Left 4 Dead 2 Refused Classification in Australia

[Waif]

Australian gov sucks sometimes.
Like how the spend copious amounts of money on useless porn filters for the countries internet, that is hardly effective at all

 

[The Political Gamer]

Signed

Also:

Super short version: the federal government and all the states bar one agree that video games need an R-18+ rating to bring them into line with film and television. One Attorney-General is holding out ("video games are for kiddies!", you know the type) and due to issues such as censor ratings needing to be ratified by all states before it can be federally applied, the R-18+ rating is being held back until this vintage jackass resigns his position. Everyone else is keen for it to be applied so we can stop dealing with this shit every time Rockstar releases a new game.

But honestly, it's not a big deal. Things get refused classification all the time, but one appeal and it's through. All Valve needs to do is cite precedent (primarily L4D making it through unchanged on first submission to the ratings board) and it'll pass. TBH all this means is that EB and Game (the two main game retail chains) won't carry the game until it has finished undergoing appeal, but every decent game store and every store in Chinatown will import cheap copies and sell it regardless.

It sounds terrible when you read about it, but it's such a weak system anyone that no one really cares about it. Same as the net filtering you've read about, everyone here with half a brain knows that it's just hot air designed to please the Kiddies First mouthbreathers and that it's so completely unworkable that no ISP will support it. Sounds horrible when you read about it from outside the country, but here everyone just rolls their eyes and fires off scathing emails.

 

[Randdalf]

Apparently the whole saga is about some fundemental christian who believes he's "protecting the children."

I mean, come on, what's the point of a rating system then? Surely children shouldn't be able to get their hands on the game. Gurgh. Religion.

Also, lol, Football Manager was banned in China for "recognizing Tibet as an independent country"

 

[Caliostro]

Toaster, one kid was exposed to GTA and went on a spree a while back.

Yeah... He was also exposed to water... WATER CAUSES VIOLENCE!!

First of all, correlation does not equate causation. Second, no correlation was ever found, that I'm aware, in a scientific and legitimate study, between playing violent videogames and being violent. Third, even if it was, and going back to the first point, correlation is not causation. Ever thought that maybe people who are naturally violent (poor upbringing for instances) might naturally be more inclined to play violent videogames than those who are not?

The whole controversy surrounding violent videogames is a giant pithole of ignorance and stupidity. Like that time some kid with a history of being relentlessly bullied by his colleges, having a shitty life at home, and never having received support when he asked, suddenly murdered half his classmates, and then, obviously, everyone blamed it on videogames... Because they found out he played one... Really... A teenager that played a videogame...? Nowadays?? My god, how did that ever happen...? Clearly he as a loose cannon.

At any rate, censorship is ALWAYS, ALWAYS, A-L-W-A-Y-S wrong. Education is the secret to a good upbringing, not ignorance.

 

[grazr]

...one kid was exposed to GTA and went on a spree a while back.

You mean you don't go on a short killing spree to wind down after a good GTA Marathon? There's nothing i like more than hurting my fellow man and getting in trouble with the law and subsequently ruining mine and others lives, even when i could just as easily simulate it at home for a one off payment of £40 excluding hardware expenses.

doesn't TF2-Germany have like party mode enabled and locked so you can't change it. Everytime a body gibs it shows only balloons and confetti? Or was that another game i'm thinking of, i remember hearing germany had a game like that, not sure which title it was though but TF2 rings a bell

Germany has many alternatives to blood and gore. A friend downloaded what could only be described as a cheap version of DoD. But it was from a German mirror, and subsequently had its restrictions hardcoded. Soldiers had blood replaced by 'oil'. (although any discernable difference was negligable to be quite honest).

At any rate, censorship is ALWAYS, ALWAYS, A-L-W-A-Y-S wrong. Education is the secret to a good upbringing, not ignorance.

A Government Study in the U.S. Showed that kids who were exposed to guns, taught how to use and respect them by their parents, were 80% Less likely to use them in criminal activities. Although i do not agree with allowing kids access to guns, i can see how this would be the case in a controlled environment. I wish i still had the link (i even saved the document to my P.C. i found it that interesting).

edit: Command & Conquer Generals : Banned for "smearing the image of China and the Chinese army" despite the fact that the game presents China as a quasi-protagonist.

Major Lulz

 

[Bacteriophage]

"who are living humans infected with a rabies-like virus that causes them to act violently"

THEY'RE ZOMBIES, FRANCIS

Anyway I've got no love for this. Doesn't it happen to most big-name games in Aussie anyway?