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Thank gosh for a partially free media: IGN AU has the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) Board Report up on the "revised version" of Fallout 3's Australian edition (or as I like to call it, Fallout 3: Four year-old girl's edition). Interestingly, like the original report - which refused the game classification (effectively banning it) - given to Australian Gamer, this one seems to have been obtained via an anonymous source; all they say is it was 'made available to them.' Hm.

The report states the drug use in the game (which was the problem they had with it the first time around) has been altered and is now 'justified by context and lend a strong playing impact to the game.' Which kind of contradicts the statement which follows:

"The drugs depicted are fictional; drugs are depicted as stylised icons on a menu with the drug use itself not depicted. Whilst navigating a post-apocalyptic futuristic landscape, players can invoke the use of a variety of "chems" listed by fictitious names which include "Buff", "Rad-X", "Psycho" and "Ultrajet". Within the context of the game's narrative, the player may choose to make use of these "chems" to alter the physiological characteristics of their character in the game."

A user on IGN asks "[haven't] those already existed in Fallout?" In all forwardness, I'm not very familiar with the series (just very interested recently), so I couldn't say. In either case the report is sort of vaguely put, so I'll leave it to the fans as to what exactly is or isn't changed.

Yug from Australian Gamer made an interesting point last time around, which I feel applies to the revisions being made here:

"What is amazing to me, is that the reasons they have refused this game classification are comparable to soooooooo many other video games out there. How many levels in GTA IV rewarded you for a drug related mission? Is alcohol not considered a drug? What are the syringes in BioShock filled with - magic fairy dust?"

Of course, Grand Theft Auto IV was censored in Australia. But yes, what's with the double standard? Why is BioShock okay but not Fallout 3? In some ways the games seem very similar.

Funnily, some people at the board still felt the game deserved to be refused classification:

In the minority view of the Board the drug use in the game is in excess of the general rule applied under the Guidelines. The drugs are unambiguous in their visual representations, which include pills and hypodermic needles, and are related to incentives and rewards in that the incentive to take the drug is that progress through the game is achieved more easily and the reward is an increase in the character's abilities. The game therefore warrants and 'RC' classification.

In either case, take it from me, Classification Board: I would quite like to play Fallout 3, and yet, I really have no plans on becoming any kind of habitual drug user. Cue brain implosions.

The final conclusion is an MA 15+ rating for strong violence, drug references and coarse language.  I don't know about you, but this just makes me more excited for Fallout 3: Hardcore drug-tripping beer-guzzling steak-eating man's man edition.

(View the full report below, courtesy of IGN.)