Australia has banned the upcoming horror game, Outlast 2, for what it claims is the game's use of "implied sexual violence" during some portions of gameplay, in a move that is reminiscent of the video nasty craze of the 80s.
Australia has had strict views on games for some time now, previously banning games like Manhunt and more recently, Hotline Miami 2, though its list of banned games is longer than any other country's by a long shot.
Australia has also banned games for sexual violence, or the implication of it before, suggesting that it's a particularly sensitive issue there. Some companies who have faced such bans before, have censored or modified their game in order to make the cut, as Australia is a reasonably large gaming market and publishers don't like to miss out on revenue.
If you want to know what happens in Outlast 2 that offended censors so, Kotaku Australia has a fully, detailed break down of it, but suffice to say it's not necessarily what you would expect. The male protagonist is seemingly raped, while a bunch of zombie ghouls also go at it around him.
The banning has raised the usual debates over what is and what isn't acceptable in games. Many have pointed out that horrific sexual violence is available in movies, books and other mediums and yet games seem to be unfairly targeted, especially in Australia.
How do you guys feel about this sort of content in games?
