Half-Life 2 AU Woes?

[Oct 26, 2004, 09:51 am ET] - Share - Viewing Comments

SumeaLaunchpad (thanks Voodoo Extreme) reports that the rating Half-Life 2 has received from The Pan European Games Information system results in the possibility that there is no rating that will allow the game to be sold in Australia. No decision has been made on the game's fate down under, but here's the cause for concern citied in the article:

The Pan European Games Information (PEGI) age rating system has given Half Life 2 an R(18+) rating. This means that minors are unable to purchase the game in numerous countries like Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the UK. What's really interesting about this is how the game fares in Australia. The Australian Office of Film & Literature Classification (OFLC) has yet to classify Half Life 2, but if the board follows suit from their European counterparts, it'll mean that one of this years highly anticipated titles is banned outright from sales here. Currently, Australia has no R rating for games, so game titles need to meet the highest rating available (MA 15+) or they will be refused classification.

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51.

Clarification....

Oct 26, 2004, 13:25

Hunterzyph

If the game is 'banned' does that mean the only way you can get the game is to specifically ask for it and be 18+ (ie it is off the shelves and behind the counter) or is it really impossible to get.

50.

Re: This is cruel...

Oct 26, 2004, 13:20

Sixis

Don't you see the horrible message hidden in this headline?! Half-Life 2 AU Woes?!?!?!?! That means Half-Life 2 GOLD WOES! NOOOOOOOOOOOO! Proud to be a moderate! Death to extremists!

49.

Re: This is cruel...

Oct 26, 2004, 13:15

Valtyr

Well, in the german version of Half-Life, they replaced Humans with robots. I remember though, Dark Forces was indexed.

48.

Re: This is cruel...

Oct 26, 2004, 13:14

siggi

I wonder how many pirated copies of HL2 there will be down under, if they ban the game?

Way to go in the fight against pirates, OFLC.




--------- siggi

47.

Larry your a idiot

Oct 26, 2004, 13:10

volvox

You don't call not being able to get married or have a firkin abortion interference from the government though do you? Stupid republican idiot. The government Bush has going is larger, more intrusive on our rights (patriot act anyone?) and more expensive then any we have ever had.

46.

Re: Ah yes, Socialists...

Oct 26, 2004, 13:10

Halsy

So, I'm just let to let the right lie outright about the left? Is that it? Um....no.

"Oh, meltdown. It's one of those annoying buzzwords. We prefer to call it an unrequested fission surplus."
- Monty Burns




"And then, suddenly and without warning, it turned into a real-life case of hungry, hungry hippos." - Stephen Colbert

45.

Re: Ah yes, Socialists...

Oct 26, 2004, 13:08

Warhawk

See, told you.

*************
* Warhawk *
*************

Did IQs just drop sharply while I was away?




Have I lied to you? I mean, in this room? Trust me, leave that thing alone. - GLaDOS Did IQs just drop sharply while I was away? - Ripley

44.

Re: Ah yes, Socialists...

Oct 26, 2004, 12:54

Halsy

Australia is a conservative country with a conservative government so there goes your ridiculous theory. As for the rest of the nonsense you spew, that's typical of the under-educated right. Guess who has the best track record for job creation, the economy and keeping government small? It's most definitely not the right. Censorship is far and away the bastion of the right with their "family values" hypocrites and their 'do as I say and not as I do' hypocrisy. The real U.S. unemployment rate is higher than the E.U.'s as well (9.7% versus 8.8%).

Don't you ever tire of parroting these myths and lies?

"Oh, meltdown. It's one of those annoying buzzwords. We prefer to call it an unrequested fission surplus."
- Monty Burns
This comment was edited on Oct 26, 12:56.




"And then, suddenly and without warning, it turned into a real-life case of hungry, hungry hippos." - Stephen Colbert

43.

Re: Ah yes, Socialists...

Oct 26, 2004, 12:44

J-Bird

You post makes me want to knee-jerk, emotional pseudo-thought a chair through your skull with a manipulator. Must be all those video games the RIGHT has provided me, eh?

42.

Re: Ah yes, Socialists...

Oct 26, 2004, 12:44

MMORPGHoD

Oh now you've done it.. it won't be long before Joe Blow comes in here with his political trollage. Although they might have some socialistic stuff going on over there, I like the Aussies. I say lift the game sanctions

41.

Re: Europe

Oct 26, 2004, 12:42

Halsy

That's what you get for electing John Howard.

