On the Left 4 Dead Ban

[iBroham]

Why does everyone hate blood and gore? It's anatomy. And violence is a natural occurrence. Kids are gonna see it in school anyways...

Do you live in Sparta or something, where blood and gore are an everyday part of school?

Lets all move there, no not Australia, silly, lets go to the place with the Spartan school.
I want my kids to grow big and strong ... or die trying

Failing that lets all put our monies together in one of these
(flicks through to evergrowing list of Nigerian bank accounts requiring my deposit to claim my prize) bank accounts* and buy ourselves a goverment.
... we may need to sell alot of drugs.

 

[randommaster]

Why does everyone hate blood and gore? It's anatomy. And violence is a natural occurrence. Kids are gonna see it in school anyways...

Do you live in Sparta or something, where blood and gore are an everyday part of school?

Lets all move there, no not Australia, silly, lets go to the place with the Spartan school.
I want my kids to grow big and strong ... or die trying

Failing that lets all put our monies together in one of these
(flicks through to ever growing list of Nigerian bank accounts requiring my deposit to claim my prize) bank accounts* and buy ourselves a government.
... we may need to sell a lot of drugs.

I would just like to say thanks for being the first person to get that this comment was a joke and not explain what you did in 7th grade biology.

Also, page 37 has some good bank accounts to check out.

 

[Shanecooper]

I would just like to point out that violent video games don't lead to real life violence. Fucking with the people who play violent video games, may have undesirable effects. I think we should to go and, I dunno, egg the ACB HQ or something? Tip a few cars? or something.

 

[ToenailCar]

There had been times where players had been gamers meaning they had a sense of quality and didn't take anything as great. In the mean time the so called "casual gamer" entered on stage. This kind of people ( which by the way have grown larger in numbers than actual gamers ) have to be pleased by watered down games since they don't have the butt to learn a game nor do they care for what is important in a game. This is why FPS games have grown so famous. You need no brain nor being smart just having a spastic pointing finger. And if you have a watered down game mechanics that you can't pimp anymore with more watered down concepts you crank up the gore. This has been done since a couple of years now. The result has been people getting more and more pissed at games ( politicians as well as real gamers ). So this is not about what taste somebody has but a simple observation of a dangerous trend which ( if not stopped ) is going to kill the gaming industries in the long run.

There are still plenty of other types of games around here, Limbo (thegame) and Machinarium are the ones I'm looking forward to at the moment. They may not be heavily advertised but they do still exist.

Aside from that, for me at least, it's the 'good' games not being good enough that keeps me mostly with the shooters. As I grew up I found that even the most praised games are nothing compared to even simple kids books like Alice in Wonderland or Of Mice and Men. Why play a game for anything other than mindless fun when you can find far more substance in other mediums. I'm not going to settle with banality just because it's in a different package.'
Not that games couldn't rise to the standard of any other medium, it's just that, at the moment at least, they don't.

I would just like to point out that violent video games don't lead to real life violence. Fucking with the people who play violent video games, may have undesirable effects. I think we should to go and, I dunno, egg the ACB HQ or something? Tip a few cars? or something.

Sign me up, I can bring along my cluster grenade launcher too.

 

[Jhales]

Deep down, there is some logic to their argument. But it's the small amount of healthy in a whole truck load of Twinkies. Even in the USA, there is the whole "don't sell M rated games to children," but it happens all the time, because the child asked his mom or dad to buy it for him. What better way to stop teh evil, polluting, murderer creating games out of the hands of the innocent children? Now, I do not believe that games create murderers, or that children are innocent, but I do believe in keeping children safe... from pedophiles and murders. Really, that's what the Australian government should be putting tax money towards.

 

[The Cake Is Annoying]

His name is Michael Atkinson.

