Stories from Australia: Dead or Alive Scandal

Gamers will be aware of Dead or Alive containing some characters which are a little bit too young. With the game in some European countries having its integrity and political correctness questioned.

However in Australia, the events have taken quite a different turn. After the reports came in from overseas to media in Australia of the game containing underage girls and up skirt shots, Australian media had a field day with what the game offered, creating an avalanche of up raw against the 3DS title.

The problem lied with three of the characters, in Europe the manual gives their ages of 12 - 16 (note: in Australia these characters are "un-aged"). Media attention became heightened because the game presented these characters cladded in bikinis, and allowing players to alter the camera angle for "up skirt shots". Australian media called it an easy way for paedophiles to gain access to child pornography.

So much media attention had been whipped up against the title that the Australian Rating Board and Nintendo had to retract the game from market and remove the games rating. Nintendo decided to get the game rerated. Saying that the games rating was a problem caused by THQ providing limited information to the rating board, so the rating board couldn't properly rate the title, in Australia the games are not played, rather information sent by the publisher determines the rating.

Screenshots of Dead or Alive: Dimensions for Nintendo 3DS

THQ no longer will be publishing the title in Australia after the resubmission, with Nintendo of Australia now publishing the title.

Late last week the Australian Classification Board revealed their decision against the title. The game is now rated M. With the main factors for the new rating been online play, violence and sexualised gameplay.

The title had previously been rated as PG in Australia. On par with ratings from other countries such as the Teen rating the title has in America.

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