AUSTRALIA: Mortal Kombat banned

Upcoming Xbox 360 and PS3 game Mortal Kombat will not be released in Australia when it hits UK stores in April.

The Australian Classifications Board has placed the game’s content outside its highest age rating certificate, MA 15+, preventing it from being sold at retail or as a digital download.

In a statement published by GamePron the Board said: The game includes over 60 fatalities which contain explicit depictions of dismemberment, decapitation, disembowelment and other brutal forms of slaughter.

In the opinion of the Board, the game contains violence that exceeds strong in impact and is unsuitable for a minor to see or play.”

A Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment spokesperson added: We are extremely disappointed that Mortal Kombat will not be available to mature Australian gamers.

We understand that not all content is for every audience, but there is an audience for mature gaming content and it would make more sense to have the R18+ classification in Australia. WBIE is reviewing all options available at this time.”

The Australian government will hold a meeting to discuss the introduction of an R18+ certificate later this year.

Mortal Kombat is released in the UK on April 21st on Xbox 360 and PS3.