Update:

The Classification Board has supplied IGN with a report that outlines the reason State of Decay

The game contains the option of self-administering a variety of “medications” throughout gameplay which act to restore a player’s health or boost their stamina. These “medications” include both legal and illicit substances such as methadone, morphine, amphetamines, stimulants, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, codeine, aspirin, “trucker pills”, painkillers and tussin. Of these, methadone, morphine, and amphetamines are proscribed drugs and the term “stimulant” is commonly used to refer to a class of drugs of which several are proscribed.

Players obtain drugs by scavenging for them in the environment or by manufacturing them in a “Medical Lab”. When players find drugs in the environment the name of the drug appears onscreen and the drug is also represented by a visual icon such as a pill bottle or syringe. Within the “Medical Lab” players are prompted to make substances such as “Potent Stims”, “Mild Stims” and “Painkillers”. The laboratory includes a “research library” and “chemical dictionary”.

When administering drugs, the player is briefly depicted moving a pill bottle toward their mouth. The sound of pills rattling in the bottle accompanies the depiction. The name of the drug appears onscreen along with its representative icon. Consumption of the drug instantly increases a player’s in-game abilities allowing them to progress through gameplay more easily. The Applicant has stated that a “player can choose not to make any drugs or scavenge for them, but it would be very difficult to complete the game without some form of medication”.

In the Board’s opinion, the game enables the player’s character to self-administer proscribed drugs which aid in gameplay progression. This game therefore contains drug use related to incentives or rewards and should be Refused Classification.

Asked by IGN's Ryan McCaffrey via Twitter whether changing the names of the in-game drugs is something Undead Labs would look at, executive producer Jeff Strain replied, "That’s certainly one option we’re considering."

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State of Decay has joined Saints Row IV as the second game in 24 hours refused classification in Australia.Writing on the Undead Labs forum , executive producer Jeff Strain shared the bad news."I have bad news to share" wrote Strain. "State of Decay has been refused classification by the Australian Classification Board (ACB). We've run afoul of certain prohibitions regarding the depiction of drug use. We're working with Microsoft to come up with options, including changing names of certain medications in the game to comply with ratings requirements. Whatever our path forward, it's going to take a bit.""I know this is frustrating – believe me, we're frustrated too – but each country has the right set [sic] its own rules about content, and it's our responsibility to comply with them. Rest assured we'll do everything we can to find a way to get the game into your hands. Stay tuned."The Classification Board is yet to release a statement.Yesterday afternoon it was revealed Saints Row IV had been refused classification in Australia for the use of an anal probe weapon the Classification Board felt constituted a visual depiction of implied sexual violence, plus drug use related to in-game rewards (in this case, superpowers).Since State of Decay's launch on June 5 the open-world zombie survival RPG has gone on to become the fastest-selling Xbox Live Arcade game ever, notching up 500,000 paid downloads in less than two weeks Games containing drug use related to incentives or rewards have historically had problems being rated in Australia. In 2008 Fallout 3 fell foul of the guideline , prompting Bethesda to steer clear of using real-world terms like morphine in its game. A modified Fallout 3 was rated and made available for sale. In 2007 Blitz: The League was refused classification for steroid use. It remains forbidden from sale in the country.

Luke is Games Editor at IGN AU. You can find him on IGN here or on Twitter @MrLukeReilly , or chat with him and the rest of the Australian team by joining the IGN Australia