(The following is from: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_Atkinson&oldid=317511751 )

"Atkinson is responsible for maintaining Australia's status as the only Western country without a "Mature" rating for video games,[3] despite overwhelming demand for such a rating. [4] Due to this, Atkinson is often at the receiving end of criticism from the international Video Gaming community. Other related consequences include the sale of what are rated "Mature" games in other countries to minors and repeated inconsistent decisions from the OFLC who are "stuck between a rock and a hard place". [5] He has withdrawn his support for a discussion paper and public consultation on the subject of an "R18+" rating, although the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General still has this issue on its agenda, it is improbable that there will be unanimity which will result in introduction of the rating being almost impossible.[6]"

Perhaps looking up this public figures address and starting a petition to appeal for him to stop annoying Australian gamers would be in order.

That or write to his party (Australian Labor Party) and tell him you're mobilising every voting age Australian gamer you know to protest vote at the next opportunity and get the joyhating twit and everyone else in the party (not just in Croyden) with him OUT of government because of what he is doing. Pressure from his peers may be enough to get him to change his mind quickly.

 

[matnatz]

Wonder where the next Extra Punctuation article is at.

 

[Odjin]

There had been times where players had been gamers meaning they had a sense of quality and didn't take anything as great. In the mean time the so called "casual gamer" entered on stage. This kind of people ( which by the way have grown larger in numbers than actual gamers ) have to be pleased by watered down games since they don't have the butt to learn a game nor do they care for what is important in a game. This is why FPS games have grown so famous. You need no brain nor being smart just having a spastic pointing finger. And if you have a watered down game mechanics that you can't pimp anymore with more watered down concepts you crank up the gore. This has been done since a couple of years now. The result has been people getting more and more pissed at games ( politicians as well as real gamers ). So this is not about what taste somebody has but a simple observation of a dangerous trend which ( if not stopped ) is going to kill the gaming industries in the long run.

There are still plenty of other types of games around here, Limbo (thegame) and Machinarium are the ones I'm looking forward to at the moment. They may not be heavily advertised but they do still exist.

Aside from that, for me at least, it's the 'good' games not being good enough that keeps me mostly with the shooters. As I grew up I found that even the most praised games are nothing compared to even simple kids books like Alice in Wonderland or Of Mice and Men. Why play a game for anything other than mindless fun when you can find far more substance in other mediums. I'm not going to settle with banality just because it's in a different package.'
Not that games couldn't rise to the standard of any other medium, it's just that, at the moment at least, they don't.

I believe in games as a creative and challenging art form. Unfortunately the majority of other game developers believe only in money and forgot what makes games interesting to play and especially create. But maybe enough developers start to think again outside of the box so games can get out of the FPS-mediocrity pit they are in right now.

Nice pick with Machinarium. Looks like somebody has style

 

[Alarid]

Why does everyone hate blood and gore? It's anatomy. And violence is a natural occurance. Kids are gonna see it in school anyways...

Especially with all that gang violence cropping up from lack of a sane release of their drudgeries on a NPC's face.

 

[knight of zendikar]

Interesting.. but if Fallout 3 was refused classification, how did Yahtzee get to review it? Did he visit his friends at GAMETRADERS ROBINA??

You'll note that Fallout 3 doesn't have Morphine at all? That's because Bethesda removed it so it could be released in Australia. Along with all the other real world drugs that were supposed to be in it, but weren't because the ACB are spineless fuckwits who know nothing about the real world.

Wow, I live the other side of the planet from Australia, and reading about this STILL gets me pissed off...

no it wasnt removed at all aparently they think its any differnt if its called med-x.

oh all the chems in fallout have there roots in some real world drug except jet, nobody no was that shit is its just a big inhaler.

 

[knight of zendikar]

Good... one horrible, boring and mindless game less. Makes room for "real" games which are interesting, challenging and have actual gameplay. Yes I don't feel sorry for this game to fall under the table. In fact I would not feel sorry for most of those "gory" games since they totally lack what makes good games: gameplay. Many game devers forget that a good game and good gameplay does not require massive gore. In fact massive gore is the sign of poor games since devers need to distract players with gore from their flaws in the game. And you are right, your country is a warning... a warning to game developers that crap games don't have a future

I think I see troll... we dont take kindly to trolls around these parts.

