Left 4 Dead 2 Australian Appeal Fails

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

Something tells me Valve wont shed a tear if people hack/mod/patch the game to make it as close to the original as possible, that or when most Aussies who want the original experience pirate it.

As a note, concerning all these posts about our classification system, remember one thing;
Rules only apply to those who follow them.

 

[Flack]

Is there a reason that we (Australia) DONT have a R18 classification?

 

[Inco]

Screw them.
The reason for banning the game was released in Left for dead without any trouble.

Thats it, the populace has to band together and take the fight to the board.
They won't listen to single internet people.
But lets see them try and ignore a crowd.
They are a bunch of Idiots who should really adapt to the times, not trying to keep their old fashion times alive.
They have let through the worst kinds of gore, and even let those shitty saw movies which is just about people being grotesquely tortured through, and no surprise, its the people who are technically not allowed to view it who are their main customer.
/Rant.

 

[Radelaide]

"The computer game contains a level of violence which is high in impact, prolonged, repeated frequently and realistic within the context of the game," the panel wrote in its decision [http://oflc.gov.au/www/cob/rwpattach.nsf/VAP/(3273BD3F76A7A5DEDAE36942A54D7D90)~Mediarelease-Left4Dead2-22October2009.pdf/$file/Mediarelease-Left4Dead2-22October2009.pdf]. "In addition, it was the Review Board's opinion that there was insufficient delineation between the depiction of general zombie figures and the human figures, as opposed to the clearly fictional 'infected' characters. This was a major consideration of the Review Board in determining the impact of this game on minors."

It's a little patronising to imply that people 15+ aren't capable of distinguishing between reality and fiction, and more than that distinguishing between a zombie and a living human.

It's a little patronising to say that because of those 15+ people, us 18+ gamers can't have the rating we deserve.

 

[kahlzun]

Wait... so they classified Prototype, a game where you are a malevolent being that can butcher an entire city of either "normal" OR "infected" humans when you feel like it and then they refused to classify this, a game where you're fighting inhuman things for your survival?

...and the panel is made up of three members? Three old, outdated, not-up-to-speed-with-how-the-world-works-without-horses-and-carts-involved members?

EDIT: Also, it's not like it's that big a deal. A mod so that it includes all the original violence will be one of the most easy things in the world to make, so why bother trying to prevent it in the first place?

I think the point with Prototype is that you didn't have to kill the civvies.

In this, the main enemy are humanoids.

It is unfortunate that this has happened, but let me set most of you straight:

Australia, by and large appears to have nothing against violence in media per se. The main problem is that there is no 'adult' rating (18+), so if things are too 'racy' to be sold to a minor, they cannot be classified.

That's why all the store-bought porn over here is lame or illegal.

Sucks, but it at least helps generate the import dollar for our American friends.

Oh, and you can just change your listed address on Valve to escape the region limitation, right?

 

[TechNoFear]

Australia is pretty elitist considering that it's a country full of criminals, isn't it?

I don't mean to insinuate that all Americans are uneducated xenophobes, but at least 3 posters appear to need a history lesson...

The reason Brittan started transporting convicts to Australia (in 1788) was because they could not longer transport these convicts to America (as the British had been doing since 1733).

 

[Zenode]

I will just wait for the inevitable gore mod that will come out so people in Aus can play it the same way

 

[Kiutu]

Valve should just do what Evil Dead did: change the color of most of the blood to something that isn't obviously blood, like green or black, for example. it helped Evil Dead not get an X rating, maybe Australia will fall for it, too.

That's actually a pretty good idea. It might work, actually, as it provides a more acute difference between ordinary or ill humans, and the Infected. Good idea. Someone forward this on to Valve. They could probably do a public fundraiser to pay for the reapplication, too!

Out of interest, does Australia have an 18 or R equivalent for films? I'm going to grill Atkinson about this under the guise of "research".

