Mortal Kombat banned in Australia, maybe?

I actually thought this might happen (thanks to our no R18+ video game law):

The below text has been copied from fightersgeneration.com

http://www.fightersgeneration.com/main.htm


"The highly anticipated video game Mortal Kombat, published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (WBIE) in Australia, has been refused classification by the Australian Classification Board and will not release in Australia. We are extremely disappointed that Mortal Kombat, one of the world's oldest and most successful video games franchises, will not be available to mature Australian gamers."

"WBIE would not market mature content where it is not appropriate for the audience. We understand that not all content is for every audience, but there is an audience for mature gaming content and it would make more sense to have the R18+ classification in Australia.


Violent games don't really interest me at all I couldn't care less when I found out Manhunt was banned in Australia; and Aliens vs. Predators had all its graphically violent content cut from the game for it's aussie release. But this new Mortal Komabat was something I would have liked to check out...

Aside from the news itself, I've learned something new today...I didnt knew that Mature gaming was banned from Australia. I thought we had it bad with Censorship in America...I'm guessing this must be really hard to be an Australian gamers...one of my favorite series right now is Assassin's Creed, and it's a 18+ franchise...how do they deal with that one I wonder (since I know Australia received Assassin's Creed). Do they just remove the blood too (because it was already optional in the American version)?

In any case, Mortal Kombat does not interrest me much, but I find it pretty sad for gamers there, because I know it's a popular franchise.

Yes Assassins Creed has made it into Australia under the MA15+ rating. I actually do not think any content from this game series was cut to get in this country either. Obviously they see this new Mortal Kombat game as a more graphically violent game then Assassin Creed.

I have a hard time wrapping my head around this one. I expected Mortal Kombat to have over the top violence and gore. Going so far that it gets banned well exceeds my expectations. I wasn't very interested in it before, but this makes me wonder if it's a game I would enjoy at all. It might be too graphic for my tastes.

EBgames and Gametraders have both removed their preorder pages for Mortal Kombat from their websites and ultimately told their customers they have to cancel their preorders for the game. It's caused quite an uproar so far. Just goes to show how many Mortal Kombat fans were hiding in Australia. They also had brief thing about this on the news this afternoon but I never saw much of it as I was going out at the time. Some gamers are comparing content with this game to God of War 3 which got into Australia quite easily. Interesting to see what happens with this R18+ game rating now.

If even God of War made it, with the sex mini-game and the ultra graphic gore scene, I REALLY don't understand what's the problem with Mortal Kombat...what a contradiction

That makes me wonder if this might be more about politics or the reputation of Mortal Kombat. If an organization wants to make a show of taking a hard line against mature gaming, Mortal Kombat is usually the first target. Maybe the game was banned more for the name and violent history of the series than the game content itself.

I think it's interesting that MK is banned and God of War is not. God of War is probably, sans maybe Manhunt, the most violent game I can think of.

Well guys there is no hope left any more, Mortal Kombat 9 has been officially and will be forever banned in Australia. Warner Bros. Interactive tried to appeal the game after it was first refused classification but it was once again rejected. Mortal Kombat 9 has been “Banned due to the graphic realistic depictions of mutilations and gore performed by the fatalities.”

I'd just like to reiterate the argument about an adult being able to watch R rated movies in this country, but told they're not allowed to play games that exceed the MA15+ rating. Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. On another note New Zealand, Australia's neighbouring country will be getting Mortal Kombat 9 because they are obviously smart enough to have a rating for games ONLY meant to be played by ADULTS. In New Zealand Mortal Kombat 9 has been rated 18+ with a warning announcing "Graphic Violence".

Overall I am a little disappointed as I was looking forward to this game. I said previously violent games never interested me but I’ve always been a bit of casual Mortal Kombat fan not hardcore like Street Fighter or KOF however. Oh well, back to Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 on the old Super NES I guess.

The first Mortal Kombat made so much noise that my neighbor didn't want our son playing it at our house. By the time the second one came around on home systems, I don't think anybody really cared all that much anymore. Strange to see this sort of mentality still in existence (It was always my observation that after 2-3 years of the controversy caused by any sort of media, people just forget and allow it to become even more explicit than it was when the controversy existed).