Indie developer takes aim at Australia's classification system

Last year saw a lot of movement on the classification front; not only did Australia see a record nine games get struck by the Classification Board's ban hammer, but the Attorney-General's office finally got around to releasing the coveted R18+ Classification discussion paper, which invited Australian citizens to voice their opinions on the topic.

But not everyone has used such politically correct avenues to voice their dissent.

Melbourne-based indie developer Conor O'Kane is no stranger to using video games as a way of getting a political message out there and has used his latest title to take a jab at Australia's classification system and impending Internet filter.

As the name suggests, Ban This Game is all about banning games, though the game also throws in a few random extras, such as Web sites like Amazon, eBay, and Chris Crocker's YouTube debut. Players must stop the questionable content from making it to the bottom of the screen. Once they click on the offending material, it is bounced up. On a game's third bounce it is banned, and society is (presumably) saved.

Games that have felt the wrath of the Classification Board, such as Aliens vs. Predator, BMX XXX, and Blitz: The League, are some of the games that you can expect to be banned. However, games like Manhunt 2 make an appearance even if they were never submitted for classification in Australia, which means they were never banned.

When the game ends, you are presented with a series of facts about Australia's classification system, as well as a link to Gamers4Croydon, an independent political party which aims to oust South Australian Attorney-General Michael Atkinson.

If you've ever wanted to have the power to influence what Australians can see and play, you can download Ban This Game for free from banthisgame.com. However, GameSpot cannot guarantee that it will have an influence on government policy, and if you work for an attorney-general, it's recommended you play this game in the comfort of your home rather than at your workplace.