Australia's OFLC strikes again! - L4D2 banned.

[Azazel]

So what with L4D2 being banned in Australia, and Valve's appeal being rejected, it appears I'm somewhat up shit creek. A heavily-castrated version has also been submitted and passed, but fuck that noise.

Since it's a Valve game, it uses Steamworks and ties into my Steam account. This means I (obviously) can't buy a local retail copy, I can't buy through steam (which would be the obvious choice for a Valve game). Due to Steam though, I also can't just buy an international boxed version as I'm sure it'll be auto-patched into neuterdom immediately.

My options (aside from skipping it entirely) appear to be:
1) Learn how to pirate Valve/steam games. Be willing to never play L4D in Multiplayer (unless I can get a pirated copy to LAN). Be willing to miss out on patches, new maps, dlc, etc.
2) Buy 360 copy from UK. Learn to love the thumbsticks. Shower vigorously, but The Dirt, it won't come off. Be willing to miss out on patches, new maps, dlc, etc.

/sigh

pretty sucky, eh?

Whiel I was poking around, finding out the news, I also found that Risen, which some of you guys have been talking about, was also Banned In Australia. Apparently for a pro-drug-use message. It appears that she who I shall call PirateGirl, (as she is clearly a big fan of Johnny Depp) from work has an "evaluation" copy, which she obtained through contacts in British Telecom, which she has professed willingness to pass on to me.

Maybe I should just go back to the way I was when I was a teenager and pirate stuff instead of buying it. 

How the world turns, eh? 


(is there a way to change your Steam region while maintaining the use of your ogirinal credit card?)

[Jherad]

My experience with steam from the UK, is that you can work around activation dates by using a VPN, and changing the region in the settings, but you can't purchase from another region unless you have a credit card billing address there.

[KallDrexx]

Is valve unable to sell the real version through steam and just not change the region settings for AU?  I would imagine the OFLC's rules only work for local boxed copies, andpublishers are the one who force steam to do the region restrictions.

[cironian]

I also can't just buy an international boxed version as I'm sure it'll be auto-patched into neuterdom immediately.

Not from my experience. At least in the case of the Orange Box and Germany, the way around the censorship was to buy a UK retail copy and use that serial number. Once the key was tied to my Steam account the games remained uncensored, even through downloading them again.

Of course, you should check if it's the same in this case - Maybe Valve has to be afraid of some extra special legal pitfalls in Australia.

(edit: Same thing applies for L4D1)

[Trippy]

Can't somebody gift you a copy?

[Azazel]

I imagine if someone gifts me a copy it will automatically default to the Australian (and German) low_violence version.

After all, I got a gift Borderlands via the 4-pack deal and it defaulted to the still fucking locked international version, and I'd rather not gamble the US$40 on it.

I might try cironian's method though, if I can find any confirmation that it works on L4D2 for German consumers - any f13.Germans on here planning to use that method for L4D2/steam?

[Teleku]

How do you make a low violent version of the Zombie Holocaust?

[Calantus]

Whiel I was poking around, finding out the news, I also found that Risen, which some of you guys have been talking about, was also Banned In Australia. Apparently for a pro-drug-use message. It appears that she who I shall call PirateGirl, (as she is clearly a big fan of Johnny Depp) from work has an "evaluation" copy, which she obtained through contacts in British Telecom, which she has professed willingness to pass on to me.

Maybe I should just go back to the way I was when I was a teenager and pirate stuff instead of buying it.  

How the world turns, eh?  

It is the Aussie way. Or should be.



I'll get rid of the WoW folder since I don't play it anymore. Blank will also go now that you can just click the plus thingy next to the tabs.

I like everything else right where it is though.



As a related aside, notice the Amazon link? Yeah I buy my books from Amazon and have them shipped over because it's cheaper. It's sometimes even both cheaper and faster if I get them priority air mailed. I hate this country sometimes.

[Ookii]

Now that I know Azazel is an aussie I read all of his posts with an Australian accent in my head.  That said, I demand you use words like "Tinny" and "Sheila" more, as well as silly nonsense words like mowangabazoo.

That really sucks though, I would just VPN it.

[UnSub]

It is the Aussie way. Or should be.

No, it really shouldn't.

(And I'm also about to head to Amazon to buy books both cheaper and more available than in Australia.)

[Azazel]

I much prefer to buy my e-toys, wearing the eyepatch is really only a final option when I feel that someone's trying to screw me. I haven't actually had a need to do it though.

[Calantus]

It is the Aussie way. Or should be.

No, it really shouldn't.

"We're sorry, currently our video library can only be streamed within the United States."



I don't think I've even played a game that came out later than 2007 because I got tired of the bullshit, and the only ones I've pirated are ones I owned before. TV shows though... I'm not waiting around a year for it to maybe possibly come out here when I could have gotten it for free if it wasn't for geography.

EDIT: Wait no! Majesty 2. I don't know how I forgot that one.

