Left 4 Dead 2 blacklisted in Australia

[Matthew DeCarlo]

Valve's upcoming sequel to Left 4 Dead has reportedly been banned in the land down under. The Australian Classification Board has stamped the title with "RC" (refused classification) because of "high impact violence" against "living humans infected with a rabies-like virus."

In case you're unfamiliar, there is no adult rating for video games in Australia -- with the maximum being MA15+. Any mature title that is unable to obtain the Classification Board's approval for MA15+ is barred from commercial sale. Oddly, the original Left 4 Dead made it to shelves with the Board's blessings.

This doesn't necessarily mean Left 4 Dead 2 won't eventually be given the OK, though. I assume if Valve edits out the content in question, the ban will be lifted. Other titles to be forbidden in recent times include "Sexy Poker," "Necrovision," and "Risen."

You can read the Classification Board's report here (PDF) and its website can be found here. Don't hesitate to leave your rants or otherwise in the comments.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/36246-left-4-dead-2-blacklisted-in-australia.html

 

[tengeta]

What a joke of a country. Makes the U.S. look good.

 

[Guest]

i second that

 

[viperpfl]

That is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard. I would like to know what the hell is "high impact" violence? Does that mean I have to kill a fantasy person in a game with a spit ball instead of a bazooka?
I understand they are trying to keep violence away from kids but I am a 42 year old, I think I am beyond that stage. This is what you get when you have a government taking away your freedom of choice.

 

[Steve]

tengeta said:
What a joke of a country. Makes the U.S. look good.

haha well that is your opinion but have you been to Australia? It’s a significantly nicer and safer place to live…

 

[skitzo_zac]

I am an Australian and most of the games that have been banned recently or in the past have not interested me. But L4D2 is something I might have actually bought.
They will probably do what Bethesda did with Fallout 3 and edit it for all regions so that they don't have multiple versions of the same game which would make sense for multiplayer and the whole steam service.

 

[Guest]

you gotta be kidding me...L4D 2?violence??they should've seen prototype,assasin's creed etc etc~

 

[gobbybobby]

HAHAHAHA, I just rofled! Sell it on steam anyway, who cares if it was ''RC''

 

[Guest]

Just paint the blood green and it will be ready for approval (usually works in Germany).

 

[TomSEA]

LOL...that's pretty asinine. Guess it's too much to ask for the consumer to determine themselves whether a game is too violent for their tastes or not. Obviously the government knows MUCH better.

 

[Eddie_42]

All this projection of American thinking on an Australian system.
Their rules and regulations don't fall under our constitution, their citizens don't have the exact same privileges and rights that Americans do.
Its the same story for any country...each is different.
Just because an American company makes a product, doesn't mean it has to be sold everywhere without hindrance. That's the asinine American thought process.
Look at what Microsoft is going through with Windows and the EU, their rules and regulations wont let Microsoft put a Microsoft product in their Microsoft product (IE in windows). Tell me where the logic is on that one. But that's the rules, that's what the governing body dictated, and that's the rules Microsoft has to play by if they want to sell that product in the EU.
If you dont like the rules Australia has for this game, run for president, or chancellor, or prime minister, or parliment, or Queen.
Start a revolution or shut up.

 

[Guest]

You know...banning a game from retail sale is only shootting themselves in the foot from potential tax revenue. If someone wants the game they will get their hands on it regardless of any laws or bans. Hello Steam, or even Bit-Torrent.

 

[captaincranky]

How to Be Queen of Australia, For Dummies.......

If you dont like the rules Australia has for this game, run for president, or chancellor, or prime minister, or parliment, or Queen.

Wow, if you're "elected Queen", do you get to pick out your own tiara?

Does Australia have many queens or just one?

Do you have to pass a civil service test, or just practice saying, "I'm the Queen of Australia", until you have a convincing Aussie accent? Would this have to be done in front of a mirror, in a garter belt and high heels?

Maybe Donald Trump could start a "The Real Queen of Australia" pageant! Or at the very least buy it if it starts to founder. Would the new "Queen" be DQ, if topless photos of shim drunk showed up, while kissing other "queens"?

