Australia, Your Government Hates You: L4D2 Refused Classification - by june gloom
icemann on 23/9/2009 at 11:47
This is the first one thats really gotten any media attention as well. Read an article on it just yesterday.
Videogame related stuff rarely makes it into the papers over here.
EvaUnit02 on 25/9/2009 at 03:26
(
http://www.gameplanet.co.nz/pc/games/158881.Left-4-Dead-2/news/133896.20090925.Valve-appealing-Left-4-Dead-2-ban-in-Australia/) Valve appealing L4D2 ban in Oz
Quote:
Valve has formally appealed the Australian Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) decision to refuse a rating on zombie shooter sequel Left 4 Dead 2. Without a rating the game will effectively be banned from sale in the country.
Left 4 Dead 2 is currently being considered by the New Zealand OFLC for classification, with an R16 or R18 rating likely. Australia however does not have a rating higher than MA 15+, which has repeatedly caused problems for mature games being released in the territory.
If the game remains banned in Australia it should not affect its release in New Zealand, however if Valve is forced to censor the game to get it on sale in Oz, then kiwis buying the game at retail may get stuck with a censored version as well.
In the Australian OFLC's decision on 17 September, it stated that the game was unsuitable for an MA 15+ rating due to "frequent and intense depictions of violence" and "graphic depictions of blood and gore." The OFLC did note in its report that a minority of the board believed the game "warrants an MA 15+ classification with the customer advice of strong violence," the same classification given to the original Left 4 Dead - which may provide Valve with a foothold for its appeal.
Left 4 Dead 2 is due for release on November 18 on PC and Xbox 360. Valve provided the following list of ratings for the game so far:
COMPLETED RATINGS
PEGI (continental Europe) - 18+
ESRB (North America) - M
CERO (Japan) - Z (corresponds to Mature in US)
IFCO (Ireland) - Approved the title for classification.
USK (Germany) - 18+
Singapore - Mature 18
FPB (South Africa) - 18+
KGRB (Korea) -18+
PENDING RATINGS
OFLC New Zealand - In progress.
BBFC (UK) - In progress.
OFLC Australia - Refused to rate on September 17. Appealed September 23.
Muzman on 25/9/2009 at 05:13
Everyone else giving it 18s means they're screwed, I suspect.
Do the kiwi's have an 18 for games or there abouts?
Chade on 25/9/2009 at 05:23
EvaUnit's quote mentions an "R16" and an "R18" rating.
It is currently looking like the OFLC did the right thing ... methinks NZ can look forward to a neutered L4D2 ... :erg:
Muzman on 25/9/2009 at 05:27
Not my best reading day.
I hope they don't alter it, myself. If only for the cause, as it were. Easy for me to say since I don't really want to play it, but hey.
Chade on 25/9/2009 at 05:36
Yeah, I think that's fair enough. No doubt the issue would get a lot more traction in the press if some popular games actually weren't available.
Koki on 25/9/2009 at 06:06
I remember when only games getting banned were the ones with boobs in them. Hell, UT in training level you had to kill an innocent Nali just to proceed, and the narrator even commented it with "Look at the gibs fly!". Good times.
(UT got 15+ in Oz)
EvaUnit02 on 25/9/2009 at 06:23
Quote Posted by Muzman
Do the kiwi's have an 18 for games or there abouts?
Yes.
Zygoptera on 25/9/2009 at 07:41
Quote Posted by Chade
... methinks NZ can look forward to a neutered L4D2 ... :erg:
Since parallel importing is ok here there will almost certainly be an uncensored version available, assuming Steam doesn't end up lumping NZ IPs in with Australian ones and autocensoring. Despite the coveted 'banned in Australia' label Risen has now popped up on the release schedule here- like several other titles it will probably be the Eastern European version. I've got quite used to seeing about a dozen different languages in the install options.
Harvester on 25/9/2009 at 11:50
Quote Posted by Koki
I remember when only games getting banned were the ones with boobs in them. Hell, UT in training level you had to kill an innocent Nali just to proceed, and the narrator even commented it with "Look at the gibs fly!". Good times.
UT also had some boobs (look at the walls in the training level) and it still wasn't banned.
