EA will not appeal Syndicate’s Refused Classification ruling in Australia

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After the announcement yesterday that Syndicate had been refused classification in Australia, EA have released an official statement noting that they will not be appealing the decision, making the choice not to modify the game and re-submit to the board.

In a statement released to joystiq, EA Corporate Communications’ Tiffany Steckler had this to say about the decision:

“The game will not be available in Australia despite its enthusiastic response from fans. We were encouraged by the government’s recent agreement to adopt an 18+ age rating for games. However, delays continue to force an arcane censorship on games – cuts that would never be imposed on books or movies. We urge policy makers to take swift action to implement an updated policy that reflects today’s market and gives its millions of adult consumers the right to make their own content choices.”

Based on the Australian Government’s Classification Board report, it’s the high impact violence which is prominently featured in the game which has resulted in Syndicate being deemed to be unsuitable for those aged under 18 to play.

“In the opinion of the Board, the game contains intense sequences of violence which include detailed depictions of decapitation and dismemberment that are high in playing impact. The game also contains the ability to inflict repeated and realistic post mortem damage which exceeds strong in playing impact. It is therefore unsuitable for a minor to see or play and should be Refused Classification pursuant to item 1(d) of the computer games table of the code.”

We must admit to being disappointed that Syndicate will not be released in Australia. However, we support EA’s right not to modify the vision of their game in order to be classified under the MA15+ classification scheme here.

Syndicate will be releasing everywhere (except Australia) on February 24th, 2012 on the PS3, Xbox360 and PC. Those of you with a PS3 will likely be able to import the game from overseas, however PC and Xbox360 players may be out of luck.

Source: Joystiq (via AusGamers)


About the Author: Founder & Editor-in-Chief

Tash is a self-diagnosed gaming fanatic with a doctorate in Psychology. She's also a self-confessed Mass Effect fangirl and will likely talk your ears off if you ever get her started on the subject. A lover of all things RPG and adventure, she has more gamer related action figures and memorabilia than any 30 something year old professional has a right to own, and has spent more time than she’d like to admit to daydreaming about exactly what she would do should the Zombie Apocalypse actually happen.

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