It appears that another game might be joining the list of banned titles not able to be released in Australia, as the country's Classification Board has returned a "Refused Classification" rating for We Happy Few. The game centers around the use of drugs to keep its fictional characters happy, resulting in the depiction of drug additions and related violence, which the Australian Classification Board found not fit for sale. Their full ruling is below.

The computer game is classified RC in accordance with the National Classification Code, Computer Games Table, 1. (a) as computer games that "depict, express or otherwise deal with matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or abhorrent phenomena in such a way that they offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults to the extent that they should not be classified.

Developer Compulsion Games is free to submit an edited version of the game in an attempt to have it passed by the board, but with how integral drugs are to the game's story and gameplay, it likely will join other AU-banned games such as Hotline Miami 2, Postal 1 and 2, and Valkyrie Drive. Other games to be refused Classification and ended up censoring their games for eventual reclassification and release include State of Decay, The Witcher 2, Saints Row IV, and South Park: The Stick of Truth.

We Happy Few was also a Kickstarted game, which means that any Australians who attempted to fund the project won't be able to receive the game, which is set for a Summer 2018 release.

Source

 

[kevin corms]

How do Australian citizens put up with this crap?

 

[Viri]

Australia used to be almost as bad as Germany when it came to banning games. I'm glad they finally got the stick out of their asses, and stopped banning every violent game in recent years. But this is just sad.

 

[Stephano]

How do Australian citizens put up with this crap?

They dont. Their government saps them all the time of rights and places way too many restrictions. It's quite sad

 

[Flame]

the spiders in Australia have messed up the heads of the people. its sad, i bet they is few happy people about another game being denied rating.

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

​

 

[Plstic]

At least there's always torrents.

 

[KingVamp]

With such a vague statement, how is almost any game even getting release there?

 

[Veho]

This is idiotic. Are drugs shown in a positive light anywhere in the game? Isn't the setting a town that is on the verge of collapse due to the (ab)use of a hallucinogenic drug? Aren't the drug users shown as little more than delusional drooling idiots? What the hell? Is the entire Australian Classification Board on drugs?

 

[Bimmel]

Australia is big, so that means that only We Happy Few can play that game, amiright?

 

[Jayro]

For a country with the deadliest animals, and most brazen people, they sure do censor a lot of things like pussies...

 

[Deleted User]

they should be happy. free exposure and advertisement.

 

[KingVamp]

I wonder if changing "drugs" to "candy" would be enough for this to get through. lol

 

[TheRedfox]

welp this is good marketing technique tho; dprk citizens are way more hyped about these capitalist games now but the rest of the world doesn't give a shit when we ban a game.

now everyone will buy it because it was too extreme for australia

 

[pustal]

How do Australian citizens put up with this crap?

They rant fast and angrily, having no time to breathe.

At least there's always torrents.

Yes, Australia is inadvertently one of the greatest governmental supporters of copyright infringement. I have heard more than one game developer saying they wouldn't condemn having their games copied in countries "like Australia".

 

[MeowMeowMeow]

Ooooh this is the boring hyped broken indie game that got sold for 50 bucks. What a horrible game, one of the first missiens you have to find 3 items. Because the world is so f****** empty it took me 2 hours to find. Then when you finally complete the mission, you think yeaaaaah time for action. BUT noooo find another 5 items. Its not enjoying its torture. It was a beta at that game, but i doubt its better. The first 5 min of the game are fun, cus you got hunted by those happy faces and have to run and hide and kill. But after that..

Bad bad bioshock ripoff

 

[Robika]

Wow the part about Australian pledgers not being able to recieve their game. Sad just sad...

 

[MajinCubyan]

Wow, thats moronic, I doubt that they portray the drugs in a positive light. So silly, Australia.

Also forgot the c in addiction. o3o

 

[Deleted User]

I'm really not surprised

 

[anhminh]

I misread the tittle as "We Happy Jew".