Fallout 3's PipBoy

Weekends generally aren't times for big news to be released, but the past couple of days have been hinting at something that may well make a lot of Australian gamers very happy. We've been hearing from several little birdies that Fallout 3 will be modified for release in Australia, thus ensuring that we won't miss out completely after the original version was refused classification early last month.

While, as always, these rumours should be taken with a healthy pinch of salt, I've just gotten off the phone to the Classifications Board, and they've confirmed that a second edition of Fallout 3 has indeed been submitted for classification.

Before you go dancing in the streets, keep in mind that this new submission may be knocked back as well, but Bethesda are pretty savvy, they've read the details on why the game was refused classification here, and they've obviously made what they consider to be the "appropriate" changes.

Fallout 3 was originally considered inappropriate for Australian audiences for a number of reasons, the not least of which being the use of the in-game drug Morphine, one of a variety of "chems" used throughout gameplay. The in-game Morphine "has the positive effect of enabling the character to ignore limb pain when the character's extremities are targeted by the enemy", and the Classifications Board considered this to be "promoting or encouraging proscribed drug use".

Despite the high levels of violence contained within the game, all of the Board's complaints were surrounding the use of "chems" within the game. Another highlighted problem was the "chem" selection menu - rather than a simple list, each "chem" was accompanied by a visual interpretation of the drug. This meant that the menu contained images of blister packs, tablets, a "crack-type pipe", pill bottles, and syringes - and these images present gamers with "realistic visual representations" of the drugs and their delivery methods, thus taking the substance out of the science-fiction world featured in the game, and straight into real life.

While the edits may have been as simple as changing the name of the "chem" to something other tham "Morphine", and then changing a few graphics, there may be more to the story.

Either way, we'll find out in a short while, when the Classifications Board hands down their decision - a procedure that normally takes a few days, but may be up to three weeks away.