords!

  • Fusion_Master

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 4:42 pm GMT

    so this version is unedited? ive got one ordered from america because i was expecting a version released here involving pretty pink unicorns and rainbows you had to shoot down with love and gumdrop smiles.

  • dunnowhathuh

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 3:48 pm GMT

    Hooray for common friggin sense. You international people should see the junk they let us rent out in video stores or hell, the crap on tv. Just as bad or worse than these games and with a rating that's under R18 to boot. It's just an endless loop of double standards and inconsistencies. Just take a look at GTAIV, they let that through at it has more mature content than just "high impact violence".

    Every bloody time these companies have to go through the review board, they have to play through the game to show 'em it's not as bad as they think. But that makes me think, what were the OFLC doing? Doing their "jobs" by just watching trailers of the game?

  • Final13

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 3:47 pm GMT

    What a surprise. Doesnt it seem like games are always getting banned then unbanned?

  • Judza

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 3:32 pm GMT

    Should never have happened in the first place. It's obvious that the OFLC are inept at classifying games without the R rating in place for gaming. To have so many double standards and contradictory "reasons" for banning games; it is obvious the system is flawed. Now the game is rated MA15+. That has positives and negatives,

    +1 for the Aussie gamers who want to play the game (since it is now legal to purchase it over here).

    -1 since kids can still get their hands on the game just as easily.

    If the review board had access to the R18+ rating, I have no doubt that this game and various other "mature" games would be reclassified to have this rating.

    It is much more informative for parents that buy games for their children, to know that the games they are buying are R18+ rated, rather than MA15+.

    If that blasted SA attorney general (for Labor might I add) would get his head out of a place I'd like to kick, then maybe...just maybe the ratings system for Aussie gaming will be reworked to have an R rating included. As a result, this entire fiasco of having to alter content/reclassifying etc. would hardly ever occur, and minors would not be getting their grubby little hands on games that should not have anything less than an 18+ rating on them.

  • ddastardly posted Dec 16, 2008 2:51 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    ddastardly

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 2:51 pm GMT (hide)

    I have lived in Aus for 2 years now and find this 'nanny state' almost too much to bear.
    This is only a small step away from a communist regime

  • dallasanderson1

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 2:04 pm GMT

    maybe we should start a partition to get a 18+ plus rating in aussie...i mean how hard can it be we have it for movies.

  • BigQz

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 1:20 pm GMT

    yew

  • zaprct

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 1:00 pm GMT

    gunswordfist, Bethesda modified ALL versions of Fallout 3 to suit the Australian Review Board's requirements (i.e. removing drug injection animations and renaming Morphine to Med-X). We have the same version as US, Japan etc

  • Hellboard

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 12:27 pm GMT

    good for australia... seriously not banning fallout 3 and danning fear..

  • gunswordfist

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 10:11 am GMT

    KnightsofRound Posted Dec 16, 2008 5:56 am PT ...why don't they just do an R18 rating for games too...

    Good point Knights

  • gunswordfist posted Dec 16, 2008 10:10 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    gunswordfist

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 10:10 am GMT (hide)

    They modified Fallout 3? *scaratches Australia off of vacation list* And SERIOUSLY, they ban F.E.A.R. 2 from their entire COUNTRY and then say it's suitable for 15 year olds to buy. What's next?! Banning hyper animal porn and then finding it acceptable to have vendor machines for it in elementary schools.

  • Sheiko

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 9:43 am GMT

    Suwheeeeet!

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