Australia Censors South Park: The Stick of Truth

[Gahars]

Oh my God, you inconvenienced Kenny! You braggarts!

At this stage, it's unclear exactly what has been changed in the game, but a spokesperson from Ubisoft has told us that a "slightly modified version of South Park The Stick of Truth has been approved for release in Australia on March 6".

The Australian Classification Board actually rated South Park: The Stick of Truth twice. The official rating was the second time the game had been through the process. Three weeks earlier, the Board rated another Ubisoft title, Codename, which had the same "High impact crude humour, sex scenes and references to sexual violence" as South Park.

The rabbit hole continues, however: Both games were referred to as "modified" versions. We're investigating what changes were made in the three weeks between Codename and South Park, and trying to discover if there is a third game that was submitted even earlier.

We believe the North American version submitted to the ESRB is, as they say, "uncut".

Player Attack

And, if you're interested, here's the ESRB's... illuminating description of the game.

Spoiler

This is a role-playing adventure game based on the animated South Park TV show. Players assume the role of a new kid in town who embarks on various quests with other boys in the neighborhood. Players can engage in turn-based combat, selecting attacks from a menu screen. Players use various weapons (swords, baseball bats, hammers), magic spells and melee attacks during fights; blood-splatter effects sometimes occur. Cutscenes occasionally depict “cartoony” characters dismembered or decapitated. The game includes several instances of mature humor and sexual material: one extended sequence depicts characters getting anally probed by alien creatures; another sequence (in an abortion clinic) depicts doctors using a vacuum to perform procedures on male characters; one level takes place inside the rectum/colon of a character (sex toys, random objects and fecal matter appear in the level)—all sequences are depicted in a cartoony and over-the-top manner. Characters are occasionally depicted nude (e.g., breasts, buttocks, male genitalia); one extended sequence depicts an out-of-focus couple having sex in the background; as players engage in turn-based battle in the foreground, sexual moaning sounds/dialogue is heard. During the course of the game, drug paraphernalia can be seen strewn around a methamphetamine lab. The words “f**k,” “sh*t,” “a*shole,” and “f*ggot” can be heard in the dialogue.

Sounds like the Australians just can't handle games that are bigger, longer, and uncut. You've really got to open up and relax, Aussies, because you're missing the full south porking here!

 

[spotanjo3]

Well, to my opinion.. Before you say anything.. I am not here to argument. I respect your preference and your opinion. They are doing the right things for a good reasons. I would not let my kids (I dont have one) to play nor watch South Park at all. A role model is a good parenting and a protection, that's all. It is called decent and love!

 

[Gahars]

Well, to my opinion.. Before you say anything.. I am not here to argument. I respect your preference and your opinion. They are doing the right things for a good reasons. I would not let my kids (I dont have one) to play nor watch South Park at all. A role model is a good parenting and a protection, that's all. It is called decent and love!

How is censoring a game intended only for adult audiences protecting children?

Australia has an R18+ rating now. There's no need to censor content when only adults are allowed to purchase the game. If you're letting your young child experience South Park-anything, the problem isn't with South Park, it's with you being a bad parent.

 

[Hells Malice]

Well, to my opinion.. Before you say anything.. I am not here to argument. I respect your preference and your opinion. They are doing the right things for a good reasons. I would not let my kids (I dont have one) to play nor watch South Park at all. A role model is a good parenting and a protection, that's all. It is called decent and love!

South Park has never BEEN for kids. It's more of an "adult" cartoon, so really the censorship is quite pointless. Parents just need to do their job as parents and not let their kid play this game, rather than have it dumbed down and ruin the experience for the people old enough to actually handle the game.

EDIT: Ninja'd

 

[spotanjo3]

Yes, you are right that if you are letting your young child or a teenager kids experience South Park then you are a bad parent. Definitely true but a human being that created South Park is even badder than a bad parent. A human being that created South Park is simple a bad influence. If they want to make great South Park.. They shouldn't use this as sexual violence. It is not really necessarily.