ROFLMAO

 

[Guest]

They better not make all of us l4d2 player suffer because Australia governments stupid decision by censoring it, if they do its just another reason not to buy the game! They already shafted us l4d players with neglecting l4d so much and releasing l4d2 so early.

 

[Darth Shiv]

tengeta said:
What a joke of a country. Makes the U.S. look good.

More uninformed drivel from tengeta. Thanks. Looked at your patent law lately? And you call a classification system a joke...
That aside, we have ***** bureaucrats here and hopefully someone in government with common sense will introduce an AO rating here. They should just require proof of age on purchase. Guess the polly's don't care which is weird cause they usually pander to every minority group.

 

[red1776]

tengeta said:
What a joke of a country. Makes the U.S. look good.

wow, a slam at two countries and their people in one sentence, and one of them your home. I would call you a Xenophobe, but if you think its a joke here, and a joke there,...I guess your a person without two countries.

 

[Zeromus]

Maybe this feeds fuel to the fire of the rage of the young individuals in Australia. I have some friends there but in my own non-personal opinion I'd say they're a bit unsettled, after hearing such a strict import revision I could only assume the country goes hard on these children.

 

[shossofe]

for human violence huh.
hmmmmm
PETIH: People for the Ethical Treatment of Infected Humans.

 

[Punkid]

bad decision

 

[Docnoq]

I find it harder and harder everyday to be surprised by the actions of bureaucrats.

 

[red1776]

[-Steve-] said:

tengeta said:
What a joke of a country. Makes the U.S. look good.

haha well that is your opinion but have you been to Australia? It’s a significantly nicer and safer place to live…

Steve,
can you comment on this? i have been trying to follow it as much as I can (not living there) but this would be more upsetting to me than a game being banned.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=10779

 

[Steve]

red1776 said:

[-Steve-] said:

tengeta said:
What a joke of a country. Makes the U.S. look good.

haha well that is your opinion but have you been to Australia? It’s a significantly nicer and safer place to live…

Steve,
can you comment on this? i have been trying to follow it as much as I can (not living there) but this would be more upsetting to me than a game being banned.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=10779

As far as I know this is not going to happen. But yes this would upset me

 

[ViperSniper2]

@Eddie_42
#1 How can anyone start a Revolution if they're shut up?
Gee buddy, you don't need to get all defensive about it. Most of us are from America. Where we have "Freedom of Dissent". That's where it's OK to disagree with your government. Here it's supposed to be ruled by "We the People". That's government "for the people and by the people"!
Something maybe you and those from the "Land of OZ" citizens don't apparently have (according to your rant)! xD
Maybe you guys, the EU and the UK (where movies get banned) should have a Tea Party to at least get some basic "Freedoms of Dissent"........!!!
After all, if you haven''t learned how to make decisions for yourselves, by the time you're old enough to vote, you might never be capable of deciding what you can watch on your own!

 

[captaincranky]

OK, So is Anyone Going to Run for "Queen of Australia" or Not..?..

If you dont like the rules Australia has for this game, run for president, or chancellor, or prime minister, or parliment, or Queen.

Well Eddie. I don't think that "Queen of Australia" is an elected position. Or for that matter, "Queen of Australia" is limited to any one specific position.

Actually, "Queen of Australia" is a position gained by sheer force of will, overdone eyeliner, and pronouncement. You just have to take the bull by the garter belt and say, "oym tha' Qwain of Aus-trail-ya, mate".

If the direct approach fails, you could always grab your didgeredoo, and go on tour with the Village People. The Sydney Opera House eagerly awaits your triumphant arrival. :haha:

 

[captaincranky]

haha well that is your opinion but have you been to Australia? It’s a significantly nicer and safer place to live…

Steve,
can you comment on this? i have been trying to follow it as much as I can (not living there) but this would be more upsetting to me than a game being banned.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=10779

I would be curious to know if "Crocodile Dundee" is still the Minister of Tourism.