Valve responds to Left 4 Dead 2 ban

With the news of the Australian Left 4 Dead 2 ban dominating the headlines across gaming related media, Valve has issued a statement on the decision.

Valve's Vice President of Marketing, Doug Lombardi issued a statement toShacknews, voicing Valve's disappointment at the Australia's Office of Film and Literature Classification 's decision: "We were surprised to hear of this news yesterday. Obviously, everyone at Valve is pretty bummed."

The OFLC has refused to classify the zombie shooter sequel, Left 4 Dead 2 due to its "realistic, frenetic and unrelenting violence," effectively leaving Aussie gamers high and dry.

It is unknown at this time whether the game will receive any changes - just as Fallout 3 was forced to undergo in order to be sold in Australia - in order to comply with the Australian regulations. Lombardi didn't offer any solution to the decision, merely lamenting on the move: "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."

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35 Comments

rankodour

2 years ago

Gabe Newell should just come over and sit on the OFLC until they relent.

lapzod

2 years ago

He would, but he doesn't want to pay for 3 seats to get onto the plane.

Slashee the Cow

2 years ago

lapzod wrote

He would, but he doesn't want to pay for 3 seats to get onto the plane.

Good thing someone's already paying for them.

lapzod

2 years ago

What?

P.s Fat Gabe is fat.

TDark

2 years ago

lapzod wrote

What?

I believe Slashee was talking about this:

http://kotaku.com/5359301/yes-gabe-newell-is-goin-to-australia

grim-one

2 years ago

Maybe L4D2 could boycott the OFLC.

lapzod

2 years ago

Thanks TDark. Didn't know.

Also, I hear he eats babies for breakfast.

NeoSanity

2 years ago

lapzod wrote

Thanks TDark. Didn't know.

Also, I hear he eats babies for breakfast.

He could eat Michael Atkension for us, while he's down this way.

Slashee the Cow

2 years ago

NeoSanity wrote

He could eat Michael Atkension for us, while he's down this way.

And Stephen Conroy while he's at it.

He need to cut the ego.

2 years ago

Not much of a response to be honest...

Lord Haart

2 years ago

I saw Gabe when I was in Seattle last summer and he isn't that fat. However, "bummer" is not sufficient response. I almost think that maybe they should just refuse to change the game, and that way Aussie retailers (not just EB/Game but also the major retail chains like Myers/BigW etc) will be forced to complain and demand an R18+ rating. The only way policy changes are made is if money and serious lobbying is involved; this has to be done soon, otherwise the board will just be able to say "Hey, it worked in the past, developers will do the work for us instead of us making an R18+ rating."

ArcherGrave

2 years ago

Lord haart is right,

100% correct,

Slashee the Cow

2 years ago

Lord Haart is on the internet,

Who's going to listen to him?

Puddingfork

2 years ago

Lord Haart, email gabe imo he actually does read all his emails.
I know this because he says so in dev cometary and I emailed him once asking for some info on L4D music, he got me hooked up with the composer who practically did my assignment haha.

Nic_231

2 years ago

Eat them Gabe...Eat them all!

lapzod

2 years ago

Slashee the Cow wrote

Lord Haart is on the internet,

Who's going to listen to him?

The internet told me Gabe was fat. It's like some sort of time paradox.

ArcherGrave

2 years ago

internet told me L4D was banned

dc0079

2 years ago

IMO it's good that a high profile game is being banned (and hopefully they don't bend down to the OFLC this time). This is the only possible way to get gamers serious about getting 18+ rating. Hopefully something good do come at the end of this.

Passa

2 years ago

Lord Haart wrote

I almost think that maybe they should just refuse to change the game, and that way Aussie retailers (not just EB/Game but also the major retail chains like Myers/BigW etc) will be forced to complain and demand an R18+ rating.

Yup. The only way this issue is going to start gaining enough attention is if we begin missing out on big games completely. Getting watered down versions only prolongs the problem.

