Left 4 Dead 2 has been refused classification in Australia in a decision announced by the Classification Board this morning.
You can see for yourself over on the Board’s website. The RC classification means Left 4 Dead 2 contains content that the Board deemed exceeds the guidelines for an MA15+ classification.
No details on what that content might be are available as yet.
We have contacted distributor Electronic Arts and will update you as soon as we can.
UPDATE: An EA spokesperson has told us they “are still working through the submission process with OFLC and want to explore all opportunities before making any comment.”
UPDATE: We’ve now seen the Board’s report. Head here to find out why Left 4 Dead 2 was banned.
[Thanks Andrew and Josh]
Andrew Hobbs
September 17, 2009 at 10:38 AM
*sigh*
Report PermalinkJake Miles
September 17, 2009 at 2:18 PM
/headdesk
Report Permalinkgamerathebrave
September 17, 2009 at 10:58 PM
*Sigh* indeed, Andrew.
But sighing is not enough. We ALL need to do something about this situation. Why not join me in spending just a few minutes writing to the Classification Board?:
http://www.classification.gov.au/www/cob/classification.nsf/Page/ClassificationinAustralia_Contactus_Contactus
But try not to be abusive, that’s what they expect from us. Better to give constructive but firm criticism.
STAND UP AUSTRALIA. It’s the ONLY WAY we’ll get an R18+ rating for games. Please do it NOW.
Report Permalinkvagabond
September 18, 2009 at 2:47 PM
Unfortunately writing to the OFLC will achieve nothing. Every time they have been asked to provide opinion as to whether there should be an R rating for Computer Games the OFLC has been in favour of it. However, introducing one requires a legislation change which requires the unanimous agreement of all state and federal attorney generals.
The South Australian Attorney General is a fundamentalist Christian who believes that he is protecting the children by refusing to agree. On a number of occasions he has expressed his desire to have the R rating for films removed. He will not shift his position on the matter, so nothing short of his being removed from office will change the situation.
I very much doubt that you will be taken seriously if you write to the ALP requesting he be removed from Office, but that is about your only option.
Report PermalinkDaniel Barter
September 17, 2009 at 10:39 AM
wasn’t expecting that at all, quite disheartening
Report PermalinkJamie Galea
September 17, 2009 at 10:42 AM
Oh wow. This is going to make a LOT of people pissed off…
Report PermalinkCloneTrooper
September 17, 2009 at 1:12 PM
Unless they were part of the L4D2 Boycott Group….
Report Permalinkhoyas utley
December 12, 2009 at 3:07 AM
your right
Report PermalinkDean Henderson
September 17, 2009 at 10:42 AM
Well this is news and the LFD2 aussie boycotts have lost their reason for exsistance.
Report PermalinkGarrick Bortignon
September 17, 2009 at 10:43 AM
GG classification laws.
Report PermalinkOh well, just DL it from Steam and bypass all that BS.
opm881
September 17, 2009 at 10:53 AM
@Garrick
Report PermalinkGames on steam that were RC’d and were changed and re-released, you get the re-released versions. Find a game that was banned in australia, go to its steam page and you should notice the Australian classification. However, find one that wasnt refused classification and normally it will have the american classification
DerangedStoat
September 17, 2009 at 10:55 AM
But can’t steam restrict games to certain regions? I can’t see them allowing Australians to buy it if it has been banned here (unless of course our ‘steam region’ includes NZ and other countries that haven’t banned it)
Report PermalinkDavid Wildgoose
September 17, 2009 at 11:00 AM
If a game is refused classification in Australia, it will not be available on Steam for Australians to purchase.
Report PermalinkMr Explody
September 17, 2009 at 11:12 AM
I wonder David, would this also apply to ISP’s (iiNet, Internode, etc..) hosting Australian servers of the game?
ie, even if we could acquire the game via import, would we be able to play on locally hosted servers?
