50 Cent's Bulletproof banned in Australia
by Ross Miller 
{ Nov 28th 2005 at 6:30PM }
50 Cent can encourage kids to buy his game all he
wants, but children in the land down under have no chance to purchase the title, much less stare at the box art in
their local brick-and-mortar stores. Australia's Office of Film and Literature Classification refuses to give a rating
to Bulletproof due to its ultra-violent presentation (including the ability to kill those who begged for their
lives).
Tough luck, Fitty, but if you want to bypass censors, you could try
online distribution. Bulletproof is currently
available in the US for PS2 and Xbox, with the PSP version coming soon.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Lutraphobic @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
Haha. Good.
pocket @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
Australia rocks, I can't believe 50 told the press that he encourages parents to let kids play... he claims they can learn "real life lessons". I hope I never have to live that life >_<
LC_ @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
"Gangstas" singing is like professional "wrestling".
I could always tell how manly someone is by how well they hit their high C's.
James @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
Good, maybe this no-talent mumbling marketing stunt for white teenagers will fall off that much faster. It's more likely that this will just cause ads with "SO HARDCORE IT WAS BANNED IN AUSTRALIA" plastered on them.
XavierVE @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
Good for Australia. I wish someone would save us from terrible and shoddy gaming here in the United States. This game should be banned for being "the suck" if not for any other reason.
Alex K. @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
game probably sucks anyway.
there should be a ratings board for suckage.
anything rated "S" for "suck" should be immediatly banned
Hallway Giant @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
Australia may be known for banning many a good game, but thankfully they've picked a true dud this time around...
Zachary @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
Australia 1
50 Cent 0
Tin @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
Good. What a loser!
Oshi @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
They should ban his music too.
BlackYoshi @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
Yes Australia should say the hell to free speech! Glad Australia is up on the rights of people.
Kristian @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
He's probably going to be banned from coming to Canada. We might as well ban the game too. Good for Australia.
AJay17 @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
not like they are missing anything anyway
semi @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
bunch of criminals hatin on a legal way to make money.
"
Many men, wish death upon me
Blood in my eye dawg and I can't see
I'm trying to be what I'm destined to be
And '*beep* trying to take my life away
I put a hole in *beep* for *beep* with me
My back on the wall, now you gon' see
Better watch how you talk, when you talk about me
Cause I'll come and take your life away
"
Toast @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
Thats all good and well in Australia I suppose, but the day the government of the United States of America starts depriving me of my graphic violence I'll just join the military and the hypocrisy and irony would be too much to handle.
Pretty Obvious @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
From what I heard, the games not that bad.
B @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
He should be banned for making games anyway. He should teach kids at school the "real-life" lessons.
Murc @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
Is this game comming out for the PC?
I think it looks good.
Can they really "ban" it from Australia??? Couldn't an Australian just buy it on Ebay?
Andrew @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
Why can't this game be banned in the USA for sucking so much c@ck.
l0tus @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
...for a country founded by a bunch of criminals and outcasts, they sure are tight-assed.
A! @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
uhh... it's "fiddy" not "fitty"... what we really need is a video game from the diplomats, then at least the excessive violence would be a little bit believable. It would probably have to play more like a "x-men legends" in harlem than a "super thug galore" in magical south side queens.
oh, yes i almost forgot. i feel the censorship in austrailia at this point is a little racist... c'mon people San Andreas and Bulletproof both have black people as the protagonist, so what happens when they make some military game where some terrorist guy 'begs for his life' and gets killed, will they ban that? no. no they won't mate. you hear me down under?
Annoyed Aussie @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
I'd rather be descendant of convicts than puritans.
Sam Mellick @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
This brings up several new questions:
- Is it illegal to pirate this game in Australia? Seeing as no money was to be made anyway, there are no losses made by the company.
- Online distribution (steam style?) was mentioned, will it be illegal to purchase it from an online vendor (I'm thinking a system like Gamespys (don't quote me on this, I've never actually used it) where you download the game).
