"Silent Hill f Banned in Australia"

Konami's upcoming game, Silent Hill f, has been refused classification in Australia, meaning it cannot be sold in the country at this time. This decision was made by an automated rating tool from the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC), rather than by the Australian Classification Board directly. Given past precedents, it's likely that this is not the final word on the matter.

Konami does not handle local distribution in Australia; instead, IGN has reached out to their third-party distribution partner for a statement. The specific reasons for Silent Hill f's refusal of classification have not yet been disclosed. Since the introduction of an adults-only category for games in Australia (R18+) in January 2013, games are typically refused classification due to content involving sexual activity with a person appearing to be under 18, visual depictions of sexual violence, or incentives linked to drug use. A previous Silent Hill game, Silent Hill: Homecoming, was initially refused classification in 2008 because of a high-impact torture scene. However, it was later released with modifications and rated MA15+ after the R18+ category was established.

The RC rating for Silent Hill f was assigned via an online questionnaire from the IARC, which automatically generates ratings based on the answers provided. In Australia, this tool is used for digitally-distributed games and was adopted in 2014 to handle the vast number of games released on platforms like the iOS app store. There have been cases where the IARC tool has assigned higher ratings than those given by human classifiers, leading to confusion over bans, such as with Kingdom Come: Deliverance and We Happy Few in 2019.

The IARC tool is free, making it advantageous for smaller publishers and developers. However, physical releases still require a manual review by the Australian Classification Board, which can override the IARC's decision. In Australia, game publishers can employ accredited classifiers or authorized assessors. Accredited classifiers, after training from the Classification Board, can make official decisions, while authorized assessors can only make recommendations that the Board may or may not accept.

It remains uncertain whether Silent Hill f's current RC rating will stand after further review. Notably, Silent Hill f is the first game in the series to receive an 18+ rating in Japan.