 

[Dannie]

Why not ban alcohol too? It's also dangerous for kids.

 

[Shanecooper]

here's an idea. We get someone to engineer a sort of zombie/gamer hybrid. It will hunger for the flesh of those who refuse to let it play awesome games. The rest of the time, it shall hunger for cheezos and cola.

 

[Explosm]

This makes me feel like grabbing a sharp weapon and slaughtering everybody in my town whilst screaming FUCK YOU GOVERNMENT YOUR THE REASON WHY WE KILL PEOPLE!

 

[Odjin]

Good... one horrible, boring and mindless game less. Makes room for "real" games which are interesting, challenging and have actual gameplay. Yes I don't feel sorry for this game to fall under the table. In fact I would not feel sorry for most of those "gory" games since they totally lack what makes good games: gameplay. Many game devers forget that a good game and good gameplay does not require massive gore. In fact massive gore is the sign of poor games since devers need to distract players with gore from their flaws in the game. And you are right, your country is a warning... a warning to game developers that crap games don't have a future

I think I see troll... we dont take kindly to trolls around these parts.

If "having an opinion" is called "trolling" around here than this website has a huge problem: censorship. And I don't assume you want the escapists to be a heavy censorship place, don't you?

 

[Mercsenary]

His name is Michael Atkinson.

(The following is from: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_Atkinson&oldid=317511751 )

"Atkinson is responsible for maintaining Australia's status as the only Western country without a "Mature" rating for video games,[3] despite overwhelming demand for such a rating. [4] Due to this, Atkinson is often at the receiving end of criticism from the international Video Gaming community. Other related consequences include the sale of what are rated "Mature" games in other countries to minors and repeated inconsistent decisions from the OFLC who are "stuck between a rock and a hard place". [5] He has withdrawn his support for a discussion paper and public consultation on the subject of an "R18+" rating, although the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General still has this issue on its agenda, it is improbable that there will be unanimity which will result in introduction of the rating being almost impossible.[6]"

What?!

WHAT!? Does he still think real games are two big white pixel bars at two ends hitting a small pixel back and forth between them!? Does he think games should only be about fluffy bunnies and talking fish!? NEVER. Even when games first started coming out what was the, arguably most popular game after Pong? Oh I dont know... Doom maybe? Quake? And what do you do in those? KILL PEOPLE. Australians need to kick this guy out of office. Is this the same guy that wants to put up a proverbial wall around Australia for the internet?

 

[CutCrane]

Well i live in germany and we do have an 18+ rating but still most games are censored.
Ninja Gaiden 2,Gears of War and so on arent released at all here and games like Fallout 3 and Left 4 Dead get heavily censored. (Saints Row 2 was cut so heavily that it was impossible to play with others online except owners of the german version.So you could forget the online mode )

 

[Ezrajames]

Scary stuff

 

[Sleipnir]

Ratings are there for a reason, how many clerks do they think will risk their job and money on selling an 18+ game to a child? And if parents by it for their child, obviously they don't really mind. It's fake violence, I don't see the issue with it, and I don't feel that children are as impressionable as the government lets on, stupid maybe, but not impressionable. And really, if it's depicting "infected humans" who amble around trying to kill you, I think the only people at risk of death-by-impressionable-youth are homicidal and on their way to the grave anyhow.

How infuriating.

 

[CopperKat]

That pissed me off just reading it.

I wonder if they could be swayed by the argument that only a small portion of retarded Ritalin popping teenagers get off on the actual violence of shooters, and it's been proven that the appeal of them lies mainly in the competitive nature and feeling of accomplishment. When replaced with evaporating bodies and laser guns, the games still had the same effect. For the under 18's who could be negatively effected by the violence, I'm pretty sure that's why we have to carry around these pieces of plastic with terrible pictures of ourselves on them. In L4D's case (and most shooters), the violence only serves to enhance those feelings that make a game fun. Let's face it, a zombie wouldn't seem as scary if it didn't plausibly blow apart in anatomically correct bits of flesh and 'innards'.