No Mortal Kombat for Australia
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A lot of die-hard fans have been patiently waiting for the release of the latest Mortal Kombat. Sadly, Australian fans won't be able to get their hands on it.
A Refused Classification decision has been made by the Australian Classification Board which bans the selling of Mortal Kombat in Australia. Their main concern about the game is the fatalities.
"The game includes over 60 fatalities, which contain explicit depictions of dismemberment, decapitation, disembowelment, and other brutal forms of slaughter," the official Board report stated. "Despite the exaggerated conceptual nature of the fatalities and their context within a fighting game set in a fantasy realm, impact is heightened by the use of graphics, which are realistically rendered and very detailed. In the opinion of the Board, the game contains violence that exceeds strong in impact and is unsuitable for a minor to see or play. The game should therefore be Refused Classification pursuant to item 1(d) of the computer games table of the National Classification Board."
This isn't the first time Australian gamers rage because one of their most anticipated game gets slammed by the ban-hammer. Left 4 Dead 2 had the exact problem also receiving a Refused Classification from the Australian Classification Board. Their reason for the decision was because of "the high impact violence against living humans infected with a rabies-like virus" which is said to be unsuitable for minors under the age of 18.
Australia's highest rating is MA15+, which means if the game is not suitable for a 15-year-old then it's instantly not suitable for 18 and above. If only Australia has an R18+ classification then problems like this won't occur for future game releases.
Mortal Kombat is set to be released outside Australia on April 19,2011 on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.
