"Silent Hill f Banned in Australia: Rating Refused"

Konami's eagerly awaited Silent Hill f has encountered a significant hurdle in Australia, having been refused classification (RC rating). This decision means that, at present, the game cannot be sold within the country. However, it's important to note that this RC rating was assigned by an automated tool from the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC), rather than by members of the Australian Classification Board. Based on previous instances, this might not be the final word on the game's fate in Australia.

Konami does not handle its own distribution in Australia, and IGN has reached out to their third-party distribution partner for further comments on the situation. As of now, the specific reasons behind Silent Hill f's RC rating have not been disclosed. Since the introduction of an adults-only category for games in Australia (R18+) in January 2013, games typically receive an RC rating only for content involving sexual activity with a person who appears to be under 18, visual depictions of sexual violence, or linking incentives and rewards to drug use.

A notable precedent is Silent Hill: Homecoming from 2008, which was initially refused classification due to a high-impact torture scene. This was before the R18+ rating was introduced, which now allows for higher levels of violence. The game was eventually released in Australia with modified camera angles for the contentious scene, receiving an MA15+ rating.

It's worth clarifying that Silent Hill f's RC rating was generated by the IARC's online tool, designed for mobile and digitally distributed games. This tool involves an online questionnaire where game content is self-reported by the applicant, and ratings are automatically generated for each participating country based on their classification standards. In Australia, the IARC tool's decision is published on the National Classification Database. The tool, adopted in 2014, caters to the high volume of digitally distributed games, particularly on platforms like the iOS app store.

There have been instances where automated IARC ratings have been higher than those assigned by human classifiers from the Australian Classification Board. For example, Kingdom Come: Deliverance and We Happy Few were mistakenly reported as banned in Australia in 2019. The IARC tool, being free to use, is particularly advantageous for smaller publishers and developers. However, all physical game releases must still be rated by the Classification Board, meaning that if Silent Hill f plans a physical release in Australia, a submission to the Board would be required regardless of the IARC rating.

In Australia, game publishers can employ accredited classifiers or authorised assessors. Accredited classifiers are trained in-house staff whose decisions are officially recognized by the Classification Board. Authorised assessors, while also trained, can only make recommendations to the Board, which then decides whether to accept or reject these recommendations.

Currently, it's too early to determine if Silent Hill f's RC rating will stand after further review. Notably, this game marks the first in the Silent Hill series to receive an 18+ rating in Japan, adding another layer of intrigue to its global classification journey.