Saints Row 4 drugs block Australia from global co-op

Poor Australians. Not only do they live in a land purpose-built to murder them, they still struggle with video game censorship--even after adding an adults-only rating. Volition's open-world murder simulator Saints Row IV has finally jumped through enough hoops to be approved for an Australian release, but the changes mean they won't be able to play co-op with people in other regions.

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Poor Australians. Not only do they live in a land purpose-built to murder them, they still struggle with video game censorship--even after adding an adults-only rating. Volition's open-world murder simulator Saints Row IV has finally jumped through enough hoops to be approved for an Australian release, but the changes mean they won't be able to play co-op with people in other regions.

The Australian classification board had taken issue with the 'Rectifier' alien anal probe weapon which blasted people into the air, and a side-mission where players took alien drugs to gain superpowers. While the anal probe was later approved, suggesting that any sort of narcotics may be good for you was a sticking point, so that mission was pulled from the Australian release.

While the game is coming out down under after all, it'll be missing that twenty minutes. Which is enough of a change to make the Australian version "incompatible with [other] versions in co-op."

A statement on the official Facebook page, since removed but preserved for posterity by Kotaku Australia, said, "While we are very proud of all our different missions, we do feel that Saints Row IV on the whole remains largely the same without this single optional mission, and we also feel that you deserve to know what you are getting in Australia."

Sorry, Australians. You'll be stuck to anal-probing with your countryfolk, not high on alien drugs.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    August 5, 2013 6:00 PM

    Alice O'Connor posted a new article, Saints Row 4 drugs block Australia from global co-op.

    Poor Australians. Not only do they live in a land purpose-built to murder them, they still struggle with video game censorship--even after adding an adults-only rating. Volition's open-world murder simulator Saints Row IV has finally jumped through enough hoops to be approved for an Australian release, but the changes mean they won't be able to play co-op with people in other regions.

    • reply
      August 6, 2013 12:00 AM

      I think Australia is in need of some liberation through invasion.

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      August 6, 2013 12:21 AM

      Just another sallow-skinned Englishman heaping derision on the former colony that all the English are most desperate to escape to.

      But don't worry, I'm forwarding your anti-Australian rhetoric to ASIO, you're never fucking getting in.

    • reply
      August 6, 2013 12:56 AM

      What's the fucking point of having an R rating? Stupid fucking cunts.

      • reply
        August 6, 2013 12:58 AM

        It's not gta so I don't care :( if it was I'd be importing.

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          August 6, 2013 7:31 AM

          abrasion, you should care :(

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            August 6, 2013 7:47 AM

            I don't care about that franchise :( I totally should care

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          August 6, 2013 11:19 AM

          First they came for Saint's Row, but it didn't care. Then they came for GTA, and everyone had already opted out.

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        August 6, 2013 3:01 AM

        Remember MA15+? It's basically that but squeezed into a new suit labeled "R".

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      August 6, 2013 1:15 AM

      Haha great choice of screenshot.

      CENSORSHIP ROCKS!

    • reply
      August 6, 2013 1:54 AM

      Damn it, this sort of nonsense is the reason I moved from Australia to the UK. If the 18+ cake is just going to be a lie after all, I guess there's no incentive to go back.

      • reply
        August 6, 2013 4:39 AM

        And instead your porn is being taken away.

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          August 6, 2013 5:08 AM

          Hopefully Cameron's porn thing is just a silly summer stunt and won't actually come to anything.

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            August 6, 2013 7:45 AM

            didn't they abort that 2 days after the announcement?

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      August 6, 2013 3:19 AM

      SR3 had the same issue. I couldn't play coop with mates in the UK

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      August 6, 2013 4:48 AM

      So it was originally banned for the anal raper weapon, yet this scene in Deadpool didn't raise any eyebrows?

      Deadpool spoiler
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HA6tt00AIEc&t=25

    • reply
      August 6, 2013 5:13 AM

      there any deals i should know about? i want the special president wub wub release day screaming eagle thing. just amazon release day delivery?

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