Oh, Australia. Your ratings board, as we have discussed previously, is sort of a mess. Games and movies are rated on completely different scales, which results in some very weird happenings. One problem with the Aussie ratings system is that there’s no classification for games that are intended only for adults, meaning that Mature-type games can effectively be blocked from release in the country.

This is exactly what happened to Syndicate, which according to the ratings board was refused classification due to intense blood and gore. Because there’s no “grown-ups only,” rating in Australia, the game will not see an Aussie release unless it’s eventually accepted under the current classification system – despite the fact that the Aussie government is currently working on an R18+ rating.

The ratings board has banned a couple of high profile games over the last few years, most notably 2011’s Mortal Kombat and 2008's Fallout 3 (later accepted with edits). Other games, such as The Witcher 2, have come painfully close, requiring in-game changes to pass muster. There’s no word on whether EA will fight the decision or attempt to edit their game, but for now it looks like Aussie players may have to do without Syndicate.

What do you folks think of Australia’s games rating system? Dumb? Effective? Both?

[VG24/7]

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