Report PermalinkWaveOfMutilation
September 17, 2009 at 11:22 AM
What if I import a physical copy from a country without out-dated classification laws (say NZ or US), will I be able to install that on my PC or will Steam not allow me to do so since I live in Australia?
Report PermalinkEsposch
September 17, 2009 at 2:00 PM
Na, Steam would still know it was activated in Australia and disallow it….
Report PermalinkJames
September 17, 2009 at 3:24 PM
You’d better not do that if you’re in Western Australia. There is a $10,000 fine for posessing computer games that have been refused classification (as opposed to other states where it is just illegal to sell/rent such games).
Report PermalinkRyan Keable
September 17, 2009 at 10:43 AM
This moves certainly asks for more immediate liberal action to be taken to our inept classification system.
Report PermalinkCamb3h
September 17, 2009 at 10:44 AM
I wonder what could be so different from LFD1 that forced it into the RC bracket.
Report PermalinkProf. Ake
September 17, 2009 at 10:49 AM
Maybe it has to do with the fact taht you can dismember zombies with accurate results, e.g. cutting of legs, arms splitting people in half etc. Apparently our young kiddy minds might start thinking its a cool thing to do to the normal non zombie populace. Stupid fucking government
Report PermalinkBrad Friedrich
September 17, 2009 at 11:07 AM
I fail to see how that is any different to dead space.
Report PermalinkAyrton Coll
September 17, 2009 at 1:50 PM
or fallout 3
Report PermalinkAlex
September 17, 2009 at 10:44 AM
NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! those classification a**holes. I’m gonna have to import it now.
Report Permalinkannonie
September 17, 2009 at 10:44 AM
This….is the last straw…..Seriously. Fuck. Im so pissed.
Report Permalinkdiskincluded
September 17, 2009 at 12:19 PM
So what’re ya gonna do?
Report Permalinkannonie
September 17, 2009 at 1:03 PM
Im going to write them a letter telling them how angry I am and seal the envelope with my tears.
If anyone else wants to do worse Ill join in lol.
But seriously. This is absolute BS. WTF!
Report PermalinkMr Explody
September 17, 2009 at 10:45 AM
There better be a very good reason why this was RC’d but Left 4 Dead wasn’t.
Such as:
Report Permalink“Grabbin’ Morphine!”
“There’s LSD here!”
“I hate protected sex”
“You know what I don’t hate? I don’t hate abusing minors”
WaveOfMutilation
September 17, 2009 at 10:45 AM
Up until now all the games banned in Australia have not been worth making any major fuss about. But now we have a serious, well made, hugely popular game being banned. Hopefully this will be the impetus needed to start some change.
Report Permalinkattila
September 17, 2009 at 10:53 AM
Umm, Fallout 3?
Report PermalinkWaveOfMutilation
September 17, 2009 at 11:17 AM
Bethesda changed the content of Fallout 3 for all locales before release so we got the same version everyone else did and no one got a version with morphine in it. I imagine valve are not likely to do that so if we get a version it will be one that’s been kiddysafed in comparison to the releases in other countries.
Report PermalinkLazlow
September 17, 2009 at 11:28 AM
I was pretty bitter when Blitz: The League got RC’ed as well. And I don’t like Blitz 2′s chances, if its to be released here later this year if the schedules I read are correct.
God bless play-asia >_>
Report PermalinkJoshihatsumitsu
September 17, 2009 at 10:46 AM
That didn’t take long…
Bless the government. Saves me thinking for myself…
Report PermalinkCloneTrooper
September 17, 2009 at 1:15 PM
In Australia you have the Freedom to Choose whatever game you want to play…
…just so long as its on the Governements Approved List.
I say we make a game that pokes fun at Chairman Rudd and Senator for Propaganda Conroy and see if it makes it through Classification :P
Report PermalinkChristian Lukasik
September 17, 2009 at 10:47 AM
THERE WILL BE RIOTS IN THE STREETS!
Report PermalinkDaniel
September 17, 2009 at 10:48 AM
Must have been the Melee weapons.
