Piranha Bytes’ RPG Risen has been refused classification in Australia and is therefore banned, much to the dismay of the Game Developers Association of Australia.
The sooner things change, ”the better,” says GDAA president Tom Crago. It’s become a war to ”ensure common sense prevails,” over their ”backward” government. Aussie gamers ”suffer”.
”We are once again caught in this awful, ridiculous web of the antiquated classification system that we all have to endure,” said Crago during a radio interview.
”Here in Australia the sooner that changes, the better; it is obviously a battle to ensure common sense prevails. We will get there eventually, but in the meantime as gamers in Australia we suffer, and to be honest we are embarrassed at how backward our government is… “
”We are the butt of a lot of jokes,” he continued. ”I travel; obviously a lot, talking to other developers and publishers and people cannot believe it that we still have this ridiculous system here in Australia, designed twenty or thirty years ago, and hasn’t changed since.”
The system has to keep up with the times and stay relevant, argues Crago: ”We are looking at a videogame industry that is very different from what it was twenty years ago.”
Hope still persists… ”The way I look at it, ultimately the war is won, we will get there in the end, and it’s just a case of counting the days until common sense prevails.” How long before the politicians down under let ‘common sense’ win the day, videogamer?
Risen - BANNEDSource: GamesIndustry.biz
