Saints Row 4 has been refused classification in Australia. If you're unsure of what that means - it cannot be sold or displayed in any retail stores across the country.

Deep Silver issued the following statement to Joystiq:

Deep Silver can confirm that Saints Row IV was denied an age classification in Australia. Volition, the developer, are reworking some of the code to create a version of the game for this territory by removing the content which could cause offence without reducing the outlandish gameplay that Saints Row fans know and love. Saints Row IV has been awarded PEGI 18 and ESRB M ratings where fans can enjoy their time in Steelport as originally intended.

The acting director of the Australian Classifcation Board, Donald McDonald, had the following to say:

In the Board’s opinion, Saints Row IV, includes interactive, visual depictions of implied sexual violence which are not justified by context. In addition, the game includes elements of illicit or proscribed drug use related to incentives or rewards. Such depictions are prohibited by the computer games guidelines.

Under the body’s guidelines, Saint’s Row 4 is being refused classification as it, manages to, “depict, express or otherwise deal with matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or abhorrent phenomena in such a way that they offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults to the extent that they should not be classified.

Well, you know how I feel about sexualized violence especially when it comes to Deep Silver, but I'm biting my tongue until the content is shown. Sexual violence is a topic that shouldn't be censored but I don't believe video games have proven they can handle the topic with poise or intellect. From what we've seen from the Saints Row series, I'm not exactly sure "poise" or "intellect" would be the first words to come to my mind in regards to depicting a mode of violence that has deeply problematic social readings.

UPDATE: Trigger Warning for Sexual Assault

It appears that more details have been given to Kotaku from the Australian Classifaction Board (emphasis mine):

The game includes a weapon referred to by the Applicant as an “Alien Anal Probe”. The Applicant states that this weapon can be “shoved into enemy’s backsides”. The lower half of the weapon resembles a sword hilt and the upper part contains prong-like appendages which circle around what appears to be a large dildo which runs down the centre of the weapon. When using this weapon the player approaches a (clothed) victim from behind and thrusts the weapon between the victim’s legs and then lifts them off the ground before pulling a trigger which launches the victim into the air. After the probe has been implicitly inserted into the victim’s anus the area around their buttocks becomes pixelated highlighting that the aim of the weapon is to penetrate the victim’s anus. The weapon can be used during gameplay on enemy characters or civilians. In the Board’s opinion, a weapon designed to penetrate the anus of enemy characters and civilians constitutes a visual depiction of implied sexual violence that is interactive and not justified by context and as such the game should be Refused Classification.

The game contains an optional mission which involves the player obtaining and smoking drugs referred to as “alien narcotics”. Smoking the “alien narcotics” equips the player with “superpowers” which increase their in-game abilities allowing them to progress through the mission more easily.

I'm going to go ahead and say something crazy here: raping a victim before murdering them is incredibly fucked up. I placed a trigger warning because even though this is supposed to be far from reality with "alien technology," the graphics implied are highly triggering and are in incredibly poor taste. I'm cringing at the thoughts of rape jokes to come out of it especially on YouTube Let's Plays and in multiplayer environments that are already incredibly hostile. I know many people are going to tell me to lighten up and I've already seen the "lulz" come out of this news, but I'm not cracking a smile here.

Comments

  • theottomatic91 Avatar
    theottomatic91
    10 years, 9 months ago

    As a gamer living in Australia I was really pissed to read this but then again I will most likely get a ps3 version from the UK and just use that one.

  • Avatar
    WubWub
    10 years, 9 months ago

    I thought Australia recently got an r 18+ rating? If this wont get classified as is then what is the point of introducing that rating?

  • inthenameofharmon Avatar
    inthenameofharmon
    10 years, 9 months ago

    I really hope the sexual violence is just referring to the open world sandbox gameplay where you can run around naked smacking people with giant dildos and what not. I doubt a plot with aliens and superpowers in a cyberworld is going to get that dark

  • theottomatic91 Avatar
    theottomatic91
    10 years, 9 months ago

    Wow that whole alien probe thing is pretty disturbing, kind of understand the board's decision now.

  • Avatar
    Rorix
    10 years, 9 months ago

    I would expect nothing less from Saint's Row. Sounds like fun. I find it funny that the Australian government thinks that taking such an archaic measure and attempting to police morality in this way will have any effect whatsoever. Even if it makes it slightly more difficult to obtain the game, people will play it and because of this exposure, many more people will want to play this game than previously did. It's the Streisand Effect in action.

  • Avatar
    xPocketRavex
    10 years, 9 months ago

    don't worry love ill crack a smile for you :) and maybe a wink one too ;)

  • Avatar
    jeroz
    10 years, 9 months ago

    ", a weapon designed to penetrate the anus of enemy characters and civilians constitutes a visual depiction of implied sexual violence that is interactive and not justified by context and as such the game should be Refused Classification."

    yet, naruto is being sold in every book stores

  • AdjacentKitten Avatar
    AdjacentKitten
    10 years, 9 months ago

    Anyone who thought that this wasn't going to happen in the first place was probably joking themselves. It's hard to understand the sensitivity behind people's expectations for this game, as they've recently taken to pushing the boundaries of good taste. Volition is very clearly marketing to a demographic of gamers who can get a quick, cheap laugh/surprise out of such absurd violence.

  • Avatar
    CommanderZx2
    10 years, 9 months ago

    How is this worse than the anal probing weapon in every single 'Destroy All Humans!' games?

  • Avatar
    WubWub
    10 years, 9 months ago

    I just find it amazing how people have double standards. Shoving a dildo up someones ass or mentioning drugs is somehow worse than being able to shoot people anywhere in the body, blow their heads off or other body parts with guns. Hack them or bludgeon them to death or even torturing people.

    This game does it light heartedly as a joke but all the other games with guns and extreme violence have a serious tone to them so i don't see how this is worse than them games. Same applies to things you see on tv. Showing a breast is late night only but showing bodies of a car bomb aftermath in Afghanistan is completely fine for daytime viewing. Double standards everywhere. People need to stop trying to be politically correct all the time.

  • plu_To Avatar
    plu_To
    10 years, 9 months ago

    Even worse, State of Decay has followed closely behind Saints Row 4 and been banned in Australia....Nooooooo.....I need to kill Zombies....who is this acting Director of the Australian Classification Board...and why did his parents name him Donald McDonald

  • Avatar
    Pascal Pouliot
    10 years, 8 months ago

    I guess this is what happen when a country is rule by wimps.