In Australia and Germany, two markets where classification authorities (for varying reasons) run a tight ship, Blizzard will “have to change blood if [they're]going to sell there”. We’d presume that means either tone it down or, like other games have done recently, change its colour.
For China, though… things aren’t as easy. In fact, they’re so hard the game may never be released there, Blizzard’s Jay Wilson telling Wired “China’s going to be hard for us. Because a lot of the restrictions there are really… we may not be able to do them. It may not be possible.”
Kotaku AU Note: We’ve checked in with Blizzard’s Aussie office for further comment. Will keep you updated.
Why Designer of Gory Diablo III Lets His Daughter Play [Wired]
Deadlydorito
August 25, 2009 at 4:42 PM
Oh god no!!! For the first time in my life im starting to think i should go back to Colombia…. Australia please dont ruin D3!!!
Report PermalinkRyno
August 25, 2009 at 4:51 PM
this kind of thing frustrates me for the developers sake, they are either forced to waste money toning down their games for us or toning down all copies of their games and forcing the world to bow to our own antiquated ratings system.
it seems incredible that we as a country host or have hosted so many developer studios and yet hold such terrible games ratings standards.
Report PermalinkMeh
August 25, 2009 at 5:05 PM
I’ll just order from overseas where it’s both cheaper and unedited. Long gone are the days where I walked into a shop to buy a new release game on the release date (I miss you BigW and JB). I blame both the Australian Government and the publishers who jack up the prices here in Australia. Meh, I might just order and download it directly from Blizzard if they offer it as a download.
Report PermalinkSurge
August 25, 2009 at 5:33 PM
love play-asia :)
Report PermalinkAndyN
August 25, 2009 at 5:50 PM
Not if the Australian government start banning all those sites that offer imports.
Report PermalinkSteven Bogos
August 25, 2009 at 8:35 PM
that will never happen
Report PermalinkSkip
August 25, 2009 at 8:48 PM
Couldn’t you then just use a proxy?
Report PermalinkGraeme Stacey
August 26, 2009 at 12:13 AM
More talk of the Internet Censorship eh?
As Steven put it, that will never happen.
Report PermalinkWhats more of a joke is how Video games and movies are judged so unfairly when the latter is more likely (imo) to be in the hands of a child.
RocK_M
August 26, 2009 at 12:50 AM
Wouldn’t work… as long as said shop is not selling anything directly illegal it would contravene with the fair tradings and anti-competition laws…
Either way if it does happen I’m guessing I have another game to add on my import list (such as Silen Hill V).
Report PermalinkKorwin
August 25, 2009 at 5:15 PM
I doubt they’ll have to tone it down here. The violence isnt in anyway realistic. If anything its more light weight than a Gears of War title so I doubt this will be an issue on the censors end.
Provided they dont take the 2K route and pre-censor the game it should be fine.
Report PermalinkPaul Down
August 25, 2009 at 5:34 PM
Fan fucking tastic.
Report PermalinkPick
August 25, 2009 at 5:39 PM
At first I wasn’t worried when hearing this, thinking simple fan made patches and edits would give us normal gore. But if Blizzard is going to put harsh pirating measures on D3 like they are for SC2 then that might be out of the question if we can’t apply anything that the game would think is a crack.
Report Permalinkpeaky01
August 25, 2009 at 5:43 PM
Hucking Fell
Oh well, ordering it from the UK then
Report PermalinkJackson Thurtle
August 25, 2009 at 5:48 PM
Yeah, the Blizz-download seems like a good plan. Screw you, Australia. I will -not- support my nation’s industry if they’re being forced to water down.
Report PermalinkDrunkspleen
August 25, 2009 at 5:55 PM
What? What’s so bad about modern Diablo that it can’t fit into an MA15+ rating when D2 could? I hope Blizzard aren’t just pre-empting that our rating system will be assholes and refuse it classification, and we will get a watered down one even if it’s not necessary.
And for the next few years I am sure the Attorneys General will continue to do absolutely nothing regarding the resolution of this whole issue no matter how much people talk about it, Even when mainstream media starts talking about it nothing gets done.
Report PermalinkDeadlydorito
August 25, 2009 at 6:06 PM
I would download it, but personally im hopin gfor a collectors edition with art books :D
Report PermalinkCyK
August 25, 2009 at 6:12 PM
This is embarassing
Report PermalinkCerberus
August 25, 2009 at 6:21 PM
Dunno why some people are complaining about the price of a game which isn’t coming until like 2011, but this is another reason to fight for our gaming rights, TO THE STREETS!!!! Seriously though, we gotta fight over this censorship bs, its getting too much now, Im 18 I want R rated games not government censorship.
Report PermalinkAd
August 25, 2009 at 6:43 PM
What they need to do is a Duke Nukem 3D – release the toned down game with a patch included on the CD. Install the patch, and voila – original game.
Report Permalinkphilomglol
August 25, 2009 at 6:47 PM
If we’re going to be screwed, I hope they take the Gears of Wars 2 route and instead of blood, make it all sparks.
Or rainbows.
Report PermalinkWarden
August 25, 2009 at 6:49 PM
well this one is at least 2 years away from release but you can blame that goofball Mike Atkinson from SA for any banned and edited games, this one is at least 2 years away yet from release so hopefully in that time Atkinson dies, retires or loses election.
Report PermalinkShipsAhoy
August 25, 2009 at 7:29 PM
I hate to say it, but…
Bring on the pirates!
Report PermalinkJames Shen
August 25, 2009 at 7:34 PM
Oh god…will battle.net be monitored for some sort of IP/region-check?
If not I’ll be importing from US if there are indeed changes.
If it is IP/region ‘checked’ when playing online on battle.net then ….I hope the changes aren’t too severe and the blood color isn’t like, white or something.
Why can’t our ratings board be made up of gamers?
Report PermalinkBlah2
August 25, 2009 at 7:35 PM
I’ll just get a cd key from an australian retail copy and download the american version?
Report PermalinkWarden
August 25, 2009 at 7:37 PM
LUKE YOUR A RETARD FOR NOT ALLOWING MY POST TO GO THROUGH.
Report PermalinkEd Robertson
August 25, 2009 at 7:42 PM
well diablo 3 is still 18months or more away so cross fingers that us aussies will get an R18+ rating. if we dont have one by then ill def be pre ordering it from playasia
Report PermalinkDuskbringer
August 25, 2009 at 8:07 PM
Blizzard has an Aussie office? What do they do there?
Report PermalinkCollision
August 25, 2009 at 8:14 PM
Fuuuuuuuck off.
I’m sick of this censorship crap.
If they censorthe aussie version, I’m going going to ‘acquire’ a US version.
Report PermalinkNelson Zheng
August 25, 2009 at 8:39 PM
Oh yay! Now we get to play Diablo without the blood! Why not just rename the game to Jesus or something? I’m sure everyone will wanna buy that!
Report PermalinkDunnowhathuh
August 25, 2009 at 8:47 PM
Hurrah for Australia and our fucked up rating system!
Report PermalinkNEO
August 25, 2009 at 9:00 PM
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Report PermalinkI love D3 and Gore
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo