Rimworld Game Removed from Sale in Australia

orangetrain on 12/03/2022 - 23:03

A good time to be aware that the classification board is controlled by OLD and RELIGIOUS (ie Christian (ie CONSERVATIVE) ). Which can affect how the artists such as game developers can release their products.

How much would you get paid to be on this board? $128k at least from one random source. Imagine sitting once a month and saying no to whatever gets submitted and give no reason. Quite amazing pay from the taxpayers!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/294100/RimWorld/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Classification_Boar…

Source: https://ludeon.com/blog/2022/03/rimworld-removed-from-sale-i…

PS: Vote for Labor or LNP if you love the censorship board!

Gaming Ludeon Studios Video Game

Comments

  • AustriaBargain on 12/03/2022 - 23:19
    +7

    "Rimworld" sounds like a fairly raunchy game anyway, not surprised it was refused classification.

    • orangetrain on 12/03/2022 - 23:21

      It was actually refused classification when Rimworld studio decided to request classification for sale for console.

      But, I think it's more gore-y than raunch-y. Who doesn't love to keep their civilisation going with a few violations of geneva conventions?

      • ozbs25 on 13/03/2022 - 01:27
        +8

        Woosh.

        I guess the guys at Research in Motion didn't get it either when they were advertising for postions using the hastag:

        #RIMjobs

  • xuqi on 13/03/2022 - 00:08

    Didn't realise all these years the classification boards had 0 diversity..

    https://www.classification.gov.au/about-us/classification-bo…
    https://www.classification.gov.au/about-us/classification-re…
    https://www.classification.gov.au/about-us/classification-re…

    All Classification Board and Classification Review Board members are appointed by the Governor-General. Members may be eligible for re‑appointment after their term concludes. The maximum statutory term is seven years.

    The Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts consults on appointments with state and territory ministers before making a recommendation to the Governor-General.

  • Diji1 on 13/03/2022 - 02:44
    -1

    Australians are happy being censored, ripped off, surveilled and uninformed.

    They wouldn't have voted Labor and Liberal if they weren't. When the Greens were a viable option.

    • SBOB on 13/03/2022 - 08:39
      +3

      When the Greens were a viable option.

      So the greens don't support the classification board?? Is this part of their policy documentation or you just made this up?

    • WreckTangle on 13/03/2022 - 09:21
      +1

      I’m fine with being censored & surveilled

    • EightImmortals on 13/03/2022 - 14:13
      +2

      When were the Greens ever a viable option? (Agree with you about the other two too)

  • rektrading on 13/03/2022 - 06:07
    +1

    PS: Vote for Labor or LNP if you love the censorship board!

    Vote no to censorship, don't vote.

    Or opt out of the system.

    • [Deactivated] on 13/03/2022 - 08:28
      +4

      you don't actually have to vote (if you care about being fined), you just have to turn up and get your name checked off, you can then proceed to write whatever you want on the ballot, or just leave it blank, and put it in the box

      • SBOB on 13/03/2022 - 08:46
        +4

        you can then proceed to write whatever you want on the ballot, or just leave it blank, and put it in the box

        And then spend the following years complaining about how terrible our politicians are…
        It's the Australian way.

        • [Deactivated] on 13/03/2022 - 09:15
          +2

          if all the options are bad, it's not like you could have changed anything anyway. do i want a turd sandwich or a giant douche? choices, choices…

          personally, i don't want any of my votes to go towards anyone from labour, greens or liberal, but i am forced to put in votes for them "if" (more like when if they aren't in one of the 3 major parties) my original choice doesn't make it, if i don't number all the boxes and just vote for people that i actually believe in, my vote is not counted anyway because it is incomplete.

      • mr-incredulous on 13/03/2022 - 10:33

        We get the politicians that we deserve. Successful politicians are those that reflect what they see from the population. If everyone is cynical (donkey votes) then we get cynical politicians. Being cynical is extremely convenient because it absolves you of all responsibility and at the same time you get to play at being an intellectual with the minimum possible effort.

        • [Deactivated] on 13/03/2022 - 13:02

          a donkey vote is a specific type of vote that actually counts, in which you just number all the boxes as they appear on the page, what i do isn't a donkey vote, as i specifically don't want labour, liberals or greens to receive any of my votes (as they always end up doing).

          we get cynical politicians because it's easy for politicians to convince the masses that the snake oil they are selling is different this time. i'm not playing at being an intellectual, i'm acknowledging reality. to succeed in politics in this country you have to be on the side of one of the big parties and lack a moral compass. if everyone was cynical, like me (not donkey votes) then we might actually see something change, because no one would get elected

          • mr-incredulous on 13/03/2022 - 14:02

            @[Deactivated]: OK, sorry, I meant any kind of protest vote including invalid votes…

            Rights and responsibilities go together. You have the right to vote but you reject the responsibility to make an informed vote. You want the right to complain about the political outcomes but you refuse the responsibility of voting.

            It must be very easy to refer to other people as "the masses" while simultaneously putting in so little effort that you can't even write the numbers 1 to 12 once every 3 years.