- When did we (I'm Australian) become such tight arses? Everything is illegal. Paintball, illegal. Airsoft, illegal. Violent video games, illegal. I know for a fact that there was raw, naked boob footage on TV (the show "Number 96") a while ago (before my time). What changed for worse? It isn't like we are bullied in to doing things by groups of people *cough*christians in America*cough*.
Censorship has gone crazy in the land of Oz. On my local radio station, they don't bleep out "shit" in the song "Hollaback girl" or whatever it is called by Gwen Stefani. Yet a few years ago, I remember "Chop Suey" by System Of A Down not being played at all EVEN THOUGH IT HAS NO SWEARING IN IT AT ALL.
None! Not one iota! It even has religious referrences!
Can't wait until I'm old enough to be prime minister...
Merus @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
Basically: if the game was a movie and it'd get NC-17, it'd get banned in Australia. This is kind of an anomaly, as no-one's managed to convince the government that a higher rating is necessary. It'll change though, as it seems most of Australia think it's a bit odd that the rating system is exactly the same for games, movies and television except for this one thing.
I'm not sure what opinion Customs has on 'refused classification' games coming into the country. You can get X-rated movies though and they're usually RC as well, so maybe.
The censorship in Australia isn't racist per se, although personally I find it interesting that the games with sexual and ultraviolent content are the ones with black people in it. If you actually understand what's going on with the censorship laws (for the record, paintball's completely legal, it's just insurance, and radio stations I think have their own specific policies on what to bleep) it makes more sense.
And in two months, this comment will not apply because they'll have these goddamn sedition laws in. Wankers.
Embassy @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
god i love the double standard...
GTA=OK
true crime= ok
quake= ok
countless other violent video games = ok
Bullet proof = The devil
Marlor @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
The problem is that Australia's game classification laws only go up to "MA15+", rather than having an "R" or other "18+" classification. So, if a game has content that would warrant a "R" rating in a movie, it is refused classification. This game definitely fits into this category.
So, it is not the case that the Government is actively trying to ban these types of games, but it is just that as games become more realistic, the classification scheme needs revision. This is not likely to happen with this Government, since they are a very conservative "Republican-style" administration. They would not risk the bad publicity of adding an "R" classification for games. The tabloid press would have a field day with it. And to be honest, given that parents routinely buy their kids "MA15+" games already, I can see why people would be concerned.
However, this won't stop the game from being sold. You can still import the game if you want (it is unlikely that it would be stopped at customs). When Vice City was banned, it showed up in EB's "imports" section within a week, so you should be able to buy it in shops anyway.
Chance @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
Folks like "Fiddy" represent a regression in American culture. Every thing he stands for is violence and depravity. I have met many a young man who has been totally absorbed by this garbage. Violence and rebelion are not vitues - they should not be touted as such.
I hope that this game (and the whole Gangsta movement) dies away soon. It has wholy raped the minds of our youth.
Rx @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
Merus: No, actually Paintball is illegal throughout Australia. Technically, anyway. There's a law prohibiting games involving the firing of projectiles at players. It's just very rarely enforced (though I think a few paintball places in WA have been shut down because of it).
Airsoft falls under replica firearms, though.
Azerael @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
If I was Prime Minister, I would make sure all games that get lower than 8.0 at Gamespot are banned.
Then we would have true gaming purity.
ben @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
personally i found the game to be terrible, i got it out of xtravision the other day and man did it stink. not onlyt that though but it is exceptionally violent and the level of swearing is to my mind unparrallelled in oyther games. Of course those were the only two good points about it. the level design is so poor that they have a street wide open in front of you and you cant run down it because they have just put an invisible barrier in front of you. then it tells you to do something but the environments are so bland that its impossible to tell where you're going because everything looks the same. enemies seem to just appear from nowhere and the controls are so poor that it takes forever to aim.
that said, shouldnt a mod delete post 29? theres no call for that sort of talk.
