‘State Of Decay’ Denied Classification In Australia
The open-world zombie game State of Decay was recently denied certification in Australia.
The Australian Classification has some strict rules about what can and cannot appear in video games released in the country. Apparently officials weren’t too thrilled with the use of drugs in the Undead Labs’ endeavor. As a result, the game has been denied certification.
Undead Labs founder Jeff Strain said in recent forum post:
We’ve run afoul of certain prohibitions regarding the depiction of drug use. We’re working with Microsoft to come up with options, including changing names of certain medications in the game to comply with ratings requirements. Whatever our path forward, it’s going to take a bit.
Strain went on to say that he understood the frustrations gamers are feeling right about now. After all, he’s experiencing some frustrations of his own. However, the Undead Labs founder said it was the company’s responsibility to comply with the rules and regulations set forth by Australian officials.
“Rest assured we’ll do everything we can to find a way to get the game into your hands,” he wrote.
According to Joystiq, Microsoft is currently evaluating the options that are available to them. In short, they’re seeing what they have to do to make sure this game gets released to those who are ready to battle the undead.
“The Australian Classification system plays an important role in ensuring that Australians can only access age-appropriate games and content,” a spokesperson told the website.
Haven’t heard of State of Decay? The open-world adventure finds players controlling a handful of survivors as they attempt to stay alive during a zombie apocalypse. Missions include finding supplies, destroying hordes of the undead, and rescuing other survivors. It’s similar in style and execution to DayZ, though without the ability to play online.
Unfortunately for Australian gamers, this isn’t the only game to get shot down by Australian officials. The Inquisitr previously reported that Saints Row 4 was banned by the classification board. One look at the trailer and you might be able to understand why.
Are you a fan of State of Decay? What do you think about the game getting denied classification in Australia?
