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Jason Picker
26 Oct, 2009

Left 4 Dead 2 still banned in Aus

PALGN News | But edited version will be available soon.
Valve’s appeal against the banning of the unedited version of its zombie horror game, Left 4 Dead 2 has failed, with the Classification Review Board unanimously agreeing that the game should continue to be refused classification, according to a report by GameSpot.

The decision seems to have been made largely due to not only the high impact violence, but the way that violence is inflicted on human characters, with the classification board saying there was ”insufficient delineation between the depiction of general zombie figures and the human figures, as opposed to the clearly fictional 'infected' characters".

However, a “heavily altered edition” of the game will be available under the MA rating, which removes the "depictions of decapitation, dismemberment, wound detail, or piles of dead bodies lying about the environment."

The decision once again seems to focus on the game’s impact on children, with the board expressing concern as to how the violence may affect young people. Not to beat a dead horse, but if Australia had an R rating, the Board wouldn’t have to consider how this game may affect 15-year-old children as it would only be available to people aged 18 and over. Instead, Australians will now have to make do with a heavily edited version of the game.

Left 4 Dead 2 is scheduled for release on the Xbox 360 and PC on November 17.

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59 Comments
3 years ago
my opinnion its still bull s..t that the Australian govermet cant handle a R rating there pussyz
3 years ago
^ A fine example of the 'mature gamer'. Perhaps if we didn't have people as above destroying the credibility of the pro-R18+ argument, we might actually get somewhere.
3 years ago
Charly, I don't think they take into account the maturity of gamers. If they would they would see most gamers are over 25. They still think games are for kids which is crazy. Might have to wait until all the old people die until we can change the governments opinion.
3 years ago
Nietzsche wrote
Might have to wait until all the old people die
Just wish it was legal to for me to "speed up" the process, but one look at my house and they'd just say "games made him do it".
3 years ago
Knew this was going to happen, there was only two realistic course of outcome. Either Valve release a special retarded version just for us or it totally get banned.

Oh well, hopefully the game will be region free and I'll be importing this or as much as I really loved Left 4 Dead 1, I can simply go without, plenty of other games to play. I'm certainly not paying money for a censored version.
3 years ago
Nietzsche wrote
Charly, I don't think they take into account the maturity of gamers.
Exactly my point. And why would they when a large number of the proponents for an R18+ rating are calling them 'pussyz' and other such vulgarities.
3 years ago
While I am all for R rated games the fact of the matter is, even now, working with games, I often see parents buying games like GTA and other MA15+ games for their 8 year old sons, etc.
While an enforcement may be made restricting the purchase to 18+, parents generally would satisfy this requirement despite the child being the main player.
Problem is poor parenting = no R18+ games.
3 years ago
*facepalm*

I wonder if anyone making these kinds of decisions realise how stupid they make our country look compared to 90% of the rest of the world.

I pre-ordered the edited version from steam, hopefully , one day, they find a way around it (or someone makes a patch)
3 years ago
You would think parents wouldn't buy something with R rating for their kids while things with MA16+ aren't taken as seriously.
3 years ago
spyke wrote
Problem is poor parenting = no R18+ games.
Yes, deny many to please a few.
There's a lot of that now, I say take the warning labels off everything and the problem will sort itself.
3 years ago
Charly wrote
^ A fine example of the 'mature gamer'. Perhaps if we didn't have people as above destroying the credibility of the pro-R18+ argument, we might actually get somewhere.
+1
3 years ago
They needn't think im going to be paying full price for censored shit,they are NOT going to tell me what i can and cant play. You cant take out the most interesting element of the game and still say its going to be as fun.
1 way or the other im going to get this game full gore like it was intended
Australia lags behind other countries and doesnt lead the way in anything,
here is an example why.............
Thats what you get when you got fogies running the country, i mean is every gamer under 15????
3 years ago
Does anyone know if the UK 360 version has escaped these edits and will work on an AU 360? Sorry for the question ive just been out of the loop on most LFD2 news...
3 years ago
****Instead, Australians will now have to make do with a heavily edited version of the game.****

Pigs ass. I'll be importing from the UK - in fact I'm putting a preorder down on it Wednesday when I get paid. I quite honestly couldn't care less about the law, Customs are a bunch of chimps anyway. They haven't caught me the last 14 times I've imported a banned game.

