Yeah, I'm a little confused. Why is Fallout 2 OK, but Fallout 3 gets rejected? I guess that's the point you're making, and I agree that it's ridiculous.

I live in Florida, and although I'm outnumbered by a very vocal anti-gaming crowd, I do what I can to write letters (even made a phone call last year) to the legislative leadership encouraging a more reasonable approach to games as a whole. If enough people do this, I think it'll make an impact. Games can be art, and censorship doesn't have a place there.

Parents should be informed enough about what their kids want to buy/play to make their own judgements. But then more parents would have put effort into their kids' interests! What would be next!?

Fallout 2 was quite a while ago now and community standards change over time. Also an issue is that the depiction of the drug/"chem" usage in Fallout 3 is much more realistic by virtue of the vastly enhanced graphics.

The problem with the Australian game ratings system is that it isn't consistent with the film and other media system, even though it's all under the auspices of the OFLC.

Film and other media can be rated up to R18+ in most states, though an X18+ rating does exist for sexually explicit materials.

Games, however, may only be rated up to MA15+. If a game is considered to exceed that standard it is refused classification ("RC") and is thus "banned" from sale in Australia.

The Attorneys General of the country have said they'll look into setting up an R18+ rating, but there's a number of obstacles that are really outside the scope of this overly lengthy lecture on the intricacies of the Australian ratings system.

Apparently not so much. They seemed to take issue with the icons (same 'ol ones in the pipboy inventory screen), and that there's incentive to use them because they make the game easier (just like every other RPG ever).

Well looks like all the reason I need not to ever live in Austrailia.  I really don't nee the government protecting me and my children.  Damn what a bunch of idiots.

So chalk this one up on politicians don't know what they're doing (again) or "the man" trying to keep us down ?  Either way it's crap.  We all can cite numerous other games that may be just as offensive if not more and they're being sold.  That's what makes this ludicrous and sad.  

People, please research your topics before you lambast an entire counry and its political/legal system without knowing any let alone all of the facts..

This is an incredibly complex issue that has a simple solution that is unfortunately being impeded by one man in a position of power that considers himself to be 'the childrens' saviour.. because remember games are for kids

The OFLC wants an R18+ game rating, the State Governments want an R18+ rating for games, but due to the nature of our commonwealth being a federation of states, it requires all states Attourneys General to agree to it before it can be allowed. The South Australian one in particular just want's to say no, and that's the end of that until he changes his mind or is replaced (retirement shouldn't be too far off really)

If we had an R18+ rating, that's the rating fallout would have gotten.. no muss, no fuss! The office has issue with the postive portrayal of illicit drug use with positive benefits in doing so.. which gives it an instant R rating.. oh wait.. no R rating - then the game can't be released.

There's no super alterior motive behind the office wanting to censor content - they just want to rate it appropriately and are prevented from doing so within the bounds of the system. This hasn't been a huge issue in the past because most games have been made for kids over the years (as much as we 'mature' gamers hate to admit it, it's true, and has always been), but now we have more options as the medium is becoming more recognised and we're going to be seeing this issue ALOT more.. but thankfully like i said above this won't remain this way for much longer.

So please just chillax a little people.. and having a ratings board that's funded by the government doesn't mean they're out to push any 'government agenda', I love how American's always get up in arms about their freedoms but more than any nation in the last few years has progressively given up more.. All in the name of a farcial 'war on terror'.. good times!

I resent that comment!  I will make fun of any country that does something as assinine as this, and that includes my country of America.  Trust me I have been making lots of fun and unsavory comments about America lately and all of the deserved I assure you!

It should be rejected for being FPS style instead of true to the original games and style that made the series popular! I could stand to see government interaction here - Bethesda should be fined for ruining Fallout.

I really can't see myself buying this Oblivion expansion, err, Fallout Abomination.

Being called an idiot be someone with Prozac in their name......if that's not a compliment i don't know what is!

And yes, i know your referring to the Gov't and not individuals, just having a dig at you...

Glad I could provide the entertainment!

My sentiments exactly. Fallout 3 will likely have great graphics and may, or may not be fun to a certain extent. But it is certain that Fallout 3, like Oblivion, will be a shooter/action game, with some faux RPG trappings, that is designed for the consoles and ported to the PC (and, at least in the case of Oblivion, was not even optimized for PC, so that certain elements of the game, such as the inventory system, were quite lame). Fallout 3 may be called Fallout and have a Pipboy, but it is likely to be just one more variation of a shooter. Not that this is always bad--Bioshock was an excellent game, but Oblivion was not. But it won't really be a Fallout sequel.

To get back on topic, I oppose censorship of all kinds. I don't know the details or politics of the Austalian rating system, but I think it is more than unfortunate if it results in the banning of a game. However, as another poster noted, smug criticism of Americans on this issue is misplaced. While ratings here are "voluntary," and a game of movie is never legally banned from distribution, the failure to submit a product for rating (or failure to obtain a particular rating) essentially produces the same effect, since most video game retailers will not carry games rated at a certain level (remember GTA and Hot Coffee) and almost no theaters will show, or newspapers accept advertsing for, films rated NC-17. Similarly, movies often alter thir content to secure a PG-13 rating rather than an R depending on their intended audience (a recent example being the watered down John McClane presented in the theatrical version of Live Free or Die Hard). Thus, while works are not explicitly banned, game developers and movie producers self censor in order to achieve particular ratings (and another factor is the often bluenosed practices of very large retailers of games and DVDs like Walmart). Censorship, whether accomplished by outright bans or self imposed by not so subtle financial pressures, is censorship.

The other side of that argument is this: does the government have the right to FORCE a company to sell a particular product? If you dislike Wal~mart for not selling particular titles, what about the movie rental stores that likewise refuse? Is it only large companies you would deny the choice of what to sell, and what not to? The government does not have the right to tell you what you cannot buy, but it also doesn't have the right to tell stores what they must sell.

For that matter, why not insist the government force companies to be open 7 days a week? Some companies (Chik-fil-a being a notable example) close their stores on Sundays for religious observance. Who are they to use their moral stance to deny us a decent chicken sandwich?

"The Witcher" received a MA15+ rating in Australia and it has "Strong Violence, sex scene and drug references".

Maybe "The Sims 2" should be banned for including coffee or has it been decaffienated?

As an Australian, I actually object to your comments Camerooni. Australian gamers have every right to be up in arms about this and demand that our government take action. The problem is that too many Australians are laid back and prepared to let things slide, as your post suggests, and hence nothing gets done. The only people that can be bothered are the elderly and women's rights activists. Perhaps we can learn something from the Americans in doing something about it when our fredoms are in jeopardy.
Anyways, it sure is inconsistent when the previous two Fallout games were released without censorship in Australia. There are also plenty of TV shows shown on free to air tv that feature graphic drug use/violence/sex, and they all get rated MA15. The issue seems to be with games not only that there is no R18 rating, but they tend to be more strict because being in control of those actions yourself, rather than watching actors on tv, somehow has a more harming affect and hence censorship is more strict. It is definitely becoming more of a problem now with how far graphically games have developed because now all of these taboo activities are all the more lifelike than they were before.