South Park: The Stick of Truth Will be Censored in Australia

[ron1n]

1. Go to Ozgameshop, Amazon or a half dozen other online retailers outside of steam.

2. Buy UK/USA edition and ignore whatever bs overpriced copy Aus retailers are selling.

3. ?

4. Profit.


Honestly, in the world of digital sales, the only people these pointless bans affect are the general public who still buy their games from the likes of EB and JB Hi-Fi. The same people that are likely to not even be aware their copy is censored.

 

[Zeriah]

This is just silly. For reference, the television show, with presumably very similar content gets an M to MA rating. Thought the R rating would have been a good thing for Australia and something I myself promoted. Turns out I was wrong.

 

[Souplex]

At this point wouldn't it be news if something wasn't censored over there?

 

[MaximumTheHormone]

not really a big deal.
I'll wait till release and then decide whether its worth importing a copy (it usually is). With Australia's fucked up prices it allows me to kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

 

[Multi-Hobbyist]

I haven't the faintest idea why some people in this thread are surprised. It's only a matter of time before Australia censors the next Mario game at this rate.

 

[VanQ]

I don't usually agree with censorship, and I don't know why this has been censored. but before everyone starts accussing all the politicains of being old fashioned (which many are), try to remember this is south park were talking about. so it wouldn't shock me if they where partially justified for some of the censorship. Perhaps it's just me but from what little I have seen there jokes can be a bit too crude.

Censorship on a government level is never justified. It should be up to an individual adult to decide what they do and do not consume, media-wise. Making truly, morally reprehensible content illegal is one thing, banning a game because of a probably implied sexual joke or something is not.

 

[GoddyofAus]

I was always gonna buy this from the U.S PSN Store anyway so whatever. Also, it should be remembered that this isn't the fault of Australia this time. This is Ubisoft being pedantic idiots.

 

[JustinDP]

I really don't get it.

The Saints Row 4 banning was infuriating specifically because a) GTA5 had a store that sold drugs, and this was seemingly fine. Which hey, I guess it doesn't count as a reward. I've yet to play GTA5 but as far as I know there is no inherent benefit to doing the drugs in game. Meanwhile we have b) In Saints Row 2, which is readily available to the point they usually flat out just give it away in Xbox 360 bundles has you regain health via smoking, and drinking. As in readily rewarding you for the act.

So, what exactly did South Park do that was so bad?

Considering how often I see South Park re-runs all over free to air, I'm gonna assume Australia doesn't have an issue with the program, and the subject matter. I can't see there being a huge subplot with the kids doing meth to get super powers. Hell the "magic spell" is a fart in a hand, so I would see it more likely to use a bean burrito to power it up.

So what, Australian government? What has Matt Stone and Trey Parker done that was censor worthy?

I've lived in Australia for a couple of years now, and don't get me wrong. I love it hear. However, when all you hear from other countries is how much inferior America is, and how they're so oppressed compared to other countries only for you to move and hear about a new thing being censored or banned every couple of months it begins to get a little ridiculous. I have no clue what the point of R18+ even is if nothing has changed because of it.

I'm 30 years old. I think I've got a good idea of what I can, and cannot handle in my video games. Somehow I'm pretty sure a stuttering kid dressed as an elf isn't going to be what puts me over the edge.

 

[Something Amyss]

For the same reason that the US has an Adults Only rating that is essentially a death sentence for games? I really don't understand what the point of even having these ratings, not the system, but these specific end-of-scale, forbidden/useless ratings.

*ahem*

R18+ does not open the doors to anything coming in, they are in line with movies which is what it was always about. I guess your unaware of how many movies and music get adjusted or just refused classification? And just like them you can always get a copy imported since its the sales of the origonal version not ownership that's been banned, it's not like their treating it like drugs. Just import a copy, heck changes are your buying one from overseas anyway. For that matter, we don't even know what has been changed.

What he said. It's not a useless rating, and it's not comparable nor supposed to be comparable to an AO rating. One is a death sentence for commercial games (as you said). The other is not.

 

[Something Amyss]

In Saints Row 2, which is readily available to the point they usually flat out just give it away in Xbox 360 bundles has you regain health via smoking, and drinking. As in readily rewarding you for the act.

I thought smoking, like pot, only made you sick in the game.

So, what exactly did South Park do that was so bad?

Saints Row IV eventually made it through with some slight modifications, but it now looks like publishers aren't even bothering to take chances, submitting censored versions of controversial games right from the get-go.

Sounds like they just didn't want to take the risk.

 

[shirkbot]

There's a huge difference between the ESRB's AO rating and the Australian Classification Boards R18+ rating. From what I've heard, retailers will simply just not stock (or at the very least, not display) AO rated titles. That is not true in the slightest for R18+ releases in Australia.

