HL2 possibly banned in Australia?

[BIG]

Read this over at [H]ardOCP. ( http://www.hardocp.com/ )

After all this time, Australian gamers, like the rest of us, have endured everything associated with Half-Life 2…the lengthy development cycle, delays, code thefts and so on. Now, they might not be able to play it when it comes out. Hopefully this doesn’t turn out to be the case, we feel for our Australian brothers.

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.

Link to OFLC site where Half-Life games have been shown as rated:
http://www.sumea.com.au/snews.asp?news=1222&related=Industry

Interesting...didn't know there were places that would ban videogames :hmph:

 

[zul]

This has been on the front page of several HL2 webpages for several days now. Only time will tell if it's eventually banned or not.

 

[Spugmaster]

The general consensus from all us Aussies on this forum is that the ban won't happen. If Doom 3 and GTA got through, there should be nothing stopping HL2.

It will get the highest rating our censor board (OFLC) can give for games, which is M15+

As to whether they alter / tone down any of the game content is another question entirely. We got the original HL with no censorship, unlike the Germans who really got dicked over.

I guess only time will tell.

EDIT: Even a couple of games that were recently banned in Australia were on the shelves for a couple of weeks before being pulled, so if the ban does happen, hopefully those who want it can still grab it in time.

 

[Lanthanide]

It's pretty stupid to try and ban it anyway. All they're doing is encouraging piracy.

 

[BRODIEMAN2k4]

Good thing i don't live in australia

 

[Shanno]

If they do we should all start a nice big Riot to get em thinking...POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!!

 

[redundant]

Argh, I'm so sick of hearing about this.

I hereby stake my life on the fact that HL2 WILL NOT BE BANNED/ALTERED IN AUSTRALIA.

No way, not ever.

 

[Shanno]

Yeah but if they do we'll all be forced to pirate the game, remember when Duke 3d came out the bastards did the same thing over here, banned it for a while (though many got it in time) then they thought Fark it, let em have it, and let it out anyway....are aussies seeing a pattern here? in its time duke 3d was cutting edge and one of the first games with dirty language (HEHE "Ill rip your head of and shit down your neck....) and now half life=cutting edge, stuff weve never seen before, better make an example of it?

 

[Tiddalick]

In a word.
NO
It will not be banned.

 

[Robinhood_01]

http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?t=46119