Yet another game refused classification in Australia

abusernameabusername Regular
edited August 2010 in Spurious Generalities
So Blacklight, a Xbox Live Arcade game was released last week but wasn't in Australia or NZ.. this is because as a online-only game, Australian classification boards can not review it (Because of some stupid legislation I believe.).. Which is pretty gay, because this thing looked to be pretty alright.

So did you know that all online-only games are (officially) not allowed in Australia as they have no rating? This includes things like World of warcraft, other MMO's, Other online only shooters (Battlefield 1943). They are all banned (officially), strangely enough they still put them on the shelves to sell though.

So technically, if the government wanted, they could push the issue and all online-only games would be taken off the shelves permanently.. and why? For no good reason.

http://www.kotaku.com.au/2010/07/xbla-shooter-cannot-be-classified-in-australia/{

UPDATE: Apparently the developer never actually sent the game to the classification board.

Comments

  • ILTST9ILTST9 Regular
    edited July 2010
    Well you can always pirate them if they decide to press the issue though I don't see any reason why they would.
  • abusernameabusername Regular
    edited July 2010
    ILTST9 wrote: »
    Well you can always pirate them if they decide to press the issue though I don't see any reason why they would.

    It's like impossible to pirate online-only games man. They almost always require a CD-Key or if they are played through xbox live, can ONLY be downloaded through xbox live. (Or even if they are from somewhere else, will require you to mod your x-box, risking legal action/a shut-down x-box)
  • DirtySanchezDirtySanchez Regular
    edited July 2010
    Fuckin australia has some gay videogame laws. Didnt they ban left 4 dead?
  • SlartibartfastSlartibartfast Global Moderator -__-
    edited July 2010
    The fact that we don't have a R 18+ game classification in AU is nothing short of stupidity and shows a total lack of ignorance on the behalf of the government.

    What ever happened to the idea that the law was meant to reflect the values of the society it governs? A recent survey showed that Aussies are vastly in favour a higher classification for games (I'm talking over 85%)

    If the government had it's way we'd be a technological backwater, It's the fabled Australian apathy - anything slightly complex or relating to "computers",the government shirks away from it and does its best to limit it.

    It's partly due to the compulsory voting system we have here, that the government is so lacklustre, they don't need to compel people to vote. It's a competition for whoever can convincingly bullshit the most.

    Both sides of politics just tend towards centre politics and hop they can fool 2% of the population to vote for them, so they can get a slight majority. This government didn't even get that, they have to make deals with Christian Fascists like Senator Steven Fielding and one show ponies like nick xenophon.

    What are you going to do though, the real left don't even get enough votes for a single seat. I'm going to vote for one of these anyway.
    http://www.socialist-alliance.org/
    http://www.democrats.org.au/

    The best bet is the democrats, they're more organised and more relevant to our interests.
  • SliceSlice Regular
    edited July 2010
    Damn that's fucking retarded. I just saw that game on Steam for $15. Anyone played it yet? I wonder if it's any good...
  • ilovechronicilovechronic Acolyte
    edited July 2010
    Fuckin australia has some gay laws. Didnt they ban left 4 dead?

    fixed
  • BigBroBigBro Regular
    edited July 2010
    Alright mate, I was going to agree with you until I saw this...
    abusername wrote: »
    UPDATE: Apparently the developer never actually sent the game to the classification board.

    ...which is when your post lost it's legitimacy.

    You should at least check the facts before making such wild claims as this.
    So technically, if the government wanted, they could push the issue and all online-only games would be taken off the shelves permanently.. and why? For no good reason.
    If this was true, then they would have done it already.
    Consider:
    COD 6 received R ratings overseas, but MA ratings here. No doubt there have been some under the table dealings to ensure it sells.
    L4D2 however, received an R rating and was not allowed to be sold until they turned down the gore.
    However, before either of these games, we have battlefield on PC, WoW on PC, Warhawk on PS3 among many others which have been released on shelves.
    You're right, these games could probably be pulled. IF that imaginary legislation you spoke of existed, that is.
    http://www.kotaku.com.au/2009/02/blizzard_wow_is_sold_legally_in_australia_after_all/
    WoW is legal. Even though it's online only, it's legal. It has an M rating.
    Battlefield 1943 is legal. It too has an M rating.
    Fuck, even Warhawk is legal, with an M rating.

    http://www.classification.gov.au/www/cob/find.nsf/d853f429dd038ae1ca25759b0003557c/48956c07ee5ccdecca257671007869cd!OpenDocument
    http://www.classification.gov.au/www/cob/find.nsf/d853f429dd038ae1ca25759b0003557c/2bf6a5d1e0088a6bca2576710079b1e7!OpenDocument
    http://www.classification.gov.au/www/cob/find.nsf/d853f429dd038ae1ca25759b0003557c/83a8134e9bd5d40cca2576710079c8c7!OpenDocument


    TL;DR
    There is no such legislation.
    The company is bullshitting.
    Check your facts next time.
  • SilosighbinSilosighbin Regular
    edited July 2010
    Is it just me or does Totse.info have a massive Australian user-base? We're everywhere.



    Australia's federal and state governments are full of old senile cunts. I learnt that a long time ago. Would it be so bad to introduce an R18 rating? I mean, we have R, even X-rated movies...
  • abusernameabusername Regular
    edited July 2010
    BigBro wrote: »
    Alright mate, I was going to agree with you until I saw this...



    ...which is when your post lost it's legitimacy.