R18+ does not open the doors to anything coming in, they are in line with movies which is what it was always about. I guess your unaware of how many movies and music get adjusted or just refused classification? And just like them you can always get a copy imported since its the sales of the origonal version not ownership that's been banned, it's not like their treating it like drugs. Just import a copy, heck changes are your buying one from overseas anyway. For that matter, we don't even know what has been changed.

What he said. It's not a useless rating, and it's not comparable nor supposed to be comparable to an AO rating. One is a death sentence for commercial games (as you said). The other is not.

But they both have that question of why they exist. The AO is completely pointless because nobody will sell it. The R18+ is a step forward, but it still demands the cutting/editing of content that is explicitly for adults. They're adults, consenting, legal adults, they even have a rating to let people know it's just for them, but they still force people to edit? To what end?
I know you can import the originals, but that's kind of beside the point. Why can't you just buy the original domestically, unedited?

 

[Something Amyss]

But they both have that question of why they exist.

Not really. For all the complaints that games are still getting censored, even lighter versions of games were still getting denied classification and sale. Unless you're telling me R18+ is ALSO not stocked by retailers, there's no comparison. M18+ has a reason for existing: to allows certification and sale of more games to a more adult audience. Saying there's a question as to why it exists is ridiculous. There may be a question as to whether the level of certification is adequate, but that is not the same thing.

AO might as well not be certified. Games are getting R18+ certification that would have otherwise not been allowed for sale. Just because not every game fails to get through does not mean the certification is useless.

 

[shirkbot]

But they both have that question of why they exist.

Not really. For all the complaints that games are still getting censored, even lighter versions of games were still getting denied classification and sale. Unless you're telling me R18+ is ALSO not stocked by retailers, there's no comparison. M18+ has a reason for existing: to allows certification and sale of more games to a more adult audience. Saying there's a question as to why it exists is ridiculous. There may be a question as to whether the level of certification is adequate, but that is not the same thing.

AO might as well not be certified. Games are getting R18+ certification that would have otherwise not been allowed for sale. Just because not every game fails to get through does not mean the certification is useless.

My apologies. I forgot that my viewpoint is skewed by news. I don't actually live in Australia, so it was sounding like this was more the norm, rather than the exception. But if they are getting certified then I'll just be happy to hear it. Sorry again for my ignorance.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Soooo...do they censor the show itself? Im sure there are far more controversal moments in the program than the game.
Though i dont like Britain much, at least theyre open minded with these things. Probably due to there being bigger issues to worry about

 

[-Dragmire-]

Hmmm, doesn't list drug use, fictional or otherwise. I was expecting a cat pee huffing reference in the game. Hopefully (small hope since it would be a tonne of work), with a connecting Heavy Metal parody section.

 

[Fox12]

Oh FFS, How much for a one way ticket to Canada?
I've had it up to here with this fucking nanny state bullshit.

I don't usually agree with censorship, and I don't know why this has been censored. but before everyone starts accussing all the politicains of being old fashioned (which many are), try to remember this is south park were talking about. so it wouldn't shock me if they where partially justified for some of the censorship. Perhaps it's just me but from what little I have seen there jokes can be a bit too crude.

Unless it was literally Child Porn no it's not justified. Distasteful maybe but not justified.

The funny thing is that every time Matt & Trey are forced to censor something they always replace it with something worse. I wonder if this will carry over to the game.

 

[hermes]

...I don't understand. Why do we have a R18+ rating if we're still gonna keep censoring shit like this!?!

For the same reason that the US has an Adults Only rating that is essentially a death sentence for games? I really don't understand what the point of even having these ratings, not the system, but these specific end-of-scale, forbidden/useless ratings.

Because of boundary conditions. They can't thing of the most over-the-top, gross, eyes-pulling, content they might get to review in the future, and they don't want to change the legislation if that turns into the new standard, so they word it "everything over this line is considered X"

The problem is that the line in the Australian legislation seems to be lower than any of the legislation of other countries, and +18 was supposed to be an effort to correct that disparity.

 

[RicoADF]

But they both have that question of why they exist. The AO is completely pointless because nobody will sell it. The R18+ is a step forward, but it still demands the cutting/editing of content that is explicitly for adults. They're adults, consenting, legal adults, they even have a rating to let people know it's just for them, but they still force people to edit? To what end?
I know you can import the originals, but that's kind of beside the point. Why can't you just buy the original domestically, unedited?

They didn't, Ubisoft has chosen to send a cut version, the uncut one was actually approved. Read the article rather than jumping on the hate wagon, so many people in here look like idiots since their hating on Australia for something it hasn't done.

Once again Australia, you suck and fail. So its just business as usual over there.

If there is one thing that will never change for as long as I'll live its that I'm happy I don't live in Australia.

Racist (whatever the correct term is), reported.