advertisement

Blitz banned in Australia

By Randolph Ramsay, GameSpot AUPosted Jan 21, 2007 5:37 pm PT

Midway American football game refused classification because of in-game drug use.

It's only a few weeks into the new year and Australia's restrictive game classification system has already taken its first scalp, with Xbox 360 sports game Blitz: The League being refused classification down under.

Australia's Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) has refused classification for Midway's American football game, effectively banning it for sale down under. Blitz: The League was set for release in Australia on February 22. The official ruling from the OFLC states that the game was refused classification because of in-game drug use.

"In the course of the game, the player may access what are purported to be both legal and illegal performance-enhancing drugs for the members of the team. Choosing to use these drugs (by selecting from a menu) will have both negative and positive effects on team-members, for example, by improving their speed while making them more susceptible to injury. Each drug has different characteristics. Fake urine samples may also be acquired for avoiding positive drug tests. While the game-player can choose not to use the drugs, in the Board’s majority view there is an incentive to use them. By using them judiciously, the player can improve the performance of the football team (while managing the negative effects) and have a better chance of winning games, thereby winning bets and climbing the league table," the OFLC board report stated.

Under the Australian Computer Games Table of the National Classification Code, titles that "depict, express or otherwise deal with matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or abhorrent phenomena in such a way that they offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults" will be refused classification.

Red Ant Enterprises, the local distributor for Blitz: The League, has yet to decide whether it will appeal the ruling, according to marketing manager Ivone Bozzi.

"At this stage we haven't decided if we are going to go ahead and appeal it. Quite a shame, as we did get some fantastic feedback from retail. It was unfortunately one of those games that are touch-and-go," she said.

Blitz joins a growing list of games that have been banned for sale down under. Last year, Eidos' Reservoir Dogs was refused classification, as was Mark Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure. Other games to feel the wrath of the OFLC include BMX XXX, Manhunt, Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude, Postal, Postal 2, Narc and more. Some games, such as the two GTA games listed, eventually made it back onto the market after some content changes.

Under Australian law, computer games can be given a maximum classification of MA15+, as opposed to film or DVDs, which can carry up to an R18+ rating (the R rating prohibits sales to anyone under the age of 18). Any games that do not fit under the OFLC's definition of MA15+ are refused classification.

257 Comments

  • Absent_Gambler

    Posted Oct 17, 2007 11:28 pm PT

    DRUGS!? IN PROFESSIONAL SPORTS!!?? The game designers are obviously sick and twisted, because that sort of thing NEVER happens in real life!!

  • aus_pride

    Posted Feb 28, 2007 1:49 am PT

    This list just keeps growing and growing and so does the ebay listings!

  • Riverwolf007

    Posted Jan 24, 2007 8:56 am PT

    Aussies are some of the coolest people on the planet and anything that keeps them off of xbox live is a shame. Now that being said the upside is they are mos def not missing out on anything by Blitz getting banned. Save your money and buy one of the many good games coming out this year.

  • bizuit

    Posted Jan 24, 2007 6:07 am PT

    Why dont they ever ban games in america cause there horrid? They need a ranking for age and then a quality ranking if they quality ranking is too low you cant release it!

  • anarchicgoth

    Posted Jan 23, 2007 7:45 pm PT

    Right... why do they bother trying to track down on virtual drugs when there very own citizens are smoking on Uno over Xbox Live??? Looks like they are looking in all the wrong places...

  • niisan

    Posted Jan 23, 2007 5:25 pm PT

    While I agree that aussie censorship has been going too far lately, I don't disagree with this case since we have a proud sporting tradition and the fact it saves us from another crap american football game.

  • dragkill

    Posted Jan 23, 2007 2:31 pm PT

    "And people should stop knocking Australia for this. It's not the Australian people or even the Australian Government. Its a little group of tin pot dictators that make up our ratings board and like to enforce their will on others."

    Seriosuly. It's not the country as a whole, it's a small group of people that are doing this. It's the one thing i hate that the decision of a few can mess up the living style of many. (That's why i hate politics).

    But, it's funny though that people say content is bad now....look at subliminal stuff from other games, such as mario: You're jumping on enemy heads, and getting mushrooms. =p

  • Father_Time89

    Posted Jan 23, 2007 1:44 pm PT

    Gokuu2000

    That would be a stupid idea, that would mean that the cenosrs would get a victory and would try other games, also despite the controversy GTA is a great game with amzing sales, some idiots already claimed there is rape in the game (and there isn't) what could GTA 4 possibly do to get more controversy? Even if you could answer that question its not like the controversy will EVER deter people who like the GTA series away from buying it. Also if they canned GTA 4 a TON of people will be angry with rockstar, which is a bad move since they have financial trouble.

  • goku2000

    Posted Jan 23, 2007 12:39 pm PT

    I'm not one to speak out against GTA, but I think it would be wise to just stop making these types of games. It would stop all of these stupid game restrictions and bogus lawsuits.

  • jaefrmbk2k

    Posted Jan 23, 2007 11:18 am PT

    poor poor Aussies i love the Aussies now cuz of the way Steve Irwin's family got over his death so quickly. now they're laughin' & skippin' around on every talk show-they must've immediately realized how filthy rich they are

  • Cloud737

    Posted Jan 23, 2007 10:47 am PT

    Weee...let`s ban all games now, cause it`s cool to do that!
    Seriously now, what is the world coming to? First off, why is Australia's Office of Film and Literature Classification in charge of classifying games?
    Second, they say they ban any game that is against the standards of propriety, yet there is a law that enables a home-breaker to sue the victim if he got hurt in the process of robbing him...wtf?
    Third, they do jack to stop Australians to play those games. They only encourage piracy that way, as well as blowing away a potential tax income.
    Keep up the good work! Maybe it can even introduce a law to send game players to jail like Germany is trying to do.

  • MDDichard07

    Posted Jan 23, 2007 8:09 am PT

    doesn't effect me, so i don't care.

  • Bathyj

    Posted Jan 23, 2007 7:17 am PT

    mitchellzam No one agrees with you, and I hope your comments were tongue in cheek. I love games as much as I love breathing but even if they banned them all, I'd still rather be an Aussie. Move to the US indeed, and so close to Australia Day. You need to be slapped in the face with a thong. ( Thats NOT a G-String for all you yanks.)

  • gatsbythepig

    Posted Jan 23, 2007 7:06 am PT

    Sucks for the Aussies, I don't know why they are so strict

  • popdude338

    Posted Jan 23, 2007 5:05 am PT

    at least in australia we don't seem to have politics running around trying to perform a complete and utter ban on all video games with the slight indication of violence like in america and now germany (yet), but it is sad that they don't give us an R18+ for those few games

    happy 26th to all fellow aussies

  • bennae66

    Posted Jan 23, 2007 4:35 am PT

    im an aussie and responding to mitchellzam;

    dont bother hanging around for the 26th. if i was truly unhappy with my country id move. enjoy america, i wont alter my life because of a sports game getting banned. happy australia day to any aussies out there, heres to the 26th.

    its a crying shame that blitz may never see light officially here; but thats life may just have to get a copy elsewhere.

  • ddt88

    Posted Jan 23, 2007 4:33 am PT

    Given Australia's strong standing on anti doping in sport, this decision doesn't surprise me. All we can hope for is an R18+ classification at some stage.

  • ddt88

    Posted Jan 23, 2007 4:22 am PT

    Given Australia's strong standing on anti doping in sport, this decision doesn't surprise me. All we can hope for is an R18+ classification at some stage.

  • Dolacide

    Posted Jan 23, 2007 1:16 am PT

    That seems horrible. "standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults" Who chooses these reasonable people.

  • mitchellzam

    Posted Jan 23, 2007 1:04 am PT

    Australia's classification system never suprises me, i mean im sorry to say this but Australia totally sucks. All the bloody good games are band in this country, im moving to America the land of dreams. Who agrees with me.

Blitz: The League Quick Links

Summary | Reviews | News | Images | Videos | DLC & Expansions | Answers | Hints & Cheats | Forum | Check Prices

Check Prices: $13.95 – 37.67

GameQuest $24.99 SHOP ›
Deep Discount.com $16.53 SHOP ›
eBay $13.95 SHOP ›
advertisement
advertisement
Click Here
Blitz: The League Boxshot Enlarge the boxshot
Blitz: The League

Game Stats

Full Game Details »Close
Also on

Games you may like…

Users who looked at content for this game also looked at these games.

See More Similar Games
advertisement