After being denied a rating by the Australian Classification Board, it seems like the "drug-fuelled, retrofuturistic" game set in a dystopian '60s England, will finally hit the shores of Australia. In a blog post, Compulsion Games announced that the Australian Classification Review Board has reversed its decision and will allow the release of We Happy Few in Australia.

The game will be classified R 18+ (Restricted) with the consumer advice 'Fantasy violence and interactive drug use'. The reversal came from a unanimous decision of a three-member panel of the Classification Review Board.

"We are extremely pleased with the decision of the board and excited that our Australian fans and new players will be able to experience We Happy Few without modification," added Compulsion Games in their blog post. "We want to thank everybody who got involved in the discussion, contacted the board and sent us countless messages of support."

We Happy Few is slated for a Summer 2018 release for Xbox One, Windows, Mac and Linux.

SOURCE

 

[HaloEliteLegend]

from a unanimous decision of a three-member panel

So 3 people get to decide what an entire country can and can't play?

Eesh.

 

[ut2k4master]

So 3 people get to decide what an entire country can and can't play?

so just like the esrb

 

[HaloEliteLegend]

so just like the esrb

Not quite. The Australian Classification Board is a government outfit and games that aren't rated can't be sold outright in Australia. The ESRB, on the other hand, is a voluntary rating group not affiliated with the government and so games that aren't rated can still be sold (albeit many stores refuse to sell not rated games).

The ESRB works and lobbies for game companies and really only exists to stave off government regulation. I see that as a necessary evil, because I'd rather there be a voluntary rating board working for game companies with no real power to outright ban game sales than have the government get involved and start censoring things like in Australia.