Absolutely. Indeed, many cinematic releases and dvd's are classed as R18+ for various high impact scenes every year. Hell, where I work, we have a direct-from-the-OFLC-website sign with the ratings on them, including R18+. It's spelled out in... Actually, I'm having great trouble finding the exact piece of legislation. Pretty sure it was the Classification Act of 1995, but I'm not precisely sure right now. But it's all there, in black and white... somewhere >_>

If I lived in Australia, I would open a game store just for RC games. I would be rich probably.

That's actually a criminal offense, with, if I recall, a maximum penalty of 1 year imprisonment per game. It is also an offense to demonstrate or own with the intent to demonstrate an RC game, or game that is likely to be declared RC. Additionally, I found out it's an offense to hold a public demonstration of an MA15+ game, and it's an offense to hold a private demonstration of an MA15+ game with minors present. There're actually some fairly strict rules about demonstration and sales of videogames in Australia. Which is mostly a good thing! But the censorship makes it appalling.

When posting that, I thought it was just like our AO games. Not illegal to sell, but most places just wont since it doesnt help much. I later found out it was plain illegal. Well, atleast I got my first amendmant. -hugs it-

 

[Fenixius]

When posting that, I thought it was just like our AO games. Not illegal to sell, but most places just wont since it doesnt help much. I later found out it was plain illegal. Well, atleast I got my first amendmant. -hugs it-

Yeah, I'm okay with not having some of your other amendments. But the First? I like. I'm pretty sure we have some sort of equivalent, too, but I'm not sure.

Still, it actually makes a large difference that our ratings are "mandatory" where as yours as "voluntary". An R18+ (equivalent to your M17+ rating) would be enforced by multiple laws, so it's not unreasonable for such a thing to be introduced. Unless you're as undemocratic as Mr Atkinson, who knows better than a nation of 21 million people, including a bunch of experts in psychology, statistics, and parenting.

 

[Saucycarpdog]

Dont worry my friends. I have the edited version right here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20QvHpwHb3s

 

[Tairan]

thats just crap they didnt get rid of the gore for Fallout 3

 

[Skratt]

I wonder what Yahtzee is going to do, I guess he is going to have to go to GAMETRADERS ROBINA!, but seriously through why is Australia so antigame?

I seem to remember Greece & a few countries in South America being pretty anti-game too, though I can't find the article anymore.

Greece? Anti-gaming? Allright, I'll admit. The elder people are mostly biased against videogames and they consider them mostly toys for the kids regardless of gaming platform. Funnily enough though, the Wii seems to catch on pretty well with the elder crowd with Wii Sports and Wii Fit. And unlike Australia, I don't recall a single videogame being banned yet. BUT, if you are referring to that nasty law that our dumbass government introduced 7 years ago, I'll just hide my head in shame. That law made Australia look like a paradise in comparison. Thank god that they don't enforce it anymore! (IT STILL EXISTS!)

Edit: Right, I forgot to write about the topic at hand. Well, it sucks that the Australian version will be a dumbed down one. It sucks even more when you consider that the first Left 4 Dead wasn't edited. And the fact that a single person holds back a 18+ rating from being introduced. But, these are old news. Games in Australia were banned/re-edited in the past and will most likely do so in the future, unless something is done to change this situation. (don't ask me what)

So, they did repeal or shoot down that law? Sweet! I only remember it so well because our old buddy Jack lauded them for passing it. *sigh* That guy is such a tool. They need to round up Jack and all those that think like him (like the Australian bureaucrats) and force them to play My Little Ponies or Pet Shop Vet or something. I guarantee that will move some people to violence.

 

[Flap Jack452]

This is one of the many reasons that I'm proud to be an American.

These people are too:

Spoiler

One of them came close to becoming your President.

Seriously, what does that have to with anything?

 

[MercenaryCanary]

This is one of the many reasons that I'm proud to be an American.

These people are too:

Spoiler

One of them came close to becoming your President.

Ha ha ha... words can not describe how badly he got owned....

Sucks that the Aussies can't play L4D2 with us though. You'd think that if Mad Max took place there, that they'd be sensible to at least pass this. Come on. Only dead people die in this!

 

[Amnestic]

This is one of the many reasons that I'm proud to be an American.

