We’re halfway through 2013, and the latter half of the year is shaping up to be a landmark in gaming. We’re still in the summer drought for games, but the Fall and Holiday seasons this year will be bringing us some huge games and two new consoles.
As reported on Tuesday, Saints’ Row IV was denied classification in Australia, effectively banning the game in the region unless the offensive content is removed. Further details have surfaced from the Australian Classification Board:
The game includes a weapon referred to by the Applicant as an ‘Alien Anal Probe’. The Applicant states that this weapon can be ‘shoved into enemy’s backsides’. The lower half of the weapon resembles a sword hilt and the upper part contains prong-like appendages which circle around what appears to be a large dildo which runs down the centre of the weapon.
When using this weapon the player approaches a (clothed) victim from behind and thrusts the weapon between the victim’s legs and then lifts them off the ground before pulling a trigger which launches the victim into the air. After the probe has been implicitly inserted into the victim’s anus the area around their buttocks becomes pixelated highlighting that the aim of the weapon is to penetrate the victim’s anus.
The weapon can be used during gameplay on enemy characters or civilians. In the Board’s opinion, a weapon designed to penetrate the anus of enemy characters and civilians constitutes a visual depiction of implied sexual violence that is interactive and not justified by context and as such the game should be Refused Classification.
Frankly, this is the kind of potty humor we expect from the franchise. But it is exactly what the board describes: “sexual violence that is interactive and not justified by context.” It may not be realistic “sexual violence” but it’s in there just for the hell of it. Which makes me question how they’d treat a rape scene. If you’re playing a cop, interviewing a rape victim, and it shows you a detailed flashback from the victim’s perspective, how would they rate it? Would it be denied classification simply for being lascivious and terrible? Or would they consider that sexual violence justified by the context? Irrelevant I suppose. For what it’s worth, there is also drug use in the game that shares some of the burden for the denial: “The game contains an optional mission which involves the player obtaining and smoking drugs referred to as ‘alien narcotics’. Smoking the ‘alien narcotics’ equips the player with ‘superpowers’ which increase their in-game abilities allowing them to progress through the mission more easily.” Deep Silver and Volition are reworking the game to apply for resubmission. It is scheduled for release on August 20th in the US.
The Australian board has also denied classification to Undead Labs’ State of Decay, purportedly for drug use. According to the developer’s founder, Jeff Strain, they’ve “run afoul of certain prohibitions regarding the depiction of drug use.” Undead Labs’ is also working with Microsoft to resubmit the game after changing the names of certain medications. Among the culprits are methadone, morphine, and amphetamines; these are real drugs that are often prescribed. Allowing the player to “self-administer proscribed drugs which aid in gameplay progression” is enough to disqualify the game from classification according to the ACB. It seems their R18+ rating, designated for games that should only be played by responsible adults, hasn’t actually resulted in much change to their policy.
If you purchased the Season Pass for Bioshock Infinite‘s DLC, you may be wondering when you’ll get your money’s worth. According to Ken Levine’s Twitter, “DLC Update: We are working on it – have been since the game shipped. Things are going well, but plz understand: game development takes time.” It’s been three months since the retail game hit shelves, which is a bit longer than should be expected. Generally, the first episode of Season Pass DLC drops about a month after the game. You can still purchase the Season Pass, which is basically a two for one deal, but there’s no telling when it will become worth the purchase.
With E3 now over, and Sony’s outright jabs at Microsoft’s policy fading memory, multiple sources have told IGN that Sony basically tricked their competitor on the price point. According to several retailers, Sony had already informed them that all PS4 consoles would come with the new camera and retail at $499, the same price currently planned for the XBox One. Leading up to E3, Sony informed these retailers that the camera bundling was being dropped but did not mention lowering the price to $399, an announcement that came with huge cheers at E3. This was apparently a ploy to not let Microsoft know about the lowered cost, giving Sony the upper hand. It’s a little devious, but if you know you’re going to have leaks to your competition, why not sow some disinformation? Oddly enough, it’s still going to be about $40 cheaper even if you do plan to purchase the new Eye camera. However, this could easily backfire for Sony. Kinect’s inclusion means a 100% install base, something that will encourage developers to use it. Without the Eye, the LED light on the DualShock 4 is pointless, and developers may not be encouraged to utilize the feature in their games if they don’t think it has enough market saturation. Between this possible slip-up, and Microsoft’s back-pedaling on used games and DRM, the benefit gap between the two consoles seems to be closing.
Another potential boon to the XBox One is an adapter that is still in the works at Microsoft. It’s eventual release is not guaranteed at this point, but it’s another example of the manufacturer responding to its vocal customers. The XBox Support Twitter was asked “Will current headsets such as X11 and Astro A40 work properly on the new consoles?” To which they responded that they “are working to develop an adapter for current wired headsets to connect. More details as we approach launch.” The next-gen hardware will not include a headset, unlike its predecessor, as Microsoft feels the Kinect’s microphone will be adequate. A feeling not shared by many fans.
The larger format, downloadable spin-off model seems to be working for Ubisoft and will likely become a larger part of their business model in the near future. Both Call of Juarez: Gunslinger and Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon have done well for them. Blood Dragon has reportedly seen over 500,000 downloads in only two months. At $15 each, these two have proven very profitable. Thanks to the positive response to these games you could very likely see sequels to both, as well as downloadable spin-offs to other Ubisoft brands. (Assassin’s Creed anyone?)
DICE looks to be changing things up a bit for Battlefield 4. In hopes of making the game less linear than Battlefield 3, they’ll be incorporating multiplayer-style elements into the single player experience. They’ll also be bringing vehicular elements from Bad Company. Karl-Magnus Troedsson, DICE General Manager, says “There are signature multiplayer elements that we want to bring into single-player. We want to give the player a choice. Do they want to go for the sneaky approach with a sniper rifle and a silenced pistol, or do they want to take a jeep and have the entire squad shoot at everything they see?” More option for objectives is usually a good thing, provided they are fairly balanced. Too often developers suggest that you can solve problems however you like, but it’s clear that one way is the right way, and the other methods occasionally work. We’ll find out October 29, 2013.
That’s all for this week. The weekend looks to be a scorcher in many parts of the US. Turn on your AC and fire up a console, because going outside will roast you. Or, if you’re as crazy (stupid) as I am, you can head out in the 100+ degree weather for a 12+ mile obstacle course. I’ll be making a Spartan Beast of myself in that heat.