Barely Legal: Australia, Games and Moral Panic

The Australian Office of Film and Literature Classification has failed consumers yet again, depending on how far you buy into the controversy surrounding Dead or Alive: Dimensions. The game - which allows players to earn figurines of female characters that are under 18 years of age and then take voyeuristic photos of them - was classified PG for mild violence and sexualized gameplay. After some sensationalistic reports from the moral panic-prone Australian media - one article in the Sydney Morning Herald was titled “Nintendo "Child porn” game PG in Australia," - the game had its classification withdrawn on Friday; effectively banning the game from being sold. Nintendo, the game's distributor, is now resubmitting the game to be classified again; hoping to limbo under the bar of the MA 15+ rating.

I refer to this situation as a "moral panic," because I own the game myself. I pre-ordered it in February along with Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition as I consider myself to be somewhat of a fighting game aficionado; not because of the promise of some Nabukovian photography. The game arrived after a delay, and I've been playing it on-and-off for the past two weeks. I'm really happy with it on account of the comprehensive offering of modes, characters and locales, system-leading graphics, and 3D that pops out of the screen instead of sinking into it as most other 3DS titles seem to. Much like SSFIV:3D, the Showcase mode - where players can view and photograph collected figurines - proved to be nothing but a distraction. I decided to trial the mode upon my first figurine, that of Ninja Gaiden protagonist, Hyabusa. There was a little bit more flexibility in terms of camera control, but my figure collecting days are ostensibly (save for the odd pack-in with a collector's edition of an anticipated game) over. When selecting characters, I never paid much attention to their personal details with the sole exception of Bayman: I can't believe I never noticed that my favourite character was Russian. Once the controversy came to light however, I looked at the details for Ayane, Kokoro and Kasumi and their ages are listed "N/A." Mariposa - a character who is exempt from the furore - has her age listed as "Unknown." I otherwise would not have thought to question these details because a youth spent watching sitcoms and romantic comedies has impressed upon me that I should not ask a woman's age as it is considered rude. Why should this situation be any different?

I'll admit this doesn't look good

It's different because in some other countries, these details are known. They are listed for players to see upon choosing their character. The developer or the publisher - I'm not sure which - has decided to withhold these details from PAL (European and Australian) gamers, presumably due to the outrage that they could potentially cause.

Now, to be clear: child pornography is indefensible. I can say however, without a shred of falsity, that my experience with the game has drifted nowhere near the pornographic, and only slightly towards voyeuristic. Besides, how can other - and I would argue, more reprehensible - iterations in the Dead or Alive series have avoided such controversy? Does anyone not remember the DoA Xtreme volleyball games or DoA Paradise which tasked players with completing mini-games and giving gifts to the same under-aged characters with the reward of isolating them and viewing these characters in revealing swimsuits? It seems to me as though some journalists are - loading up Dead or Alive: Dimensions, selecting Showcase mode and a child character, then positioning the camera - looking to be offended.

But how is this any more acceptable?

On the other hand, maybe this should be a strong signal to developers and publishers to not venture toward, or cross the boundaries of taste in regards to the representation of age and sexuality? Maybe in the next installment of Street Fighter, Sakura should be well past the age of donning the school uniform with an all too short skirt? Same goes for Xiaoyu in Tekken. Or would that be going too far?

Bottom line is: I bought - and have been playing - a fighting game. It's a great fighting game. A brilliant fighter that has had its legitimacy and legality obliterated by the inclusion of a pointless and voyeuristic option to photograph child characters in objectionable ways. I'm not sure who I should address this to: the developer, Team Ninja, the original distributor, THQ or the current distributor, Nintendo; whomever it may be, please don't include such perverted features in any of your future releases! I am sick of defending my passion for videogames and the purchases I make to myself or others. I just want to enjoy the ability to knock my opponents through multi-stage locations without being branded as a consumer of something that I find to be vile beyond description.

I am a gamer, not a pervert.

As for the OFLC, regardless of the outcome of Nintendo's bid for reclassification: how could you get it so wrong? If I side with the media and abandon all reason, how could you green-light this for distribution? I'd much rather blood and gore than the unrestricted sale of what is potentially child pornography? Your legitimacy has also been decimated in light of this affair.

Sources: Kotaku AU, Sydney Morning Herald