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Left 4 Dead 2 banned in Australia

  • By James Kozanecki, GameSpot AU
  • Posted Sep 16, 2009 7:37 pm PT

Aussie Classification Board cites "realistic, frenetic and unrelenting violence" as cause for antipodean zombie game ban.

Left 4 Dead 2's planned mid-November local release was put in jeopardy today, when the Australian Classification Board had put its legislative foot down. The Classification Board is the government body responsible for rating all video games content authorised for sale in the country. According to its Web site, Valve's upcoming first-person shooter has been refused classification (RC) for failure to adhere to the current maximum MA 15+ ratings guideline for games. (Only films can reach the board's maximum R18+ rating.) The announcement means the Valve title is now illegal to sell, rent, or promote within Australia.

Artist's representation of the ACB dashing hopes of Australian gamers.

Artist's representation of the ACB dashing hopes of Australian gamers.

GameSpot AU contacted the game's publisher, Electronic Arts, seeking clarification as to why the title was refused classification. An EA spokesperson confirmed the ban but declined to comment on the possibility of edits or resubmission, saying, "We're still working through the submission process with the [Classification Board], we want to explore all opportunities before we can make a comment." The Classification Board was unavailable to provide an overview of the reason for the ban at the time of print.

Left 4 Dead 2 marks the fourth game banned in Australia this year, joining Risen, Sexy Poker, and Necrovision--the latter two of which were approved for sale after being resubmitted with changes. The original Left 4 Dead game was given the maximum MA 15+ rating when it went on sale in Australia in November last year.

Left 4 Dead 2 tells the story of four survivors in the southern United States and is spread across five campaigns, each divided up into several levels. The original Left 4 Dead was praised for its dynamic AI and online cooperative play.

Stay tuned to GameSpot AU for full details as they become available. For more on Australia's classification regime, check out our Censory Overload feature.

[UPDATE] GameSpot AU has received the official ruling from the Classification Board. The refusal largely focuses on the Board's interpretation of the game's violence, finding that "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."

The ruling goes on to say, "However, it is the use of the 'melee' weapons such as the crowbar, axe, chainsaw and Samurai sword which inflict the most damage. These close in attacks cause copious amounts of blood spray and splatter, decapitations and limb dismemberment as well as locational damage where contact is made to the enemy which may reveal skeletal bits and gore."

Interestingly the report also notes that "a minority of the Board is of the opinion that the violence is strong in playing impact and therefore warrants an MA 15+ classification with the consumer advice of strong violence," suggesting the ruling was anything but unanimous among Board members.

400 Comments

  • Waffledog

    Posted Oct 20, 2009 11:39 pm GMT

    Why is left 4 dead 2 being banned? but left 4 dead was rated M15+? left 4 dead and left 4 dead 2 are basically exactly the same left 4 dead had "blood spray and splatter, decapitations and limb dismemberment as well as locational damage where contact is made to the enemy which may reveal skeletal bits and gore." Apart from the melee weapons it just shows us the same detail as much as taking a zombies head off with a shotgun or taking off a limb with the hunting rifle... if you ask me i Think this is a load of crap. DAMN YOU STUPID CLASSIFICATION BOARD!!!

  • 9thedevilmaycry

    Posted Oct 13, 2009 4:15 pm GMT

    one day gamers around australia might kill whoever is banning all these games

  • 9thedevilmaycry

    Posted Oct 13, 2009 4:12 pm GMT

    after looking at MA15+ rated movies and MA15+ games
    apperently movies are more violent than games

  • Kenbo325

    Posted Oct 6, 2009 6:57 pm GMT

    Ouch...I feel sorry for the Aussies

  • rockatanski

    Posted Sep 24, 2009 2:50 pm GMT

    I hope Steam doesn't prevent us from installing the US version..

  • mini_specs

    Posted Sep 22, 2009 11:04 am GMT

    To hell with this! I'm moving to America! Damn Yanks get all the good stuff, why is that?

    You know, for convicts, we're pretty frakking anal.

    http://www.petitiononline.com/l4d2inoz/petition.html

  • dr_satan666

    Posted Sep 22, 2009 5:34 am GMT

    What's next? Games involving vampires are banned because they were once human??? This whole situation is completely friggin ridiculous!!! What's worse, this is ruining the reputation of Australian gamers..... People of the world: We are not Nazis, we just have the unfortunate dishonour of our country being run by them....