Report PermalinkHayden
September 17, 2009 at 10:49 AM
YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME!!!!
Argh, always… this always happens…
That certain attorney general needs to get off his high horse.
Report PermalinkDiggeR
September 17, 2009 at 10:49 AM
It’s the same FREAKING GAME as the first one and it was released. Seriously, time to wake up and sack the censors.
Report PermalinkNewGuy
September 17, 2009 at 10:50 AM
…..
Me not happy.
On the bright side, hopefully Valve will release an Australian-specific edition that changes the game so it gets into Australia.
In the mean time, something needs to be done about these retarded classification laws. It’s just getting more and more pathetic.
Report PermalinkJim
September 17, 2009 at 10:52 AM
……..worst news ever. WTF is wrong with Australia, and how was L4D fine?
Report PermalinkLiam Moushall
September 17, 2009 at 10:52 AM
I have fears now that even with a fix to get under the draconian classification laws we will end up unable to play with other users who did not get thier game castrated.
Cheers Australia
Report PermalinkChristian Lukasik
September 17, 2009 at 10:53 AM
@Newguy
it won’t be as fun if it’s edited, the gore is part of it’s charm!
Report PermalinkBryan Lee
September 17, 2009 at 10:54 AM
WTF…
That’s it, I’m leaving Australia.
USA, here I come!!!
Report PermalinkSam Lawrence
September 17, 2009 at 10:54 AM
One word… AARRRGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Report PermalinkIanC
September 17, 2009 at 10:55 AM
*sigh*
Here we go again, looking forward to hearing the reasons for this puzzling decision.
Report PermalinkProf. Ake
September 17, 2009 at 10:57 AM
I know why they did this. Because they added more than one token black character. Our Government iss backwards and behind the time and loves racism after all. WHITE AUSTRALIA POLICY V.2.0 = CONFIRMED
Report PermalinkPete
September 17, 2009 at 10:57 AM
For those that are relaxed about this in light of “just getting it from steam”. There has been mutterings that the new ‘ clean feed’ filter is going to block online distribution points that offer
Report Permalinkunclassified content. That being steam and world of Warcraft
getting the ban stick courtesy of our new ministry of censorship. Watch for the filtering trial report released very soon. ….
Daniel
September 17, 2009 at 11:01 AM
Unfortunatly Steam will block it anyway.
Report PermalinkMina
October 11, 2011 at 6:59 PM
Unparalleled accuracy, unequovical clarity, and undeniable importance!
Report PermalinkNewGuy
September 17, 2009 at 11:02 AM
While they CAN do that, surely it will cause a mass striking… maybe even a riot. I find that riots make the message more clear.
Report Permalinkchuloopa
September 17, 2009 at 11:35 AM
while i’m all for a riot, fact is that a riot would only further push the gov away from an R rating as it would prove that violence is inherent in gamers.
Report PermalinkSam Lawrence
September 17, 2009 at 11:48 AM
We could show the government what happens when we dont have a medium to release our violent anger. ;-)
Report PermalinkLiam Moushall
September 17, 2009 at 11:24 AM
ack. don’t remind me. That filter is all kinds of bad news regardless of what it ends up blocking.
Report PermalinkWaveOfMutilation
September 17, 2009 at 11:29 AM
Between the outdated Classification laws and this upcoming filter the government is sending a big fuck-you message to gamers all over Australia.
Report PermalinkJayde Dixon
September 17, 2009 at 1:08 PM
I agree. The Government have no clue on how big the gaming world is in Australia. They do have an “R” rating. Cant they use that instead. If the worst comes to worst. Ill get my dad to send me a copy from UK. Mmmmmmm, wish i never left there to come here. Sigh… Oh well….
Report PermalinkBlanak
September 17, 2009 at 2:40 PM
“The Government have no clue on how big the gaming world is in Australia”
it doesn’t matter how big it is if they are super idiots when it comes to voting.
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