Tech and Science News
Australian Ratings Board Reviewing We Happy Few's Ban
Maybe this time we'll have some joy.
The Australian Classification Board is reviewing its ban on We Happy Few's release after its it refused classification for the game.
Kotaku Australia explains the review comes after an appeal as the game was initially banned in the country due to apparently incentivising drug use in the context of the game.
The Classification Board's report stated "A player that takes Joy can reduce gameplay difficulty, therefore receiving an incentive by progressing though the game quickly." The appeal argues that drug use in the game is portrayed as negative, as it's used to control a dystopian society rather than a simple player benefit.
The Board will meet on July 3, and has opened up public submissions for anyone who wants to stand "as an interested party to this review", though it will only be taking submissions specifically regarding We Happy Few rather than classification policies.
It wasn't until 2013 that Australia started applying an R18+ rating to games, but we are still seeing titles denied classification or being asked for alteration based on elements like reward-based drug use or sexual violence - the latter being the case for Outlast 2. Some Australian Senators are fighting against these policies.
Hope Corrigan is an Australian freelance writer for IGN. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Twitch.