  • holydevel

    Posted Sep 21, 2009 2:53 pm GMT

    http://steamcommunity.com/groups/L4D2ACB

    thats a link for a 'boycott' of the decision (the boycott just really to be taking the piss out of the l4d2 boycotters) and we're protesting against the decision

    http://www.petitiononline.com/l4d2inoz/petition.html

    the petition SIGN IT

    and copy and paste this comment to keep it alive and keep people joining the protest

  • Baramos6

    Posted Sep 21, 2009 2:09 pm GMT

    http://www.petitiononline.com/l4d2inoz/petition.html

    Signed, I hope it helps to get Left 4 Dead for Australia, I hate to know people are missing out on such a great opportunity for some good zombie killing action. November 17th can't come any sooner.

  • toadman682000

    Posted Sep 21, 2009 3:12 am GMT

    FFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

  • H0rr0rG4m3r

    Posted Sep 21, 2009 1:46 am GMT

    Do they realize that more people here in Australia will now just buy the game online and get it posten here...We really need a R+18 rating here, and I'm sure there are alot of movies and games rated MA+15 that are just as bloody and gory as Left 4 Dead 2 will probably be.
    I can't belive how stupid people can be.

  • isnot-important

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 10:54 pm GMT

    Australian censorship laws - Promoting piracy since the 1990s.

  • Conno08

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 10:02 pm GMT

    THIS IS BULLCRAP!

  • Ozzy_Jacob

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 9:58 pm GMT

    Damn didnt get the first one and was gunna get this one.
    O'well.

  • ddt88

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 9:51 pm GMT

    Atkinson strikes again... R Tard

  • PodXCOM

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 9:28 pm GMT

    @ dr_satan666: I know this is a bit weird, but I want to say I'm sorry for saying what I said before. I was in a bad mood.

    Sorry again.

  • ZeromusUltima

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 4:45 pm GMT

    Damn, that sucks

  • cheynz

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 3:30 pm GMT

    Hmm, crickey that sucks, eh mate? (sorry had to do it, come into the U.S. and I'll slip ya a copy.)

  • DAMSOG

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 1:29 pm GMT

    Once again the public of Australia has to put up with this throwback to the dark ages way of thinking, I was in an E.B store yesterday and there wasn't a kid in site...go figure.

  • steelmouth

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 6:26 am GMT

    am sure glad where i live the gorvement ant consend abt any type of ratings,if its good for the americans and europeans then its good enough for us (except for porno)

    yip i dought if the gorvement ever even bother to check the rating,am sure glad to be leaving in botswana,but i feel for you guys,sorry

  • alzine12

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 5:52 am GMT

    Guy's please sign this petition so we can get left 4 dead 2 back http://www.petitiononline.com/l4d2inoz/petition.html

  • Scarshi

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 1:39 am GMT

    Oh, I'm just not surprised anymore. R18+ rated games will come, but when "they" want it to. Maybe one day the media will jump on the issue full-hog, that's usually what makes anything happen these days.

  • Warlord2000

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 11:49 pm GMT

    It's a pity this happens in our country, I see it as a stain on our democratic way of life, the freedoms of adult audiences to enjoy adult content is heavily compromised in the video game genre, and as we all know not in other forms of media, because of the misconception by bureaucrats that games are for children..... its all too reminiscent of communist or fascist media censorship.

  • bennae66

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 11:42 pm GMT

    not unanimous! did you hear that? we are making progress. dammit we are getting there... yeeeeooow!

  • jackdeath

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 11:04 pm GMT

    well well well here we are again ,another game banned for violence when is some body going to step up and take the game world in aus out of the dark ages and give us the 18 clas we need and all this crap would go away......Mark

  • AfroDeLiGht

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 9:45 pm GMT

    Maybe the Australian government is comprised of brain-dead zombies, who are offended by the killing of their own kind in a video game.

  • zaiwen

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 6:49 pm GMT

    good thing i don't live there woohoo

  • jamesh-42

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 6:00 pm GMT

    @sconradp: it isn't that simple. The classification board is just applying the rules they are required to by law. If they misclassify something, then someone will ask for the decision to be reviewed. If too many films and games were sent to the review board, then people might ask whether the classification board is doing their job.

    The real problem is the limited set of classifications available for video games. If you want something changed there, write to your state attorney general and ask what he is doing to get the R18+ for games discussion paper released.

  • afatmonkeyonpot

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 4:51 pm GMT

    it looks the same as the first, except chainsaw.