Though once again, I think this is a multi-faceted problem. I'll be 18 when L4D2 comes out so really if it was stamped with an R18+ rating, it wouldn't necessarily affect me, but at the end of the day we're not addressing the elephant in the room. That is, why was it rated R18+ in the first place?

Yes, we need an R18+ rating. The first game was MA15+ here, arguably lenient, considering the ESRB and PEGI recommended it for 17+ and 18+ respectively. But the difference here is that our system has the same ratings for film and games, whereas those two aforementioned systems are for games exclusively. There's a lot of stigma associated with an R18+ rating, especially when we're dealing with inevitably high-selling properties like Left 4 Dead. Can you even legally advertise R18+ products during prime time television? There's just a world of difference between the content a film requires for an R18+ rating and what a game requires. Would you be more comfortable sitting a 15 year old down in front of the Saw series (MA15+) or Left 4 Dead 2?

Anyhow.. I'm losing my train of thought here, but essentially I'm more than happy for an R18+ rating to be introduced, I just don't think it's a long term solution.

Black Wolf

2 years ago

The decision to ban this game is the latest in a long line of ridiculous decisions made by the Classification Board. What makes L4D2 any different to <i>House of the Dead: Overkill</i> - rated MA15+ here - that also has excessive violence.

If I was Valve, then I would appeal the decision.

lapzod

2 years ago

Passa wrote

Yes, we need an R18+ rating. The first game was MA15+ here, arguably lenient, considering the ESRB and PEGI recommended it for 17+ and 18+ respectively. But the difference here is that our system has the same ratings for film and games, whereas those two aforementioned systems are for games exclusively. There's a lot of stigma associated with an R18+ rating, especially when we're dealing with inevitably high-selling properties like Left 4 Dead. Can you even legally advertise R18+ products during prime time television? There's just a world of difference between the content a film requires for an R18+ rating and what a game requires. Would you be more comfortable sitting a 15 year old down in front of the Saw series (MA15+) or Left 4 Dead 2?

I want to hi-5 you dude.

RooRage

2 years ago

Passa wrote

There's just a world of difference between the content a film requires for an R18+ rating and what a game requires. Would you be more comfortable sitting a 15 year old down in front of the Saw series (MA15+) or Left 4 Dead 2?

Nail head + hit = Passa!
*applause*

I'm about to become a father and I'd much rather my son watching me chop up Locust with my lancer than some of the freaky psyk stuff that happens in Saw...
...and don't worry --> I'm sure my wife won't let me play at all so my son won't even get to see Locust gibs...

And happy birthday before L4D2 gets released --> which may be never in which case you'll be 17 forever! Bonus!

(No Locust were harmed in the writing of this forum post)

chris88

2 years ago

I still can't figure out how this gets banned and a game like Dead Space gets thru the net.

DogMan

2 years ago

I'm starting to fall into the 'just don't release games here period' category. Send the message that its socially irresponsible for them to release games under a rating system as massively flawed as ours by refusing to submit ANY of their titles.
We aren't a big enough market that individual developers/publishers would be particularly bothered, but the government would lose enough money that they'd be forced to at least take notice.

Its an extreme reaction that would suck for a lot of us, but I'd rather go through a six month blockbuster drought than put up with this garbage. Hopefully all it would take is the threat of such action, but I seriously doubt it.

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Left 4 Dead 2

Pre-order or buy:
PALGN recommends: www.Play-Asia.com

Australian Release Date:
  19/11/2009 (Confirmed)
Publisher:
  Electronic Arts
Genre:
  Shooter
Year Made:
  2009
Players:
  2
System Requirements:
- OS: Windows Vista, XP or 2000
- CPU: 3.0 GHz P4, Dual Core 2.0 or AMD64X2 (or higher)
- RAM: 1 GB for XP / 2GB for Vista
- Disc drive: DVD-ROM Drive
- Hard drive: At least 7.5 GB of free space
- Video: Direct X 9 compatible video card (Video card must be 256 MB or more and should be a DirectX 9-compatible with support for pixel shader 2.0)
- Sound: Direct X9.0c compatible sound card

Read more...