Half Life 2 Classification in Australia

Perhaps if a petition kicks off (Im sure it will) maybe we will see this game over here :-P. Though i am sure we will, im still gonna support a petition if there is one.

And petitions do *buggerall*, for the record. :)

WTF gives, why don't they clean up their own back yard before sorting us out... if it's so @#"(percent)Sing bad. Practice what ye' preach you whoring bastards. :)

I agree, it's speculation at the moment, but it's definately warranted. Half Life 2 may be the first important title that sits on the fence of being either MA+ and R - it?s not a title aimed at soley the adult market like Leisure Suit Larry, but perhaps contains some sexual themes/nudity that pushes it over. It?s these borderline titles that highlight the absurdity of our lack of an R rating for games. Of course, if the issue is graphic violence, then strangely enough, the OFLC has much acceptable view of that. Doom3 was rated 18+ in Europe as well, but the same game scored a MA+ here ? unless of course, the OFLC is buckled by public pressure to ban it, like Manhunt.

Personally, I am going to be pretty delighted if it gets banned here, and that?s not because I have the ATI voucher anyway. Our games classification system needs to be looked at, and Half Life 2, being so eagerly anticipated as it is, would create a huge outcry if it was refused classification, or even dumbed down/edited from it?s original state like the Grand Theft Auto series?

BTW, when did we lose the R rating? Because I saw, a few years ago, an R rated game for hire at a video store. Don't try and tell me it was american, because it was an OFLC sticker and I dont think the US has the same coat of arms as us.

If I wanna play a game, let me decide whats right for me to play, not some lameass old f telling me what i should and shouldnt be playing.. Im 25 and old enough to make my own mind up.

If they're that desparate to get it sold here, they'll produce a cut-down version like Acclaim did in Germany with Turok (or whatever it was - the one where they made the blood green instead of red) and you can just get your precious gorey pak file off the wonderful interweb.

Just settle down.

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=30998

hell, ive got the earliest banned game in australia, phantasmagoria in its original packaging, for pure spite. it doesnt stop you from buying it, just gives an impression of security

so you can:
buy it from another country and ship it
buy it from steam, who will ship it.
buy it from a distributor who would ship it and/or give you a valid cdkey + OEM DVD of some kind while the box comes later.
and theoretically ... :) ames/video stores will still have the promotional stuff, but there might be some under-the-counter sales as well.
people buying gold packs in bulk and selling them on ebay, stores, etc.
like all the other OFLC "not-classified" games in australia.

PS Counter Strike is fun and Americas Army is good. CS contains plenty of blood but AA don't....

Doom 3? lol.

what about open sourced products? nothing really gets "rated" in such a circumstance now... as there is no sale of product... wonder where that stands.

Hell, the OFLC doesn?t even make decisions based on its own research, a little while ago they produced a paper called: Computer Games and Australians Today (1999) ? http://www.oflc.gov.au/resource.html?resource=302&filename=302.pdf The report finds no links between computer games and youth violence. Then recently I came across this article by an MIT professor (http://www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/impact/myths.html) that made a number of strong points, one of which indicated that games were a catharsis for aggressive behaviour, not the cause of it ? the article is a really good read.

Our current game rating system stems from ignorance, and the effect that small-minded individuals ? like the fuckwit religious idiots (especially the Christians) that have posted their vile religious dogma rhetoric here ? that have a vocal opinion, like the Australian media. For example, the Manhunt hysteria and fear mongering by the media, first off in the UK and then by the Australian media; anyone catch that Channel 10 ?special? report a while ago that attack Manhunt and computer games in general. I mean, the game wasn?t even owned by the perpetuator of the murder, it wasn?t even the reason for the crime, it was to rob the kid for a drugs related debt, and even the police found no links between Manhunt and the crime committed.

This was all initiated by the kid?s lawyer as a way to get the kid off of the murder charge by blaming a game instead. Of course the public swallows it down, as it is far easier to blame a scapegoat than it is to face the ugly truths that have lead to the event. Computer games are only the new flavour for this small-mindedness, before we had novels, graphic novels (comics), films (still a favourite) and music ? basically all forms of entertainment.

Hopefully if HL2 is banned, instead of everyone just deciding to do nothing, and letting the government gleefully censor and decide what you can and can?t see, you?ll all decided to do something about as you are not children but adults and can make up your own minds, and finally we can see some social change occur for the better.

