Edited Version of Left 4 Dead 2 Approved for Australia

Looks like Australians will be able to get their Left 4 Dead 2 on after all, as long as they don't mind playing an edited version of the game that will probably suck.

Left 4 Dead 2 was refused classification when it was submitted to the Australian Classification Board in September, a decision that effectively banned its sale Down Under. Distributor Electronic Arts has launched an appeal of the decision but in order to ensure that the game is on store shelves in one form or another when it is released in November a censored version, which according to News.com.au "removes considerable amounts of gore from gameplay," was also submitted and has been given an MA15+ rating.

The Classification Board said the "revised version" of the game still contains violence that is strong in impact, but it has been cleaned up considerably; while "large and frequent blood splatters" remain, the report notes that "no wound detail is shown and the implicitly dead bodies and blood splatter disappear as they touch the ground." Furthermore, "The game no longer contains depictions of decapitation, dismemberment, wound detail or piles of dead bodies lying about the environment."

Valve boss Gabe Newell told Kotaku Australia that the edited version of the game is a "backup plan" in case the appeal fails or takes longer than expected. If the edited version is released in Australia before the appeal proceeds and the appeal is later successful, Aussies will receive an update to bring their version of the game in line with the rest of the world. The update would be free for the PC version of the game but Newell said he was unsure how it would be handled for the Xbox 360 version.

Thanks to Fenixius for the tip.

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Dumb question!

Is there anything to stop Aussies getting the normal version via Steam anyway? Or if Steam Aus edits it (as seems likely going by Gabe's statement), torrenting another country's version and then paying for/activating it via Steam (do-able but complicated).

It seems wasted effort to censor a game in a world with the Internet and global shipping.

Wow, that sounds like a wank change. Good that Aussie's get to play it, but it sounds like a bit of a fookin' waste of time anyway. Hopefully the appeal goes through and they get the good version through.

I hear the Aussie's don't check DLC, so couldn't they just slip a 'graphical update' DLC which reverts it to the version the rest of the world get.

I had images of valve going all the way and adding sunshine and rainbows instead of blood and gore, and you fire hearts at the zombies (who are in fact merely unloved lonely people) which on impact "turn that frown upside down" then they go off and give money to charity and help in a soup kitchen.

Oh and your characters kitten you can't really control it just stumbles around vaguely and adorable the direction you press, they have heart shaped eyes that fire said heart missles

fix-the-spade:
Dumb question!

Is there anything to stop Aussies getting the normal version via Steam anyway? Or if Steam Aus edits it (as seems likely going by Gabe's statement), torrenting another country's version and then paying for/activating it via Steam (do-able but complicated).

It seems wasted effort to censor a game in a world with the Internet and global shipping.

They will be able to download the toned down version from Steam.

Honestly, I probably wont by this, its not that I'm a gore junkie or any such but I wasn't that hyped about it before and if they've toned it down according to the ratings board its probably broken some gameplay or atmosphere. Fuck it.

Wait he also said

Newell confirmed that if the edited version is released, then the Australian version would receive an update if the appeal proves successful. This would be free on PC, but he said he did not yet know how it might work on Xbox 360.

Does this mean that it will be enabled again or maybe an option in the menu?

When is Australia going to get an R18+ rating like the rest of the world? God, I'd hate to live there. They may have great beaches, but the video game regulations suck.

My god. Now I see why Yahtzee hates, uhh...whats his face, Atkison or something I forgot, this is stupid what Australia is doing. It's just a game.

I think we're nearing at the point where every game company that makes violent games will abandon the Australian market. With the way development costs rise with every new generation of games, it's getting to the point where the time and resources it takes to rework the game will outstrip the profit that can be made selling the game there.

This makes me sad :'(

Oh my God, does that suck.

When did the Australian goverment start getting these gianormous bugs up their ass?

Well it just seems every now and then a board gets enough idiots on it and makes stupid judgments, suddenly blood is deemed too traumatic for the public to see ("large and frequent blood splatters" remain -- Wow! LMAO)

thats good of valve to do, but still sucks for australia.

For those talking about Steam, Steam has to conform to Australia's censorship guidelines too.

I don't care really. Valve should never have made this game anyway and I won't be buying it whether it comes out or not.

Hmm I wander what they are going to cut out of the original version
Here's hoping it isn't much *fingers crossed*

Amnestic:
Wow, that sounds like a wank change. Good that Aussie's get to play it, but it sounds like a bit of a fookin' waste of time anyway. Hopefully the appeal goes through and they get the good version through.

I hear the Aussie's don't check DLC, so couldn't they just slip a 'graphical update' DLC which reverts it to the version the rest of the world get.

hot coffee mod ring a bell? remember how that was edited out of the game and a third party mod was used to unlock it?

yea, it would just be faster to re-ban the game by putting signs every two feet saying "Aussie's suck! -Gabe"

Oh good...now the children are safe...

Australia is the dumbest land on the earth when it comes to video games. Seriously.

You know, I bet the programmers put a lot of work into ensuring the overt violence looked just right. And now it's all wasted down under.

I'm still going with the theory that Valve will offer a free content patch as soon as the game hits shelves, or will just put out the uncensored version anyway since nobody's going to look at it again (using the hollywood theorem)

This is a sad, sad day for all gamers, but especially the ones in Australia. :[

go ahead and kill thousands of zombies, but just dont let those bodies pile up. That would defintiely harm the children. Now they will leanr the importance of removing the body after a murder.

Ahhh. Austrailia. My neighbouring country finally can play L4d2 in a family friendly way?

OT: I feel sorry for Valve

I feel bad for Australia. They'll have to import a good copy. I mean, it's like hearing the censored version of a song or something. It's just not the same.

hansari:
Oh good...now the children are safe...

What children? Oh, you mean the children that aren't even allowed to play the game in the first place?

Thankfully they'll be a patch available somewhere, most probably before the game's even released that will upgrade us to the proper version.

Or we'll just download the proper version from somewhere else.

Internet > Censorship.

I think I'd prefer a less gor-riffic version.
Its all cosmetic, right? I don't really care for my entertainment to try to scare my pants off, personally.

See, what annoys me about the edited version is that all the stuff they've taken out, was in the first game. There were bodies lying all around the play area, and all the stuff they're taking out ruins the atmosphere of the game. You may as well replace the zombies with unicorns and puppy dogs because it's just not going to be the game it should be.

I hate my government, I reckon the game play will be effected and i guess i have to deal with it

...Or you could just download it from the States or wherever and then go out and buy a copy, and feel morally correct in your doings. Seriously... censorship on the net doesn't work unless you build a giant firewall ala China and construct physical borders around the country that stop traffic from leaking over it... sheesh. :/

Honestly I couldn't give a damn if the games gory or not, What bothers me is that a country is basicly trying to force self censorship of these materials when they are clearly meant for an adult audience.

Sucks for Aussie gamers that their government is so silly about the matter of video games. I bet that version will suck but they can always import.