These people are too:

Spoiler

One of them came close to becoming your President.

Seriously, what does that have to with anything?

Evilbunny said "This is one of the many reasons I'm proud to be an American." I pointed out that there are Americans out there who would be more than happy to start censoring 'violent' video games and that - as I said - one such person almost came close to leading your entire country.

That's what it has to do with. I would have thought that was blatantly obvious to anyone with half a brain. It wasn't exactly rocket surgery.

 

[Sexy Street]

This is one of the many reasons that I'm proud to be an American.

These people are too:

Spoiler

One of them came close to becoming your President.

lolwut? Why are you being so mean. Oh shit wait was hillary clinton on there? Time to leave the country...

 

[Cherry Cola]

If they are so worried about minors playing this, why not just give it an 18+ rating? And if they start to talk about how that wouldn't stop minors from playing it, they are proving that they don't trust their own system. So why not try to fix that system instead!?

 

[Georgeman]

I wonder what Yahtzee is going to do, I guess he is going to have to go to GAMETRADERS ROBINA!, but seriously through why is Australia so antigame?

I seem to remember Greece & a few countries in South America being pretty anti-game too, though I can't find the article anymore.

Greece? Anti-gaming? Allright, I'll admit. The elder people are mostly biased against videogames and they consider them mostly toys for the kids regardless of gaming platform. Funnily enough though, the Wii seems to catch on pretty well with the elder crowd with Wii Sports and Wii Fit. And unlike Australia, I don't recall a single videogame being banned yet. BUT, if you are referring to that nasty law that our dumbass government introduced 7 years ago, I'll just hide my head in shame. That law made Australia look like a paradise in comparison. Thank god that they don't enforce it anymore! (IT STILL EXISTS!)

Edit: Right, I forgot to write about the topic at hand. Well, it sucks that the Australian version will be a dumbed down one. It sucks even more when you consider that the first Left 4 Dead wasn't edited. And the fact that a single person holds back a 18+ rating from being introduced. But, these are old news. Games in Australia were banned/re-edited in the past and will most likely do so in the future, unless something is done to change this situation. (don't ask me what)

So, they did repeal or shoot down that law? Sweet! I only remember it so well because our old buddy Jack lauded them for passing it. *sigh* That guy is such a tool. They need to round up Jack and all those that think like him (like the Australian bureaucrats) and force them to play My Little Ponies or Pet Shop Vet or something. I guarantee that will move some people to violence.

The funny thing about that law is that it technically still exists but nobody enforces it. I recall back when the law was still in effect around 2003-2004 that some owners of Internet Cafes had their computers confiscated and they were put in trial for that reason. And all this stupidity happened because our imbecilic government wanted to ban illegal gambling to cover a scandal of theirs. How can you consider Counter-Strike as gambling is beyond my understanding.

This law effectively crippled video-gaming as it brought the hammer on both Internet Cafes and managed to completely eradicate the Arcades. Ever since then, the Arcades have been reduced to a laughable niche.

For those of you who are unaware of the law, let's just say that it prohibited playing videogames in public places. For more information read this. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_3037/2002]

And if by Jack, you refer to the imbecilic lawyer known as Jack Thompson, then he is wrong. Like I said above, our government didn't prohibit it to protect the "innocent" from violence but to cover a scandal concerning illegal gambling. It was affectionally known as "fruities".

 

[Flap Jack452]

This is one of the many reasons that I'm proud to be an American.

These people are too:

Spoiler

One of them came close to becoming your President.

Seriously, what does that have to with anything?

Evilbunny said "This is one of the many reasons I'm proud to be an American." I pointed out that there are Americans out there who would be more than happy to start censoring 'violent' video games and that - as I said - one such person almost came close to leading your entire country.

That's what it has to do with. I would have thought that was blatantly obvious to anyone with half a brain. It wasn't exactly rocket surgery.

Sorry but tell me where you "pointed out that there are Americans out there who would be more than happy to start censoring 'violent' video games".
You lost all credibility to me when you claimed your post wasn't "Rocket surgery", which I am sure you will claim was just a joke.