Valve Responds to Left 4 Dead 2 Ban
Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: Valve, L4D2, Australia, Ban, Game | Themes: Software, Digital Entertainment
Valve wasn't too happy about Australia banning L4D2.
Yesterday News.com.au reported that the Australian Classifications Board refused to classify Valve Software's upcoming game, Left 4 Dead 2, thus banning the game from retail shelves in that country. The Board refused the game based on its "realistic, frenetic and unrelenting violence," a feature many FPS games of late actually share.
According to the Board's report, the game contains high-impact violence and is thus deemed unsuitable for gamers less than 18 years to play. As it stands in Australia, there are no adult ratings for video games, so anything that fails to meet the criteria for MA15+ is refused classification. Although one of the Board members disagreed with the decision, the majority ruled that the game was just too violent.
Upon hearing the news regarding the Board's decision, Valve Software's VP of marketing Doug Lombardi said that the entire staff was disappointed. "We were surprised to hear of this news yesterday," he told Shacknews. "Obviously, everyone at Valve is pretty bummed. It would be a shame if folks in Australia, or anywhere else, are unable to purchase Left 4 Dead 2 because of a ratings issue."
Left 4 Dead 2 is still on track for a November 17 ship date here in North America, heading to the PC and Xbox 360.
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A baby called, it wants its cry back. Harden the fuck up Australia!
That's why government-rating agency is a bad idea. They can really be PITA to sound business and meddling with other people's affair with their own narrow minded moral standard.
I thought l4d 2 was just l4d 1 with new levels.. dunno what the big deal is although a ton of 12 year olds do play l4d and i guess that can be considered disturbing to some.
This should be a parental decision.
The Board refused the game based on its "realistic, frenetic and unrelenting violence,"
We all know how realistic killing zombies is
It does seem odd that apparently L4D 1 wasn't a problem but this one is...
They really should add adult ratings.
Crimethink.
Funny how they don't have the same attitude toward movies...
why can't they buy LFD2 off steam? is it just a banning of retail copies from being sold?
"realistic, frenetic and unrelenting violence"
how many FPS games can you think of that don't actually fit this description?
pcrayz wrote:
"A baby called, it wants its cry back."
What was that? You must be taking notes from George Costanza ¬_¬
L4D2 retail price $50 USD.
L4D2 eBay price so Austialian can get it $200 USD.
The "blackmarket" is going to love L4D2. It's going to bring in a boatload of money for them getting it to Australia.
Note pricing above is just an example.
All that means is that it'll sell twice as fast as it would have in Australia... just not through the retail channel.
Free publicity for Valve, and now every Aussie kid will want it twice as much.
pcrayz - Watch you mouth.
This is not "Australias" fault... It the stupid ass governing body that wont put in a 18+ rating... HOW HARD CAN IT BE TO DO THAT YOU IDIOTS ! ! ! If there isnt a rating, and is need for one... MAKE ONE !
You should make generalisations like you did, makes you look ignorant.
They can always download the game from steam or have one of family members who lives outside of Austrila and gift it to the user.
Left 4 Dead 2, thus banning the game from retail shelves in that country. The Board refused the game based on its "realistic, frenetic and unrelenting violence,"
oh they must mean because they're black zombies and we all no how those black Australians get...
pcrayz - Watch you mouth.This is not "Australias" fault... It the stupid ass governing body that wont put in a 18+ rating... HOW HARD CAN IT BE TO DO THAT YOU IDIOTS ! ! ! If there isnt a rating, and is need for one... MAKE ONE !You should make generalisations like you did, makes you look ignorant.
No shit Sherlock, it's a joke.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh6pZQX22CQ
The Board refused the game based on its "realistic, frenetic and unrelenting violence,"We all know how realistic killing zombies is
LOL what the fuck you mean?? !!!
suppose i cant take my zombie slave / shooting pratice subjects with em when i got on vacation next summer.. i suppose i coudl jsut take em adn let em run free in australia so they can eat idiots taht come up with this crap
but serious ! damn how do aussies live when they don't allow thier citiezens to shoot thier zombie's !!!
i shoot mine all teh time , hell had to shoot roten rhonda jsut teh otehr day when she bit the dog
pcrayz - Watch you mouth.This is not "Australias" fault... It the stupid ass governing body that wont put in a 18+ rating... HOW HARD CAN IT BE TO DO THAT YOU IDIOTS ! ! ! If there isnt a rating, and is need for one... MAKE ONE !You should make generalisations like you did, makes you look ignorant.
actrually i thought his joke was funy , so far you'reteh only oen looking liek an idiot here , sicne his statment was opbviously an joke , it can easily be determined that he doesn't think ALL ausiis are at fualt ... pffft lol idiot LOL
actrually i thought his joke was funy , so far you'reteh only oen looking liek an idiot here , sicne his statment was opbviously an joke , it can easily be determined that he doesn't think ALL ausiis are at fualt ... pffft lol idiot LOL
Omfg, I don't think I've seen the English language so butchered before. Please, learn how to write/type.
No more comic books or Batman movies for Australia. Just too darn violent.
Also I think they Aussies will not be able to get it through steam either. Steam will know where you actually are and will just block you from purchasing it.
nah as always, they will beable to play it, just not online mutli-player... sad fact... but seriously, maybe this decision will be overturned by the time its released anyways....
wtf is an australia?
i love my own world here in new york.
WTF is a new york?
I love my little own world here in Dank counrty California.XD
Anyways sorry my aussy friends from down there.I will gladly play it in your honor.
ALso maybe it isnt that its so hard to put in and 18+ rating.Maybe they are just moraly deciding that if a game is to narly for they standard 15+ then its to narly a gamr for kids to play..Which they still think Video/Pc games are still only for kids.
Australia Can't get an 18+ rating because of one person "South Australian Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Multicultural Affairs, Michael Atkinson". Australia's gamers are held at ransom by ONE persons. To make things worse 99% of Australia can't vote him out, never voted him in because you have to live in his District. So we are totally powerless. Got to love people who force THEIR religious point of views on others.
now everybody from australia will just import the game from other countries and thus damaging it's own economy. Nice going AU goverment
Who cares.....
Great! Would like to see more crap banned.
Why are organizations formed to just stick their mitts in every aspect of our lives? Seriously, there are organizations here that, due to their involvement with Splenda, won't allow Stevia to be labeled as a sugar alternative (has to be a "dietary suppliment"). How much sense does THAT make?
Ratings are nearly useless and, by definition, prone to human error. To assume that one's standards apply to all others is, at best, idiotic.