"Silent Hill f Denied Classification in Australia"

Konami's highly anticipated game, Silent Hill f, has encountered a significant hurdle in Australia, receiving a Refused Classification (RC) rating. This decision means that the game cannot currently be sold within the country. However, it's important to note that this rating was assigned by an automated tool, rather than by members of the Australian Classification Board. Given past precedents, it's unlikely that this will be the final verdict on the game's status in Australia.

Konami does not handle local distribution of its games in Australia, but IGN has reached out to their third-party distribution partner for further insight on the matter.

The exact reasons behind Silent Hill f's RC rating have not been disclosed yet. Since the introduction of the adults-only R18+ category for video games in Australia in January 2013, games are typically refused classification only if they feature sexual activity with a person who appears to be under 18, visual depictions of sexual violence, or incentives and rewards linked to drug use. A previous entry in the series, Silent Hill: Homecoming, was initially refused classification in Australia due to a high impact torture scene before the R18+ rating was established. It was later released with modified camera angles for the contentious scene and rated MA15+.

It's worth noting that Silent Hill f's RC rating in Australia was assigned by the International Age Rating Coalition's (IARC) online tool, which is specifically designed for rating mobile and digitally delivered games. The IARC tool uses an online questionnaire where developers answer a series of questions about the game's content. Based on these answers, the tool automatically assigns ratings according to the standards of each participating country, which are then published on Australia's National Classification Database.

In Australia, this tool is exclusively used for digitally distributed games, a policy that was adopted in 2014 due to the sheer volume of games released annually on platforms like the iOS app store. There have been instances where the automated ratings from the IARC tool have been higher than those assigned by human reviewers from the Classification Board. For instance, in 2019, games like Kingdom Come: Deliverance and We Happy Few were incorrectly reported as banned in Australia due to such automated ratings.

The IARC tool is free, which is particularly advantageous for smaller publishers and developers. However, all physical game releases in Australia still require a rating from the Classification Board. If Silent Hill f is planned for a physical release in Australia, it would need to be submitted to the Board regardless of the IARC tool's rating. The Classification Board has the authority to override any decision made by the IARC tool.

In Australia, game publishers can employ staff who are accredited classifiers or authorized assessors. Accredited classifiers are trained by the Classification Board and can officially classify games themselves. In contrast, authorized assessors, while also trained, can only recommend a classification to the Board, which then makes the final decision.

At this point, it's too early to determine whether Silent Hill f's RC rating in Australia will stand after further review. Notably, this game marks the first in the Silent Hill series to receive an 18+ rating in Japan, indicating its mature content.