    You should at least check the facts before making such wild claims as this.


    If this was true, then they would have done it already.
    Consider:
    COD 6 received R ratings overseas, but MA ratings here. No doubt there have been some under the table dealings to ensure it sells.
    L4D2 however, received an R rating and was not allowed to be sold until they turned down the gore.
    However, before either of these games, we have battlefield on PC, WoW on PC, Warhawk on PS3 among many others which have been released on shelves.
    You're right, these games could probably be pulled. IF that imaginary legislation you spoke of existed, that is.
    http://www.kotaku.com.au/2009/02/blizzard_wow_is_sold_legally_in_australia_after_all/
    WoW is legal. Even though it's online only, it's legal. It has an M rating.
    Battlefield 1943 is legal. It too has an M rating.
    Fuck, even Warhawk is legal, with an M rating.

    http://www.classification.gov.au/www/cob/find.nsf/d853f429dd038ae1ca25759b0003557c/48956c07ee5ccdecca257671007869cd!OpenDocument
    http://www.classification.gov.au/www/cob/find.nsf/d853f429dd038ae1ca25759b0003557c/2bf6a5d1e0088a6bca2576710079b1e7!OpenDocument
    http://www.classification.gov.au/www/cob/find.nsf/d853f429dd038ae1ca25759b0003557c/83a8134e9bd5d40cca2576710079c8c7!OpenDocument


    TL;DR
    There is no such legislation.
    The company is bullshitting.
    Check your facts next time.

    Dude are you delusional? What the fuck is wrong with you? Why are you acting so needlessly aggressive and saying I've said something which I haven't?

    1. What you quoted from my first post is not bullshit, you fucking twat, go look at the original article I posted. Apparently ignition games NEVER submitted it, that is why it was not rated by the classification board. It's in the update at the bottom of the article. Idiot..

    2. None of the games you just fucking mentioned ARE ONLINE ONLY AND COULD HAVE BEEN PULLED BESIDES WOW.. Fucking MORON.. Do you even think when you speak? Oh and by the way, they did pull wow off the shelves for a couple of days, it was in the news, but they put it back because people went batshit insane at them! Get your fucking facts straight cunt! It was after they were basically forced(through the public complaining) to put wow back on the shelves that they decided to ignore that particular legislation for now and simply let them be sold.

    3. Just recently, the law has changed and online-only games such as wow and battlefield 1943 CAN be rated and submitted, so the law is no longer in effect, the only reason blacklight was not sent in for rating by ignition games is because they were not aware of the changes.

    Link explaining the law, how it is now changed and how the game is now being sent in by Ignition games, so we will be seeing it soon - http://www.kotaku.com.au/2010/07/xbla-shooter-could-see-australian-release-after-all/

    I don't know why you went out of your way to try to completely dismiss everything I said, but fuck you.
  • BigBroBigBro Regular
    edited July 2010
    Hey hey, calm down little bro. I didn't mean to come off as aggressive. If I do, I apologise.

    When I said your post lost it's legitimacy, I meant that the portion I quoted contradicted everything else in your post (ie; nazi australian policies). Just a communication error.

    As for the online only games, Warhawk is online only. You can't play that game offline, check it. And it was still rated. Hence, my doubt for this mysterious legislation you speak of.
    As for pulling wow and putting it back up, I'm a bit sceptical of your story, how about a source? Political commentators would have gone apeshit if such a thing had happened.

    As for the recent change, the kotaku article claims it was changed 'earlier the year'. However Warhawk, WoW and many others have been out for more than a few years (released in 2007 and 2005 respectively), not to mention all the countless XBLA titles available. If the law was only recently changed, then why have we had XBLA titles since before then?
    I'm not particularly contradicting you here, I just think this is an interesting point of law. I'd like to read this legislation for myself.

    Anyway. I saw something, I said why I thought it was wrong.
    I don't even know you bro, why would I bother disproving you?
  • 007GoldenShower007GoldenShower New Arrival
    edited August 2010
    The upcoming election should be interesting. If the Coalition gets it, we'll see the national broadband network get scrapped and more dinosaur decisions regarding video games. Plus it doesn't seem like there's anyone under 45 in the senate. They're clueless.
  • RolfRolf Regular
    edited August 2010
    The upcoming election should be interesting. If the Coalition gets it, we'll see the national broadband network get scrapped and more dinosaur decisions regarding video games. Plus it doesn't seem like there's anyone under 45 in the senate. They're clueless.

    Rolf is guessing that if the other side wins, you'll be stuck with that proposed internet filter.

    It's a lose-lose situation, Sir Rolf suggests swords and swinging.
  • PigPig Regular
    edited August 2010
    For $15, I figure I'll probably buy it, even if it is a direct ripoff of MW2. America, fuck yeah.
  • RolfRolf Regular
    edited August 2010
    Pig wrote: »
    I'll probably buy it, even if it is a direct ripoff of MW2

    Rolf states that this is a good reason NOT to buy it. Rolf understands it not, the love for MW2, for it is a poor game, unlike it's predecessor.
  • PigPig Regular
    edited August 2010
    Rolf wrote: »
    Rolf states that this is a good reason NOT to buy it. Rolf understands it not, the love for MW2, for it is a poor game, unlike it's predecessor.

    Oh I know MW2 is terrible compared to COD4, but it passes the time. Plus at least they added the Hardcore Mosh Pit playlist today, which changes things up (a little).
Sign In or Register to comment.