This backwards ass country needs a good kick up the bum. Where's the evidence that video games are more influential than films? Michael Atkinsons stance is based purely upon the assumption and not facts. We don't elect people to govern us based on assumptions. The prat needs to be removed. He's even successfully censored a discussion paper on the issue, oh I wonder what he's afraid of? That he'll be exposed for the complete moron that he is.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26216037-5006787,00.html

"MICHAEL Atkinson is among the nation's most eccentric public figures, a pedantic state attorney-general who is obsessive and whose dislike for lawyers and journalists borders on the pathological."

Plus you have the anally retentive Classification Board who don't know the meaning of the words precedent and consistency. Bunch of clowns who nit pick in order to justify their pointless jobs.
3 years ago
Fascinating and entertaining to say the least.

The web will ultimately be censored in Australia (yes I know plans are already afoot) which means Steam etc. will get black listed so the only chance you will have is get overseas friends to send it in the mail. Customs have nice tricks as well so eventually that will fail consistently.
3 years ago
"Customs have nice tricks as well so eventually that will fail consistently."

Nice rhetoric, but reality says otherwise. Regular airmail packages rarely get inspected unless the x-ray scanner shows an anomaly. Shipping through Australia Post is pretty much full proof unless you're importing drugs or guns.

Courier packages are much more risky, as companies like FedEx rovide readily assessable documentation about the contents of their packages. i.e in a plastic sleeve on the side of the package. If customs see this and know the item is banned, you're going to get done for it.

Bottom line: unless Customs open your airmail package they have no grounds to seize it.
3 years ago
MikeZombie777 wrote
Nice rhetoric, but reality says otherwise. Regular airmail packages rarely get inspected unless the x-ray scanner shows an anomaly. Shipping through Australia Post is pretty much full proof unless you're importing drugs or guns.
Unfortunately that is not the case. A couple of years ago I somehow ended up on a list, so now every package that leaves the country, or enters the country to/from my address is checked.
3 years ago
lapzod wrote
MikeZombie777 wrote
Nice rhetoric, but reality says otherwise. Regular airmail packages rarely get inspected unless the x-ray scanner shows an anomaly. Shipping through Australia Post is pretty much full proof unless you're importing drugs or guns.
Unfortunately that is not the case. A couple of years ago I somehow ended up on a list, so now every package that leaves the country, or enters the country to/from my address is checked.
Jesus how the hell did that happen..... That would really suck if that happened to me.
3 years ago
Simple solution, import the pc version form the US (awesome exchnage rate), or get the 360 version from the UK....

I have ordered a few banned/unedited games from playasia in the last few years and never had a problem, it's also usually quite a bit cheaper....
3 years ago
^Which is what I'm doing. The mother country is still somewhat reliable, at least.
3 years ago
macca macca wrote
Simple solution, import the pc version form the US
Not going to work - IIRC Steam already uses regional lockouts to prevent you from buying games cheap from Asia, I'd have to presume they'd do something similar here.
3 years ago
elnoob wrote
Charly wrote
^ A fine example of the 'mature gamer'. Perhaps if we didn't have people as above destroying the credibility of the pro-R18+ argument, we might actually get somewhere.
+1
This is why the plus and neg system exists, so that posts like that don't.
3 years ago
Charly wrote
Nietzsche wrote
Charly, I don't think they take into account the maturity of gamers.
Exactly my point. And why would they when a large number of the proponents for an R18+ rating are calling them 'pussyz' and other such vulgarities.
Because we all know thats the real reason..spelling and comments icon_rolleyes.gif
3 years ago
Slashee the Cow wrote
IIRC Steam already uses regional lockouts to prevent you from buying games cheap from Asia, I'd have to presume they'd do something similar here.
Also, as people travelling abroad have noticed, content lockout is based on IP address with Steam - hence my comment in the other thread about chipping in for a shell account in the states to tunnell all Steam traffic through.
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| More
  Pre-order or buy:
    PALGN recommends: www.Play-Asia.com

Australian Release Date:
  19/11/2009 (Tentative)
Publisher:
  Electronic Arts
Genre:
  Shooter
Year Made:
  2009
Players:
  2

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