Fifth Game Refused Classification

Crimecraft joins Necrovision, Sexy Poker, Risen and Left 4 Dead 2 to become the 5th game refused classification in Australia this year. Crimecraft is a massively multiplayer online game set in an alternate reality where civilisation has collapsed and gangs rule the streets.

Crimecraft is rated Mature in the USA.

The ESRB’s Rating Summary:

This is a third-person shooter in which players can select a character and gain experience points through completion of various missions/quests. Players can roam around the fictional setting of Sunrise City and engage in several types of massively multiplayer online (MMO) games: team deathmatch, capture the flag, robbery, and free-for-all. Players are able to shoot and kill other characters by using a wide variety of guns (handguns, shotguns, machine guns, rocket launchers) and thrown weapons (grenades, Molotov cocktails, etc.). Small splashes of red blood indicate successful hits, and bloodstains are depicted on the ground under some defeated characters. Achievements and mission titles sometimes contain profanity (e.g., achievement called “F**king Ridiculous”; missions called “I Ain’t Movin’ B*tch,” and “Poppin’ a Cap in Yo A*s”). Players can customize female avatars so that they only wear a bra and thong-style panties or outfits that expose deep cleavage; players can also trigger a brief dance in which an avatar caresses her body.

Grow up Australia has been monitoring the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General website for the release of the Censorship Ministers’ Decisions. We’re interested in any update on the much anticipated R18+ Discussion Paper that was expected to be released July this year.

Once released a process of “public consultation” will take place. In a recent interview with Gamespot The Hon. Brendan O’Connor was quoted as saying:

The content of the discussion paper and the timing of its release are under consideration by the Australian Government.

We would recommend people wanting to see the eventual introduction of an R18+ rating for video games write a polite letter to The Hon. Brendan O’Connor to enquire about the discussion paper.