BlackYoshi @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
How ironic that someone with a German name also said that, referring to post 29.
As for you Chance, you sound like one of those 60 year old politicians who rally against rap/video games/comic books/etc. and how its polluting our youth. Please. How come gang violence is way, way down then? And youth violence. The same thing happened with rock and roll 40-50 years ago. Congress once tried to ban it :D
glitchy @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
Even the local games stores that I've been to are fully stocked and desperate to sell even one copy of the 50 cent came. Although they will only mention that once you call the game a stupid peice of shit, also those words would probably never come from a corporate game store.
BlackYoshi @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
As for you Chance, you sound like one of those 60 year old politicians who rally against rap/video games/comic books/etc. and how its polluting our youth. Please. How come gang violence is way, way down then? And youth violence. The same thing happened with rock and roll 40-50 years ago. Congress once tried to ban it :D
Rob X @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
And how appropriate Joystiq eliminates my comment on censorship, yet allows racist and curse filled post to stay. Way to go, people.
Olly @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
Whilst I'm not a big fan of 'Fiddy' or any of the worlds other so-called gangsta's, its seems awfull that the game got banned down under.
Other violent games have been sold down there - so why's this one any different? Whats wrong with just slapping an 'adults only' certificate on it? Or are Australians incapable of enforcing age restrictions?
Olly @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
....actually, I've read the other posts. It seems the Australian Goverernment IS incapable of the 'adults only' certification.....
Australia, you have my sympathy.
Merus @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
As noted above, there is no 'R' rating for games like there is for movies. GTA3, Manhunt, BMX XXX and GTA:San Andreas have all been banned, and many games that would be banned have been edited for content (the GTA series chief among them). Part of the problem is that you have to convince the Attoney Generals, the politicians who dictate censorship policy, that hey, the culture would really be ENRICHED by allowing these games in unedited. The GTA series is basically the only example you could use, and it didn't really lose that much in translation.
There are eight Attorney Generals - the federal one, who's in a right-wing party, and the seven state ones, who are all left-wing. One of them, co-incidentally the one in charge of the state where most game development happens in Australia, is pushing for an R rating for games at the moment. If the other ones pick up on it, and the current Attorney General is swayed by surveys that suggest that the Australian public thinks that an R rating for games is an appropriate move, it'll probably happen. It seems like it's being pitched as more ;having game ratings and movie ratings be identical' than 'open season on the ultraviolence and running over hookers!'.
Merus @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
Consider this an edit: while GTA3, Manhunt, BMX XXX and GTA: San Andreas have all been banned in the past, most have been edited, resubmitted for classification and released. It's highly likely that Bulletproof will be released in Australia by editing. Sort of like how if a game gets an AO rating in the US it's edited to get an M.
Jonty @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
Its funny 50 cent promoting his game by claiming it can be a good teacher for kids.
Today we analysed TOP violent games at our Blog and found it in top runner for the violent games. - http://www.gamingblog.org/entry/top-10-most-violent-video-games/
Radiant Silvergun @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
is this as good as Shaq Fu?
HighDef Edition @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
The hate is thick in this room. Hahah. While I won't defend 'Fiddy' I will say I never supported the Marketing of Hip-hop or 'Gangsta Music' to White America, even though a lot of White Kids/Adults are down with our music. Once you start to Market 'our Music' to 'them' you almost feel obliged to explain/defend the music. Well I won't apologise to them. Fuck you if you don't love or understand 'Gangsta Rap'either.
I myself will only Rent this game since I now own a brand new XBox-360. I will continue to buy & supported 50 Cent as long as he continues making wonderful music to piss-off White America. Hahaha.
Ross Miller @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
Rob X -
Sorry, I was in class/asleep. I am kind of pissed at myself for not getting that removed asap, but it is gone (as well as most/all references to his post).