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Australia to Valve: "Hey, those aren't zombies in Left 4 Dead!"
Australia's ratings board issued an RC classification for Left 4 Dead 2. RC means "refused classification", which is the equivalent of giving a movie an X-rating in the US, and it means retails stores won't carry the game. But Australians love videogames and there are scads of them who want to give Valve money for Left 4 Dead 2. So Valve will probably work something out. For instance, Bethesda had to change the names of certain drugs in Fallout 3 to get around Australia's ratings board.
But what I found most interesting was the following comment in the ratings board's decision (available here as a PDF): The game contains realistic, frenetic and unrelenting violence which is inflicted upon "the Infected" who are living humans infected with a rabies-like virus that causes them to act violently.
Would the game have been classified differently if Valve had been more careful with their zombie mythology? Since the Infected aren't dead, since they're simply sick, there's a much different moral quandary when it comes to killing them. It's a whole different kind of violence!
So on one hand, it's too bad Australians are going to have to play some sort of modified version of the game. Maybe Valve can introduce some backstory where getting infected means dying first before chasing after survivors. But on the other hand, I'm glad to see the Australian ratings boards are hip to the details when it comes to zombie mythology!
By the way, the judgment goes into a lot more detail about the explicit nature of the game's violence leading to the RC. They aren't simply hung up on the zombie/not-zombie issue. But the same board gave the original Left 4 Dead a 15+ rating.
(Thanks Xeorn and checkers!)
By Rock8man at 2:44 PM ON 09/22/09
I like the really graphic screenshot you found for this story.
By joesocwork at 2:46 PM ON 09/22/09
All Bethesda had to do was change the name of drugs to not be x-rated?? Nevermind heads & limbs blowing off at will, or little kids uttering the F-word throughout, not to mention its own version of zombies& assorted graphic beasties??? I bought the game thinking its American "mature" rating meant I was getting pretty much the contect as that of Oblivion. Well maybe in Australia its the back story that matters!
By Ginger Yellow at 2:50 PM ON 09/22/09
Oh, for f***'s sake. In World War Z, which is about as close to zombie canon as you can get without being written by George Romero, the zombies are technically infected. The point is, in both WWZ and L4D, once they're no longer human in any meaningful sense. Nobody playing this game , even someone under 15, would think these were just ill people.
From the full ruling, it seems that it was the changes to the melee system and the targeted damage that explains why L4D2 was rated RC while the original was only MA15+.
By mutait at 3:03 PM ON 09/22/09
Dead zombies vs. living infected -- what a fascinating and annoying distinction. It raises some further questions that the Aussie legislature should probably dig into. At what point do zombies lose their rights as citizens? Can they vote? Or legally buy alcohol? Maybe LOD2 would be more acceptable if there were clearer and more ethical rules of engagement. For example, perhaps the player could interview the infected prior to each attack and determine through a questionnaire if they define themselves as living beings (hold fire), dead beings (fire away) or just metaphors (fire away then contemplate).
By Frank at 4:59 PM ON 09/22/09
Dead or alive the beasties are wild canabals who are intent on eating you alive. I guess maybe self defense is frowned upon in OZ.
By Frank at 5:10 PM ON 09/22/09
I guess in OZ a victim must be absolutly sure that an attacker means to do them grevious bodily harm before taking defensive action. When their ghostly spirit is hovering over their mortal remains they can finally conclude, "hey, maybe I could have legally defended myself."
By mustangmeng at 5:39 PM ON 09/22/09
So people in Australia elect people to impose this crap upon themselves? Doesn't make much sense. Let the Aussies go without the game, this is what they want, they voted for these people.
By Tim at 6:47 PM ON 09/22/09
Mustangmeng that is an incredibly simplistic view. Both of the major parties in Australia have the same position on this. In fact, it isn't even considered a significant "issue", so it only ever gets coverage on gaming websites or online newspapers (in small articles). There aren't even minor parties who have "bring a R18+ rating" on their pamphlets.
