Yesterday, Australian gamers got some bad news when word came that the sequel to our 2008 game of the year was effectively banned in their country. You think you're upset? Valve's isn't so happy, either.
"We were surprised to hear of this news yesterday," Valve's Doug Lombardi told Shacknews of the Left 4 Dead 2 ban. "Obviously, everyone at Valve is pretty bummed."
The title was refused classification by Australia's Office of Film and Literature Classification, due to its "realistic, frenetic and unrelenting violence." You know, the good stuff. While Lombardi adds that "it would be a shame" if some gamers wouldn't be able to play the title due to a classification issue, he made no mention or promise of changes that might allow it to be rated.
Our suggestion -- change all of the zombies into kangaroos and the guns into, uh, squirt bottles. Pull out the gore, keep the rest of the game as is. Done. Ship it.
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Contest:
3:20 PM on 09.18.2009
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Sorry, Aussies--blame Flight of the Conchords.
It could be your country next... take a stand.
Double standards for the fail.
I noticed that too :)
Also, Australia blows.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,26090952-401,00.html
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,26091133-23109,00.html
http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,28348,26020519-5014239,00.html
Cue the creepy circus music.
Glad someone caught that joke, cause its just a matter of time till asia does the same thing..........o wait
but why this one? there are so many other games that would make a great case for this, but the reality in the game is nothing like this one (exsept for most of the enviorment )
I mean when is the earth going to be populated with zombies? Not now..
And IF the world was populatied will zombies would it be ok to shoot them? Heck yes!!!
so I really have no clue why they have an issue with this game.
exsept maby gore, but it is nothing worse than other games/movies ive seen.
After all real life is gory, do you think killing cows is a clean process? Hell no, back in the day you would take the cow back and shoot is and do all the dirty work like removing the heart and orgens and the peel the skin back so you could cut the mussle free so you could smoke it.
This is just sosciety tring to pervert the way we think by making us think we are the perverts when they are up in their lolly gagging world pretending that life is nothing but daisy.
I think it's extremely close minded of you to say that first news story is weird or creepy
I guess that raises another question: is Steam available outside the US?
Because if Steam is available to Australians and if Valve is banned from selling the game through Steam, that would be a regulation of the Internet!
If that's how it is, seriously f*ck Australia's government.
the new melée weapons spray body parts, gibs, and awesome all over the place.
Or it could be because the Jockey dry humps your back, I dunno.
I use Steam in Scotland, not sure about the Aussies though. Speaking of Steam if Arkham Asylum doesn't finish downloading soon I'm starting a boycott group ;)
"Regulation" of the Internet is common... child pornography, for instance. I think it is more about possessing the material than saying the Internet is in a country's jurisdiction... having the pictures on your computer at any time, even in a temp cache, is possession of illegal items.
So yeah, if it is made illegal to own it would be illegal to download from Steam. Of course, you won't be able to download from Steam anyway, because it is definately illegal to sell, which is what Valve would be doing.
The question is, will activating an imported copy on Steam work? I bet not, actually.
Valve will have to censor the game and release it.
Best. Headline. Ever.
I bet that one saw some Fark-love.
Whenever I think of the Australian rating system, I get the idea of some committee of overprotective mothers deciding what the entire population can and can not play.
Still, people will be able to buy it off the American Steam servers. If Australia thinks they can keep the game out, especially a Steam game, they must be more insane than I think.
I know that, but they do make exceptions other than the one you mention. Games banned or modified in Germany for instance cannot be gifted to Germany... it is illegal for Valve to supply them.
I assume the same will go for L4D2.
Of course, there's always the silent protest of importing that will provide you your zombie fest. You should be prepared for them to arrest you if necessary, and kick up a fuss on the TV news and the net. They can't arrest all gamers, can they? An 18 rating is a simple thing to do, and the more adult gamers that ask for it, and give your government bad press, the more likely it will happen.
If Iranians can use the net as a weapon, to go up against their government, why can't aussies do it too?
Which proves where there is a will there is a way.
You do know, only ONE! person on record in Australia has ever been FINED, not arrested in Australia for property of an illegal game?
True Fact.
Im getting mine gifted. (If they dont sell it for Aussies in the first place) its just a back up if i need it...And i'll gift it if they censor it to..for the sake of that awesome new gore they have added with an American Uncut version ;)
They want to clam that "Protect the children crap", but anything that's underground, can be obtained by children, and for free. In the end, Valve is the ones who will lose out.
When i herd that L4d 2 was baned i was sort of shocked.
In Australia we dont have alot of care for vido games in the goverment.
It will evanturly come out for us.
Falout 3 was changed for us. (I think. Corect me if im rong) all the drugs in it dont have propper names, insted they were called physcho or med-x insted of marawana or extecy.
L4D 2 will come out for us but with les gore.
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