You'll see that games like Doom 3, Soldier of Fortune 2 (on Xbox) , Mortal Kombat and a few others (even Deer Hunter 2004!) got 18+ ratings in some or most countries. These were released, unaltered, in Australia.

Unless Half-Life 2 is incredibly and unbelievably violent, or includes lots of nudity/explicit sexual content, there its safe to assume that it will cop an MA15+ rating over here.

USA #1 Just remember kangaroos, that this is a AMERICAN made game, WE ARE THE BEST

1. What's the point of making HL2 the lever for changing OFLC policy? The policy is tied into the govt. so will take at least 2 years to change.

2. Mates in the UK have said that the game got a BBFC rating of just 15 there so the whole PEGI thing is being reviewed.

3. I want the game when it's released, in a the cool Collector's Edition packaging, adn I don't want to wait until it is shipped to me from the US.

I reckon it won't have a problem and I can't wait to be grabbing my copy from EB when it's out.

The latest Larry game banning is absurd. The OFLC says it has "obscured and/or implied sexual activity and obscured and partial nudity involving stylised, animated characters" ? which means you don?t even see any sexual explicit activity, and you might get to see some cartoon breasts. As an adult here who can purchase much more explicit magazines, videos, or go to legal brothels and whatnot, yet cannot buy a cartoon looking game with cartoon boobs with ?implied sexual activity? because it is banned, it's absolutely absurd.

And for those who were wondering, when the OFLC refuses classification to a title, it can NOT be legally imported, hired or sold to the public. So you can?t legally import banned games from New Zealand, and Valve CANNOT distribute a banned game to you through Steam.

Maybe it is likely that Half Life 2 will be given an MA15+ rating here, but the overall picture is still saddening.

And about protesting not making a difference ? I disagree. The OFLC has shown that it can be easily revert their decisions under pressure. Heck, it took only one lousy politician in Western Australia to get Manhunt re-reviewed then banned.

Think of the long-term, do you really just want to download every adult orientated game that gets banned (which is doubtful) or perhaps is it better to fix and address the issue so you don?t have to in the future?

Personally, I am sick and tired of being treated like a child, I am sick and tired of blatant censorship that favours a minority not a majority.

Remember OFLC is for the R rating they have stated that they wish they had this option in the past. It was John Howard and his liberal cronies (and some people in the senate who arent there but have been replaced by similar people) who dont want an R rating for games. Remember the only use for broadband is porn and troubled children playing computer games, and we dont need that in this country (ahh Alston, the communications industry misses you).

Read the fine print on those ratings carefully, I think you will find that there wont be a R rating for games still, I did the survey and remember reading something about it saying that it was only being done with future considerations being taken into account.

If you want to see a list of games that have been refused classification and were banned or dumbed down for local release, have a look at this list. A total of *53* games. Add another 2 more which include Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (that has been heavily modifed for Aussies), and Postal 2 which was banned outright.

http://www.refused-classification.com/Games_A-Z.htm

Rather concerned about the "Oh Half Life 2 is not going to get banned, it's all ok". It might be ok when the game you want makes it through the classification, but things change when there is a chance when its something you want. I think that is the point of the original post was making, to entertain the thought that it was possible that Half Life 2 was banned, and question your right to choose as an adult consumer.

And let us not forget the attempts of another idiotic politician liasing with the OFLC to get Project Gotham Racing 2 banned. Yes, Project Gotham Racing 2, I kid you not. I quote:

State Labor MP Paul Gibson, chairman of the Staysafe Committee, intends to take the matter up with the Office of Film and Literature Classification, which approves such games for sale in Australia, and which issued a G rating to Project Gotham Racing 2.

"This game sends the wrong message to young people. It is actually glorifying speed and power," Mr Gibson said. "It is clearly an inappropriate depiction of speed behaviour. If I had my way I would ban it."

There is no research into how racing games affect the attitudes of young drivers. But, Mr Gibson said, there is enough research into risk-taking behaviour for there to be a concern.

"It's better to be safe than sorry.

"Games like this and things like car-surfing in film clips and in movies are undoing a lot of the effort authorities are putting into road safety."