So criticise the two-party democratic system before the Australian people.
By Sean at 7:11 PM ON 09/22/09
I typed a long response to this issue but the stupid text check system here timed out and I lost it all.
Anyway in our politically conservative country we can not "vote out" the anti-censorship lobby. Both sides of government support a strict nanny state in Australia. Hence we are also facing mandatory national censorship of our internet.
The Attorney-Generals also set the rating system approval process. Check the following link for a comment from the South Australia AG Michael Atkinson for a typical official comment on why we don't have an R18+ rating category for games.
http://www.kotaku.com.au/2009/03/atkinson_addresses_r18_rating_kotaku_reader_responds/
By Talorc at 10:24 PM ON 09/22/09
Hey guys, just to clarify "refused classification" is not like the US X-rating, nor is it a rating in itself. Like it sounds, the board has refused to classify the material - making it ILLEGAL to sell. (Not like in the US where X rated material is legal, but retail stores decline to stock it for various reasons social/political reasons)
Australia does have a R18+ rating and a X+ rating - similar to the US NC17 etc. Unfortunately, various morons in the Parliament decided that the highest classification a computer game could have is MA15+ - suitable for 15 years and over.
So whilst Left for Dead 2 could very comfortably be classified as as an R rated FILM (which I believe it will be in the US and PEGI system), as a game the board refuses to classify it.
Most politicians actually recognise that this is stupid and R rated games should be allowed to be puirchased for adults. There is broad support across most states and territories for the law to be changed. However one man - Michael Atkinson from South Australia is holding the whole process to ransom. You can read more here:
http://blogs.smh.com.au/digital-life/screenplay/2009/09/22/votetoendthe.html
Plus as Tom has pointed out - Gamers are voters. In Australia voting is compulsory!
By malkav11 at 12:04 AM ON 09/23/09
While in the broad sense this is stupid, I'd point out that there is a crucial difference between Left 4 Dead 2 and its predecessor that could easily account for it receiving a higher rating - Left 4 Dead 2 has detailed and gory dismemberment.
By Neuromancer at 2:45 AM ON 09/23/09
If it looks like a zombie and walks like a zombie, it's an effing zombie.
By Bob at 6:41 AM ON 09/23/09
By Neuromancer "If it looks like a zombie and walks like a zombie, it's an effing zombie."
+1
By joesocwork at 1:47 PM ON 09/23/09
Yeah, but is gaming compulsory? :P
By mutait at 4:21 PM ON 09/23/09
No, gaming isn't compulsory -- though neither is voting, acts of free speech and assembly or any of the other freedoms most of us enjoy. (Cue music and waving flags.) What bothers me most here is the nanny state vibe, a small body making arbitrary "protective" decisions for an entire population. I will say that Canada (where I'm from) and the US (where I'm live) probably beat out Australia in terms of idiotic protective legislation, but this is pretty damn stupid. Then again, perhaps virtual cruelty against zombies may lead to actual cruelty against zombies -- a situation that nobody wants.
By Ginger Yellow at 8:06 PM ON 09/23/09
"Then again, perhaps virtual cruelty against zombies may lead to actual cruelty against zombies -- a situation that nobody wants"
So true. What we want is a nice humane bullet or axe to the brain. Faffing around with dismemberment will only end in tears. Well, tears and more zombies.
By The Mayor at 5:22 PM ON 09/24/09
Australia you rule. It's about time someone spoke up against these infected rejects. Hooray! A victory for the real zombies! Yay!
By WTF at 9:58 AM ON 10/12/09
Um ok lets think.
Tank: big ugly freak that is going to tear you apart. Smoker: The perv of the game using his "tounge" (wink wink) to grab you and slowly choke you to death. Hunter: Gangsta gunna tear you apart! Witch: Simply looking at her provokes a bloody femine spasm in her body.
I would shoot these guys and I'm pretty sure the Australian govt. would too.
By bob at 1:28 PM ON 11/07/09
fidgit is a stupid web site
bob:
fidgit is a stupid web site...More »