Hells Malice,

Its free country and it is on TV. We made our decision and our chosen. Its not good. To me, it is unacceptable. It is like an temptation, thats why. Please just respect me and understand my point of view.

I do understand your preference and your point of view. A difference. That's fine. I am not shouting at you or criticizing you. I am telling you from what I see. :-)

That's my philosophy and my opinion. Thanks for sharing your opinions with me. Cheers!

 

[ShadowSoldier]

if you are letting your young child or a teenager kids experience South Park then you are a bad parent.

Umm, fuck you.

It's an Adult game. Just because some parents out there like you are stuck up and can't handle things being different than your tastes, doesn't mean that the rest of the people should have to suffer. Don't want your kid playing the game or watching the show? That's YOUR job.

 

[KingVamp]

*Snip

Are you trolling? You sound like some of those people in that Swapnote thread.

BTW Some teens can handle stuff like that.

 

[XiTaU]

maybe they are censoring it so it doesnt need to go in the 18+ rating as parents are more likely to buy their kids a 15+ game rather then an 18+ game. If it comes out as a cut 18+ game it will be quite disappointing for the whole 18+ ruleing they put through not long ago.

 

[spotanjo3]

Umm, *Snip*.

It's an Adult game. Just because some parents out there like you are stuck up and can't handle things being different than your tastes, doesn't mean that the rest of the people should have to suffer. Don't want your kid playing the game or watching the show? That's YOUR job.

Wow.. What a harsh word.

 

[DSGamer64]

It's not the creators fault that parents are stupid and incapable of managing the content their kids have access too. And adult consumers and those mature enough to handle the content shouldn't have to suffer the ignorance of those who censor products that have ratings for a reason.

 

[Chary]

"Intended for Adults" hardly means that only adults watch this show. Many children watch this show, and many parents don't care to prevent their child from viewing. Throw in the fact that they're making a video game? Plenty of kids will buy this. Good for Australia. I'm glad they're doing this.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

ITT

Anyways, seeing how Australia seems to be censor happy, that isn't all that surprising, though a little strange since they have an 18+ rating now...Huh.

 

[MelodieOctavia]

We should be censoring things that are clearly for adults because "WILL SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN"? It would be nice if folks realize that it's their job to keep their kids from shit like South Park, not a government agency. We shouldn't have to bubble-wrap everything just because children MIGHT get the opportunity to see it.

 

[Veho]

Notice that the censored version is still rated "R18+" ("High impact crude humour, sex scenes and references to sexual violence "), so it's not completely neutered. The uncesored version would probably have been refused classification (effectively banned in Australia).


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_banned_video_games_in_Australia

 

[Dork]

HIGH

IMPACT

SEXUAL

VIOLENCE

 

[tbgtbg]

Whenever they got notes from the MPAA about the movie, they just put in something worse. And it worked. They should do that here.

 

[Fluto]

We'll it looks like I'm importing.
Since it's in a video game format it can't have these adult themes in it, you know, since the show also has it.

 

[Satangel]

We'll it looks like I'm importing.
Since it's in a video game format it can't have these adult themes in it, you know, since the show also has it.

Definitely, import this. Would be a waste of a game to not import it

 

[chartube12]

We should be censoring things that are clearly for adults because "WILL SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN"? It would be nice if folks realize that it's their job to keep their kids from shit like South Park, not a government agency. We shouldn't have to bubble-wrap everything just because children MIGHT get the opportunity to see it.

Or you know, teach your children why they can't say or do stuff on television and watch it with them if they really want to watch south park and play their games. Honestly most of my elementary school watched south park when it first aired when I was in 5th grade. Most kids handled it maturely..others not so much. Not all children are the same and treating them all like they are (even if they are your own kids) is one of the majorly wrong things with US educational system.

 

[Foxi4]

I'm willing to wager that Australia's assault on free speech looked somewhat like this.