The Australian system for rating games is under fire after censors banned one of the year's most anticipated releases, Fallout 3.
The Classification Board refused to issue it an age rating, claiming that the game promoted drug use. What got the censor's miffed was that players can use drugs to boost their characters' abilities such as stamina, health and intelligence.
Since there is no R18+ classification for games in Oz, those games that don't meet the MA15+ standard are banned from sale.
Gameplayer.com.au points out that there are shedloads of games out there which have a similar or higher level of drug use including Battlefield Bad Company, BioShock, Haze and Grand Theft Auto IV. However the censors have waved these games through.
The Classification Board said computer games may include depictions of drug use but could not provide incentives or rewards to players for doing so.
It was really miffed that using morphine in the game had the positive effect of enabling the character to ignore limb pain.
As Ben Mansill, who is the associate publisher at Gameplayer.com.au, points out that morphine was not a street drug but a painkiller portrayed in countless films and on the telly as a way of easing pain.
It creates a weird message that killing people is acceptable in games, but applying first aid to yourself when hurt was not, he said.