Australia

[cheesemanxl]

Australia is a big island off of the coast of everywhere, technically. Well anyways, one of my friends asked me if there was a penalty for playing the non-edit version of games in Australia. I had no answer. The first thing i thought was "Well my good friends at the escapist will know this." So good friends at the escapist can you help me answer the question. Is there a penalty for playing non-edit games in Australia?

 

[Adzma]

Importing games refused classification is illegal yes. So to is modifying them to play as the uncensored version. That doesn't stop any of us though, and they have to actually catch you to enforce anything.

 

[Inco]

Edited

 

[Mozared]

No. Certainly not. (i am talking about changed games which are allowed in the country. but Edited.)
If there was, i am guilty, thanks to a few members here who told us how to unedit left 4 dead 2 and play it to its full potential. If there government did impose it, then it certainly is communism.

How would it be communism? Totalitarian, rather.

 

[Dys]

No. Certainly not. (i am talking about changed games which are allowed in the country. but Edited.)
If there was, i am guilty, thanks to a few members here who told us how to unedit left 4 dead 2 and play it to its full potential. If there government did impose it, then it certainly is communism.

No part of that post has any remote truth in it.
Yes, it is very illegal to alter games so that they are of the version which was refused classification. The government imposing restrictions on individual freedoms is the opposite of communism (really, go type communism into wikipedia and become shocked when you realize that china is in fact no more a communist state than north korea is a democratic one).

 

[LeonLethality]

Its sort of like downloading ROMS here in Canada it is illegal but the only real way to get caught is if you like bring a police officer into your house and showed him exactly what you downloaded and even then there is a strong chance they don't give a shit.

(really, go type communism into wikipedia and become shocked when you realize that china is in fact no more a communist state than north korea is a democratic one).

It's sad how people misuse or don't know what communism is...

 

[Adzma]

No part of that post has any remote truth in it.
Yes, it is very illegal to alter games so that they are of the version which was refused classification.

I'm glad someone else around here knows what they're talking about. Sometimes I wonder why I even bother posting on this forum.

 

[axia777]

Importing games refused classification is illegal yes. So to is modifying them to play as the uncensored version. That doesn't stop any of us though, and they have to actually catch you to enforce anything.

This is what I would if I lived in Australia. Fuck that not letting me play awesome games that hey banned.

 

[Wildrow12]

Be careful when violating Aussie laws, friend.

Their spiders are large, hairy, and feast on the flesh of those who dare purchase illegal games!

Wait...what's that sound?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCO56iyBXtU

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

 

[Jaythulhu]

The last time someone was prosecuted on charges of jay-walking in Australia was 35 years ago. It's a dead law for all intents and purposes.

It's an on-the-spot fine in queensland. Our cops love to enforce it in the cbd of brisbane because it's quick, easy revenue for them.

 

[etnwebs]

According to the "Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995" it is an offense to possess materials refused or likely to be refused classification with a penalty of $5,500 or $11,000 depending on the nature of the material.

There is no specific case law on this but I imagine that if the restricted content was already on the game disc and modifications to directory files were made to make it available then the game would remain the classified version and therefore OK to play. In this case it will likely be pulled from shelves as soon as this is apparent-as has occured in the past-and will be retroactively refuced classification at which point the aforementioned offense applies.

If the additional content is downloaded and added to the directory to turn the game into the original version which was refused classification then one would be again be guilty of the above offense.

so in a nutshell, it is not illegal to play unmodified versions, just to be in posession of them.

PS the relevant act can be read at
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/cfacga1995489/

 

[Motti]

Probably not, but most australians have a healthy disrespect for minor laws and wouldn't care about it.

 

[ottenni]

Yeah i think i know of a few. But personally no, i'm not that keen.

 

[MercurySteam]

Australia is a big island off of the coast of everywhere, technically. Well anyways, one of my friends asked me if there was a penalty for playing the non-edit version of games in Australia. I had no answer. The first thing i thought was "Well my good friends at the escapist will know this." So good friends at the escapist can you help me answer the question. Is there a penalty for playing non-edit games in Australia?

Well my friend got gifted the American verison of L4D2 on Steam, and we can order our games from the UK, so it's not illegal I guess.

EDIT: It's like saying "you can enforce it, but you can't make people no import games."

 

[BonsaiK]

I live in Australia.

No penalty for playing. It's importing and selling which is illegal.

Possession might also be illegal, but realistically no-one is going to care and you would have to be very dumb to be caught anyway.

 

[Acaroid]

Australia is a big island off of the coast of everywhere, technically. Well anyways, one of my friends asked me if there was a penalty for playing the non-edit version of games in Australia. I had no answer. The first thing i thought was "Well my good friends at the escapist will know this." So good friends at the escapist can you help me answer the question. Is there a penalty for playing non-edit games in Australia?

Ummm im not sure, with the joys of things like steam it is so easy getting the non-edited version of games here in australia... there probably would be some charge, but no one will really care I think.

 

[AWC Viper]

i was reported for playing illegal games by a douche at school but nothing happened. they dont care.

 

[LongAndShort]

Yeah, and in NSW pubs and clubs we're not supposed to serve people who are drunk. Yet you could walk into a pub pissed off your face, ask for a scotch in front of a cop and still get served cause when it comes down to it, the police have better things to do with their time (unless you're in Queensland or Melbourne. The cops are fucking insane there).

 

[Inco]

No. Certainly not. (i am talking about changed games which are allowed in the country. but Edited.)
If there was, i am guilty, thanks to a few members here who told us how to unedit left 4 dead 2 and play it to its full potential. If there government did impose it, then it certainly is communism.

No part of that post has any remote truth in it.
Yes, it is very illegal to alter games so that they are of the version which was refused classification. The government imposing restrictions on individual freedoms is the opposite of communism (really, go type communism into wikipedia and become shocked when you realize that china is in fact no more a communist state than north korea is a democratic one).

No part has truth in it, because i was being sarcastic. I was making sure being didn't miss the direction of my sarcasm by pointing out that i was talking about altered games not just the banned ones.
The only grain of truth there was the member who posted how to get rid of the edit.

Either way, i've edited the post so no one else would jump on my back for making a single, obviously incorrect, remark. Because ending sarcastic remarks with /sarcasm kinda doesn't work in my own personal preference.

 

[Dark Knifer]

Be careful when violating Aussie laws, friend.

Their spiders are large, hairy, and feast on the flesh of those who dare purchase illegal games!

Wait...what's that sound?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCO56iyBXtU

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

There's one of those in my backyard. I called him cuddles.