  • blangenakker

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 4:25 pm GMT

    Valve will just tune it down a little bit that there is no difference and then it will be allowed Australia.

    killing zombies has a different feeling to killing humans

  • CANOFOWNAGE

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 4:24 pm GMT

    Pathetic.

  • dr_satan666

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 3:58 pm GMT

    I don't understand what the big deal is. If anything having an R18+ rating in our country, would only make things easier. It's not like we're asking for every MA rated game to be rated R. But there are some that deserve such a rating, played by adults but not by teens.

  • collingtonuk

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 11:42 am GMT

    Hey chakkerz, you'll always get some nut who makes rediculous comments about how if something effects one in ten thousand then everyone suffers to protect them. The average person does not abide by that sort of rubbish but too often its the person who shouts the loudest that gets noticed, you just got to get together and shout louder. Ausie retailers are losing out because of these stupid laws, thats money that is falling out of your system to the yanks or us in europe. Hammer your MP's, get it noticed and ask them to give the Ausie public enough credit not to ned the state to lead them by the hand.

  • Toxic22

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 10:59 am GMT

    At least they didn't ban it for some stupid reason like they did with fallout 3. Still pritty pissed off about it though.

  • WTA2k5 posted Sep 19, 2009 10:41 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    WTA2k5

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 10:41 am GMT (hide)

    It's good to see that Australia is against half-assed sequels.

  • SporkFireXPS

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 10:37 am GMT

    I have to say I dislike the ESRB as it is right now but this ACB is even worse.

  • Phoenix6359

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 7:02 am GMT

    as much as i hate left 4 dead i am getting sick of these bannings, the stupid part is that new zealand has r18+ yet we don't, are kiwis more able to deal with violence and gore than aussies?

  • Antherian_being

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 5:36 am GMT

    this will hot on aussi black market....lol

  • masterchief2371

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 4:49 am GMT

    F**k they banned everything to left 4 dead 2, bottle of water not they are saying they will ban free sport tv http://www.keepsportfree.com.au totally ridculous a country with 21 million people they ban eveything.

  • TofuZombie

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 12:23 am GMT

    @shadowysea07

    Legal age to drink here is 18, legal age to drive without supervision after passing ridiculously strict tests is also 18. GTAIV was banned at first, then reclassified after a few changes were made, same as EVERY other GTA title since Vice City. My point? Don't comment on things you know nothing about.

    Glad I live in Australia.

  • sconradp

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 11:42 pm GMT

    The ACB is simply justifying their existence . I'm sure that if they dont ban x number of games per year or look to be making a difference they may jeopardize future funding. Eg. It sucks for all us gamers. But this is the way of the world . Reality is that the idiots at the ACB have to do sothing in between games of minesweeper. Why screw us by banning a game or two. Stuff em I will be importing a pal version from overseas. ACB are a joke

  • MagicOneUp

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 11:10 pm GMT

    here goes the ban stick from ACB again... another backward steps. whats wrong with an MA+ rating slap on it. i'm sure most mature 15 year old kids out there can chose whats good for them.

  • shadowysea07 posted Sep 18, 2009 11:04 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    shadowysea07

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 11:04 pm GMT (hide)

    thats so stupid so you can drink and drive by the age of 14 over there but you can't play a zombie killing video game? i don't remember them banning gta over there and its 10X worse than left4dead. glad i live in the us.

  • ColdGen

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 10:48 pm GMT

    It's ridiculous when they can give porn a classification.

  • frazzle00

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 9:41 pm GMT

    Australia FTW!! XD

  • -expletive-

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 9:28 pm GMT

    "illegal to sell, rent, or promote"

    So at least it's not illegal to PLAY.
    Would be funny if it was, though.

    Sisters snitching on brothers, massive police raids...

  • Roflstrike

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 7:35 pm GMT

    and???????????
    Just because it is more violent than the first. The thing that matters now is that we need to change that law before we lose more and more games.

  • DarthPlush

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 6:55 pm GMT

    "However, it is the use of the 'melee' weapons such as the crowbar, axe, chainsaw and Samurai sword which inflict the most damage. These close in attacks cause copious amounts of blood spray and splatter, decapitations and limb dismemberment as well as locational damage where contact is made to the enemy which may reveal skeletal bits and gore."

    That just sounds awesome. I'll be downloading from Valve directly. And support R-rating in games!

  • ptysau

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 6:53 pm GMT

    This MA15+ max is just going to bite the Classification Board in the backside as most people will just import from overseas which only really hurts Aussie retailers. Funny how most MA15+ games over here get classified as R18 everywhere else?..

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