            • [Deactivated] on 13/03/2022 - 14:43

              @mr-incredulous: i tried making informed votes, it's just a waste of my time because most people don't bother. 1 vote does not make a difference, the idea that it just is just a bunch of feel good bullshit

              i don't want that right at all, how silly, why would i want the right to complain about political outcomes? i don't complain about who wins because it's always liberal or labour, sometimes it's the greens but not often, but i just don't see the point complaining about how liberal wins when it's labour next year, they are just 2 sides of the same coin, what i complain about is the system, not the winners, there is no point complaining about one side winning if the other side is just as bad.

              it is easy, it would be nice if it weren't and people could think for themselves, instead of letting the media and politicians making fools of themselves campaigning do it for them, but this isn't the case.

              the only option for me to protest against a rigged system is to not participate at all

          • sam-1966 on 13/03/2022 - 19:04

            @[Deactivated]: From top to bottom or bottom to top.

            And they are counted! Staff are unable to make the decision if it is deliberate or donkey.

            • [Deactivated] on 13/03/2022 - 19:09

              @sam-1966: i know they're counted, i was reading about them and this little tidbit came up:

              Prior to 1984, when political party names did not appear on ballot papers and candidates names appeared in alphabetical order, it was not unknown for parties to choose candidates with names beginning with a letter early in the alphabet, particularly in marginal seats, in order to secure a higher position on the ballot paper.

              • sam-1966 on 13/03/2022 - 19:14

                @[Deactivated]: It is amazing the number of people who think they aren't counted… and that informal votes go to the sitting member.

                • [Deactivated] on 13/03/2022 - 19:16

                  @sam-1966: i don't think people doubt that they're counted, i think that they just don't care either way.

                  • sam-1966 on 13/03/2022 - 19:17

                    @[Deactivated]: Oh, no - I've had people come in to pre-poll and voting and seriously think that is a fact.

                    It is a worry.

                    It is scary what they believe to be true…

                    • [Deactivated] on 13/03/2022 - 19:22

                      @sam-1966: i suppose i shouldn't be surprised given how many people believe everything they see on the news.

  • payless69 on 13/03/2022 - 09:10
    +1

    Just ask our lovely ex QLD cop Peter for a VPN reccomendation!

  • star-ggg on 13/03/2022 - 10:25

    I've never played the game but it sounds like an interesting one. From what I can find on google, it seems like the drugs update actually attempts to accurately depict the detrimental effect of drug overuse on society. This seems like it provides a compelling argument why addictive drug use is bad.

    https://www.kotaku.com.au/2016/08/rimworld-update-adds-drugs…

    Meanwhile Australian society continues to have gambling, alcohol and fast food advertisements on all mediums. All of these only depict the highs of consumption and none of the bad.

    • RobBoss on 13/03/2022 - 17:40

      It's shocking to see how gambling is so normalised here and yet a game is banned. And you're right that whilst pawns (i.e. the colonists/minions you control) get benefits for taking drugs, the colony can grow over-reliant on it leading to the risk of failure.

  • mr-incredulous on 13/03/2022 - 10:47
    +1

    This seems to be the relevant line in the standards "For computer games, drug use related to "incentives and rewards" is not permitted.".

  • mskeggs on 13/03/2022 - 10:57
    +3

    To be fair, the review board has to apply the classification as decided by the government. If you want that to change, vote differently.

    You wouldn't complain that the parking inspector was to blame if you parked over the allotted time, it is the rule not the rule enforcement.

  • zombrex on 13/03/2022 - 15:38
    +3

    The Board considered that the depiction of drug use in the game, Rimworld, did include “illicit or proscribed drug use related to incentives or rewards” and that therefore the Board was required to classify the game, Refused Classification.

    I don't agree with any censorship but seems like an easy fix if they want to sell the game here.
    Fallout 3 was also originally refused classification then they changed the drug references, the game still has tons of drugs you can take for benefits so it was not much of a change.

    • Starayo on 13/03/2022 - 18:02
      +1

      Rimworld's drugs not only are fictional, they all have extremely bad effects if you become addicted (which can be very easy) to the point that while I may manufacture them to sell, in all my years of playing I have always forbidden my colonists from actually using them, because it's a great way to have my colony spiral into collapse.

      Basically, the idea that drug use is somehow incentivised is complete BS.

      • zombrex on 13/03/2022 - 18:27
        +1

        Based on what the wiki says, there are benefits of using them even if possible negatives.
        It would not surprise me if the item descriptions themselves significantly influenced the ruling. Remember they don't play the game just get shown the important content by the developer.

        "A flaky substance that can be smoked to induce a short but powerful euphoric state."
        "A synthetic combat drug developed for space marines during the early days of interplanetary warfare. Go-juice blocks pain and increases the user's melee and shooting abilities. It also enhances movement speed."
        A fine white powder snorted to produce a euphoric high.

        https://rimworldwiki.com/wiki/Drugs#:~:text=Drugs%20can%20be….

        Also if the application was self-completed by the developer they probably lack the knowledge on how to present the game to the ratings board like big publishers do to avoid getting banned.

  • payton on 14/03/2022 - 16:02
    -1

    OLD and RELIGIOUS (ie Christian (ie CONSERVATIVE)

    Ah the groups of people that can villified and smeared at will without repercussions. Any other groups, its hate speech but not if the victims are white and/or christians.
    /s

  • leelemon on 19/03/2022 - 01:44

    Rimworld is one of the best games I have ever played - I've sunk so many hours into it…
    The mods community is great, expansions are entertaining… it's a real shame if this is true :S

    And it's weird - I thought it would be the cannibalism, or maybe the polygamy, that would piss off censors more than the drugs lol

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