As for the games on the list, even with an R rating as was proposed before most of the games on the list would be still included in the RC (as they would shift to the X titles) classification. Also note that there are a few games on that list that werent cut in anyway but were commented about being on the boarder of MA/RC in the annual reports. These games were released (Silent Hill and Kingpin are examples) but would fit the R rating category quite well.

The news item was never expected to cause so much hysteria, nor was it expected that it would be carried across to so many websites, but I am glad it sparked additional discussion about games classification in Australia, along with other issues like Valve's online delivery system.

An example. On the news about 2 months ago, when they were reporting about ManHunt being banned, the news used the example of one person running around with a knife attempting to kill people after he played the game. It is blantantly obvious that this person was clinically insane beforehand, or is a total moron.

And if the OFLC refuse to put a rating on HL:2, they are going to cause more problems with the piracy problem with have in this country. Seeing as every half serious gamer will download this game, and figure out how to warez a CD-Key so they can make the use of the mods, and they will also cause Vivendi to lose a bucketload of money that they would've earnt from sales in Australia. Even though its blatantly obvious that HL:2 wont be banned anyway.

http://www.oflc.gov.au/resource.html?resource=332&filename=332.pdf

It states the following:

?This amendment means that the classification for films and computer games will now be G, PG, M and MA15+. Films will also be classified R18+ and X18+. These two restricted classifications WILL NOT APPLY TO COMPUTER GAMES. Any computer game that contains content that exceed MA15+ will continue to be REFUSED CLASSIFICATION.? -- as of May 2005

What the hell were you sniffing when you read that buddy, as you can see they still have no intention to change the classification, at all!

If you don?t agree with this, I suggest you write a simple letter of complaint to the OFLC. Forget any petition, I am pretty sure that the most effect way to force change, is for associations to write formal complaints, with detailed resources and research indicating why they feel this way.

And most importantly, for gamers of 18+ years of age to write simple letters ? preferably with urls to sources that support your view ? to the OFLC. These letters should state who you are (name, age, sex and return mail address) so as to drive the point home, that you are a voting adult and citizen of Australia.

In fact these letters of complaint are more so important, as receiving one or two from associations has less impact if they receive over a hundred letters of compliant in the mail from mature consumers.

Then other steps can be taken, like vocal demonstration, as well as writing letters of complaint to the media and other bodies that continue to misinform the public.

Research ? like a major study done by the OFLC ? indicates no link between computer games and violence ? some evidence out there even leans to there being a drop in youth violence due to games being a catharsis. Yet they continue to demonise games, using them as a scapegoat for the problems of society, instead of choosing to face them. Take Manhunt, the game was given a rating of MA15+, anyone of 15 years of age, unless suffering some kind of mental disability or illness, can tell the difference between reality and fantasy, right from wrong.

And that is the factor here, other issues like social pressures, like from families (child abuse) and the community (to conform to social norms), that have lead to a mental imbalance. Games are not the cause of violence, but perhaps a trigger for them in certain individuals, and in my opinion, a trigger they wantonly seek out, and if it were not games, it would be something else like a violent movie. Generally these act as a catharsis, letting aggressive and violent behaviour have an outlet, which is healthy for anyone, as any normal person will have times they feel aggressive, but in the worst of cases it is not enough.

Eliminating games will not end violence, as the cause of such violence will remain behind. It will merely lead society to find a new medium to blame for violence, most likely they will return back to films as being their favourite scapegoat. There will always be a percentage of a society that has a severe psychological condition, such as a Psychopathic or Antisocial Personality Disorder (even in teens) and they were either born that way, or, conditioned that way from birth by their parents, family and community. As it is interpersonal social interactions with humans that define such disorders, not interactions with a virtual fantasy world.

It?s also interesting that you mention how politicians think that games can be ?manipulative? in that I though that was what politicians were! ;)

What they are trying to escape from is the source and cause of the violence present, not their choice of entertainment which is merely a way of coping with the pressures they face and live with in their lives.

HOW can they have published that NEXT year. I LiVE in the country....HOW can we be a year ahead of the rest of the world :P

Its the rating page

Australian Adult Gamers R18+

..Stupid Money Hungry Valve, suing the guys that released the source code like the game was special and delaying it for a year ..And once its released its soo fucking crap (Graphics + Gameplay) Only good thing was the Physics engine But nothing special unlike HL1
..Definetly wasnt worth the wait!!! And not worth spending a cent on

Dumbasses & remember GTA SA is UNCUT!!!