Australia's getting an edited version of Fallout 3? According to Bethesda's Pete Hines, that's technically not true. Turns out the version we're getting is the same as the rest of the world's.
How can this be, you ask? It's simple - the edited build of the game is the only build. Yes, everyone will now get to see the reduced incentives and rewards for drug use. Here's the reasoning behind the decision, from Pete:
"To avoid confusion among people in different territories, we decided to make those substitutions in all versions of the game, in all territories."
Fair enough. I suppose if Bethesda's confident enough to make it the default build, then the alterations can't be too bad.
I did find the following comment a little bizarre, however:
Calling the idea of an Australia-specific version of the game a "misconception," Hines told us, "We want to make sure folks understand that the Australian version of Fallout 3 is identical to both the UK and North American versions in every way, on every platform."
Well Pete, I hate to say it, but having a company policy where you don't answer questions about the topic is going to lead to this sort of thing. Sorry!