Bloober Team's upcoming game The Medium has been banned in Australia, categorized as "Refused Classification" by the country's rating board. It's not over yet, though — the game could still launch in the country.
The Medium is an upcoming game for PC and Xbox with a vibe very similar to Silent Hill. Players take on the role of the titular medium, a woman with the ability to simultaneously exist in both the real world and the spirit world. This dual existence is represented through two simultaneous worlds being rendered side-by-side; your actions in one world will affect the other. Of course, not everything in both worlds is exactly the same.
Now, Kotaku Australia has reported that The Medium has been rated as "Refused Classification" in Australia by the country's rating board, effectively banning it from a digital or physical release. The reasons for this mysterious game being banned, however, are equally puzzling.
Why Was The Medium Banned in Australia?
The Medium getting a Refused Classification rating in Australia is a bit of a mystery, at least when it comes to people outside of Australia's rating board and Bloober Team themselves.
Kotaku's reporting continues, noting that the game's listing on the Australian Classification website lists it as "Refused Classification" for the following reason:
Reason for Refused Classification: For further information regarding the reason for this decision, please contact us.
This reason is awfully strange, but it's not entirely out of place. Super Blood Hockey — a game first classified in March 2019 — also lists this message. Other games, however, note specific reasons for being Refused Classification; note the Reason for Refused Classification on Song of Memories:
Games 1(a): The computer game is classified RC in accordance with the National Classification Code, Computer Games Table, 1. (a) as computer games that "depict, express or otherwise deal with matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or abhorrent phenomena in such a way that they offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults to the extent that they should not be classified."
Bloober Team has told Kotaku Australia that it's working on this issue, although it hasn't followed up on communications. Australia's Classification Board, for its part, has said that it has not received an application for a physical game with that title as of October 28, 2020.
Games that have previously been Refused Classification were able to get the issues rectified through discussions and patches made for a version specific to the country. It's also possible that a mistake was made in the initial submission. Either way, Bloober Team is surely working to get the issue rectified. For now, you can pre-purchase The Medium on Steam or via its official website starting at $44.99 or you regional equivalent.
Why do you think The Medium might have been banned in Australia? Do you think the government should be able to ban games from public sale? Let us know in the comments below!
