Saints Row IV was recently denied a certificate in Australia, a territory where they have only just got an ‘adult’ rating in their approvals board. Saints Row IV is thus beyond adult. It’s worse than adult. It’s OBSCENE. It’s also got an alien anal probe weapon. The two things are related.
“The game includes a weapon referred to by the Applicant as an “Alien Anal Probe”,” says the official rating release [via]. Don’t do anywhere – it gets better. “The Applicant states that this weapon can be ‘shoved into enemy’s backsides’.”
Yup.
“The lower half of the weapon resembles a sword hilt and the upper part contains prong-like appendages which circle around what appears to be a large dildo which runs down the centre of the weapon. When using this weapon the player approaches a (clothed) victim from behind and thrusts the weapon between the victim’s legs and then lifts them off the ground before pulling a trigger which launches the victim into the air.”
“After the probe has been implicitly inserted into the victim’s anus the area around their buttocks becomes pixelated highlighting that the aim of the weapon is to penetrate the victim’s anus. The weapon can be used during gameplay on enemy characters or civilians.”
The board says that “a weapon designed to penetrate the anus of enemy characters and civilians constitutes a visual depiction of implied sexual violence that is interactive and not justified by context” and has refused classification because of it.
Sounds like a simple fix. Teffers didn’t find the aforementioned weapon in his playtest, but if it remains in the final game we’ll hunt it out. For research.
Bilbo_bobbins
ha ha, that sounds pretty funny to be honest
yd
Well done Australia. You’ve just increased my interest in SR4 by about 1000%
All it took to go from “interested” to “yep, buying that” was confirmation of one weapon as hilariously wrong as The Penetrator in SR3.
wonkey-willy
err dude there is no such thing as 1000% it only goes to 100.
yd
One of the wonders of the internet I’ve discovered over far too many years is how frequently you get to explain things like percentages to people. And how you _can_ have more than 100% of something.
It’s almost as annoying as trying to explain probability to someone.
colmshan1990
Actually, when you’re talking about a increase, there is no 100% limit.
He just said his interest increased ten fold, or ten times the original value.
teflon
Isn’t the entire point of SR4 “violence that is interactive and not justified by context”?
yd
I certainly hope so. That’s what made SR3 so much fun. Summed up neatly by the phrase “Murder time, fun time”
ron_mcphatty
Fantastic quotes, I’d love to have been a fly on the wall when the poor Aussie ratings person was typing that up. I wonder if they were tutting and shaking their head or stifling giggles. I’m sat here giggling right now at the thought of a ‘Stick It To Australia Special Edition’ of the game, which would include a slightly more offensive replica weapon than the dub step gun!
MayContainEvil
I’m Australian, and I would buy this. I would import it and send the ratings board pictures of me penetrating people wantonly. And of course some of me playing the game. ;)
quinkill
what bunch of idiots! (not all australians, just the classification board)
TSBonyman
Hilarious but also a bit shocking that you can do that in the game.
hazelam
“for research”?
sure. >_>
bunimomike
Nonsensical, puerile, childish, over-the-top and completely bereft of emotional maturity. How can the sensors think this game is anything but that? It’s a laugh. Something fun. Something silly and shows the GTA franchise how things can be done so differently (I love both franchises, by the way).
Just let the adults choose. I know there’s a line to be drawn but this is most certainly not it.
double-o-dave
Bunimomike AKA Vlad the Impaler.
bunimomike
I’m not stopping until it’s popped out of your mouth!
DividSmythe
It sounds hilarious. I’ll get this game now when the price drops a bit. I did love SR3 that was fun.
KeRaSh
Volition doesn’t even have to release any PR stuff. That content rating alone sold me on the game…