Will Fallout 3 be banned in Australia?

Posted Jul 5th 2008 6:00PM by John Callaham
Filed under: RPG, Fallout 3

The game isn't scheduled for release this fall but there's a rumor going around that Bethesda Softworks' post apocalypse themed RPG Fallout 3 may be banned in Australia. That country's version of Gamespot has posted up word from an unnamed poster on their message boards which claims the game will be refused to be rated by Australia's Office of Film and Literature Classification due to the use of drugs in the game. That move will effectively ban the game from being sold.

So far the publisher of Fallout 3 in Australia, Red Ant Enterprises, has refused comment on the rumor and the OLFC has said a final decision on the game's rating has not yet been made. It wouldn't surprise us, however, if the game is indeed banned since Australia is nortorious for keeping a number of acclaimed games from being classified for its ratings system. This is due in part to the video game ratings system only allowing games to be rated up to MA15+. There is currently nothing in that country that allows games to be rated any higher (unlike films and DVDs which can be rated at R18+).

Gallery: Fallout 3

Tags: bethesda-softworks, bethsoft, fallout-3

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

This is pretty silly, GTA IV makes the cut with all its themes intact but a slight amount of violence taken out; but Fallout 3 might get banned because characters use morphine when they're injured?

Ban hospitals! Ban pharmacies!Posted at 9:06PM on Jul 5th 2008 by Haggard

That's not how you spell notorious.Posted at 11:23AM on Jul 8th 2008 by TychoCelchuuu

Though many games have been banned in Australia in the past, they have always been titles that I never would have bought anyway. But I knew sooner or later something would come along and upset that record. Glad I no longer live there.Posted at 1:30AM on Jul 6th 2008 by paralipsis

Makes you glad to have that old Freedom of Speech clause
Posted at 11:43AM on Jul 6th 2008 by chris

This is pretty annoying,Im an Australian and i don't see any problem with this game many other games with drugs in them have been here.Bioshock,Haze are just two examples.Let's just hope this is a rumor.Posted at 10:05AM on Jul 6th 2008 by Cocobean

The drugs are likely going to be a minor issue given you can blow up a super-mutant's head and spread it's brains around in glorious detail.Posted at 4:37PM on Jul 6th 2008 by LaughingTarget