"Oh, meltdown. It's one of those annoying buzzwords. We prefer to call it an unrequested fission surplus."
- Monty Burns




"And then, suddenly and without warning, it turned into a real-life case of hungry, hungry hippos." - Stephen Colbert

40.

Re: Ah yes, Socialists...

Oct 26, 2004, 12:40

Warhawk

Keep voting Left, and that's what you get: bureaucratic Tipper Gore wannabes world-wide. Once again, the "pro-arts" parties of the world advocating censorship. It's OK to show graphic homosexual sex acts (remember Mapplethorpe show advocates?), just not Gordon Freeman shooting at arachnids. Yet another hypocrisy of "democratic" socialism. VOTE RIGHT, folks. Keep The Fed as small and as unintrusive as possible. With 10%+ unemployment EU-wide, perhaps the Aussies will realize that their demo-socialism and top-heavy bureaucracies are based on knee-jerk emotional pseudo-thought. Censorship is and will always be the bastion of the Left. Trip to China, anyone?

Keep talking like that and you're going to get Halsy all riled up. You really want that?

*************
* Warhawk *
*************

Did IQs just drop sharply while I was away?




Have I lied to you? I mean, in this room? Trust me, leave that thing alone. - GLaDOS Did IQs just drop sharply while I was away? - Ripley

39.

Ah yes, Socialists...

Oct 26, 2004, 12:36

Larry

Keep voting Left, and that's what you get: bureaucratic Tipper Gore wannabes world-wide. Once again, the "pro-arts" parties of the world advocating censorship. It's OK to show graphic homosexual sex acts (remember Mapplethorpe show advocates?), just not Gordon Freeman shooting at arachnids. Yet another hypocrisy of "democratic" socialism. VOTE RIGHT, folks. Keep The Fed as small and as unintrusive as possible. With 10%+ unemployment EU-wide, perhaps the Aussies will realize that their demo-socialism and top-heavy bureaucracies are based on knee-jerk emotional pseudo-thought. Censorship is and will always be the bastion of the Left. Trip to China, anyone?

38.

Re: No subject

Oct 26, 2004, 12:25

MMORPGHoD

Preventing an Aussie from getting HL2 is almost as bad as handing him a Foster's and saying "G'day mate!".

37.

Re: No subject

Oct 26, 2004, 12:22

aldo_14

Canberra is one of the most boring places in existence, I've read. (Bill Bryson book IIRC) Um...better make it clear... i'm not slagging off the place, I've never been (albeit Australia is on my list of 'places to go before I die'), 'm just wondering if it's true that 'berra is as, er, dull as I've read.

36.

w/e

Oct 26, 2004, 12:15

Kon

It's called steam. Download it.

35.

Maybe they'll just download it...

Oct 26, 2004, 12:10

Apaullo

I don't support piracy, and I'm not implying Ozzies for taking that route so they can play the game. But the way I've always seen it, the two biggest steps for software companies to combat piracy are: #1). Make it available, and, #2). Make it affordable. The OFLC is prohibiting #1 from even happening. Maybe Valve/Vivendi/Sierra has a new target for piracy lawsuits because of this, as I'm sure this will create more problems than it solves.

34.

IT HAS NOT BEEN BANNED

Oct 26, 2004, 12:07

David Johnston

I've been following this story since yesterday... Basically, if you look behind all the rumours and the 'analysis' and people spinning the story out of proportion, the chances of HL2 being banned in Australia are practically nil. Just like the chances of HL2 being banned in America or England. The story stems from an original SUGGESTION that HL2 COULD be banned, IF it fails classification. HALF-LIFE 2 HAS NOT BEEN BANNED FROM AUSTRALIA AND IS UNLIKELY TO BE BANNED. Incidentally, RIP John Peel... one of the few people in the world who I could honestly say is unique and irreplaceable.

33.

Re: Europe

Oct 26, 2004, 12:07

EvilGoof_Trollboy

@ 31 I was having a dig at the lame ass twat a few posts down from me. Couldn't give a fuck which country the developer is from.

32.

Re: Europe

Oct 26, 2004, 12:01

famished

"You must be a time traveler because that game has not been released yet and probably won't be until the year 3000 or so. Either that or 3DRealms finally finished the game and quietly shipped it to Australia without telling anyone else." Oh shit. My bad. I meant Duke Nukem 3d. This comment was edited on Oct 26, 12:02.

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