[LK]

Segmenting the Internet with national restrictions is sort of missing the point of the internet.

[Azazel]

I also can't just buy an international boxed version as I'm sure it'll be auto-patched into neuterdom immediately.

Not from my experience. At least in the case of the Orange Box and Germany, the way around the censorship was to buy a UK retail copy and use that serial number. Once the key was tied to my Steam account the games remained uncensored, even through downloading them again.

Of course, you should check if it's the same in this case - Maybe Valve has to be afraid of some extra special legal pitfalls in Australia.

(edit: Same thing applies for L4D1)

Have any of the German f13 contingent tried this yet for L4D2?

[Kageru]

As a related aside, notice the Amazon link? Yeah I buy my books from Amazon and have them shipped over because it's cheaper. It's sometimes even both cheaper and faster if I get them priority air mailed. I hate this country sometimes.

Wife and I pretty much only go into Australian bookshops to browse now. If we want to buy something the cheaper prices, large range and free shipping of book depository just make buying retail impractical. Not sure how it competes with Amazon.

It's sort of amazing the retailers here believe they can keep the sort of margin they've grown used to. Things like Borderlands on steam being 79 US$ to protect retail mark-up is just laughable when you know things like play-asia! exist.

[Setanta]

From one of the guys on another forum:

1. go to uk steam store - http://store.steampowered.com/?cc=uk
2. Navigate to L4D2
3. Add to cart
4. Change country to United Kingdom. Keep everything else the same. [so for example my address was in ********, Western Australia, United Kingdom]
5. purchase
6. download as normal through steam

I tried it and it worked like a charm. Full version, no censorship.

[Fordel]

Why are Australia's censorship laws so draconian?

[Azazel]

I'll explain. I should get most of it right, and I'm sure Tale or Unsub or someone else can correct any details I get wrong.


There currently exists a full rating system for movies, tv, games, etc - G, PG, M, MA15+, R, X - theres also an exempt classification for some videos like docos, etc. The Australian OFLC (Office of Film & Literature Classification) is in charge of assigning ratings - they have to watch the whole movie/play through the whole game etc, and then a panel votes on the rating (or a very similar process). The Australian R rating is more-or-less the equivalent of the US' NC-17, or the UK's R18.

There is currently no allowance for games to be classified higher than MA15+

In order to introduce new classification laws, all of the states' governor-generals have to agree. At present, almost all of the Australian governor-generals are in agreement on introducing such a rating in light of the average ages of gamers being 25 or something. The one holdout is Michael Atkinson, of South Australia. He wants to keep adult games out of the hands of children, (despite the admission somewhere that his own kids got hold of GTA and were playing it.)

Atkinson has also stated that he's not going to change his views, and basically that his constituancy/electorate in SA don't give a fuck about video games.

As a result, many games that really should be R18+ due to blood, gore, language etc get through with a rating of MA15+, as the OFLC are really doing the best that they can under a difficult set of circumstances. As a result, many games that should be kept out of the hands of kids (GTA anyone? Saints Row? etc) end up in the hands of kids because many parents are fucking morons and will happily let their kids watch or play anything not rated R. - I'm a teacher, 11 year old kids would talk about GTA all fucking day if you'd let them.

And so, the children are "protected" by one man, alone against the darkness.

[Azazel]

From one of the guys on another forum:

1. go to uk steam store - http://store.steampowered.com/?cc=uk
2. Navigate to L4D2
3. Add to cart
4. Change country to United Kingdom. Keep everything else the same. [so for example my address was in ********, Western Australia, United Kingdom]
5. purchase
6. download as normal through steam

I tried it and it worked like a charm. Full version, no censorship.

Might do this when I get my next pay. Do you need to keep your country listed as the UK forever, or where you able to change it back to AU?

edit - also found a boxed version from the UK for £26.89 plus £1.00 int'l shipping. I'll wait a week or two and see which is the most "secure" version that I can guarantee won't be neutered by a patch. Play-Asia have a US boxed copy for about the same $ as well.

[Engels]

Hmm, so Australia is held hostage by a self-righteous southern hick. Thank GOD that doesn't happen in the USA.

[lamaros]

As a related aside, notice the Amazon link? Yeah I buy my books from Amazon and have them shipped over because it's cheaper. It's sometimes even both cheaper and faster if I get them priority air mailed. I hate this country sometimes.

Wife and I pretty much only go into Australian bookshops to browse now. If we want to buy something the cheaper prices, large range and free shipping of book depository just make buying retail impractical. Not sure how it competes with Amazon.

It's sort of amazing the retailers here believe they can keep the sort of margin they've grown used to.

They don't, at least as far as books go:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/11/2739229.htm

[Fordel]

Major suck for Australia  :(


You would think they would prefer their kids just play video games and stay inside all the time, so they don't get eaten by the country side!

[Lantyssa]

It builds character.  Well, if you survive.  Even if you make it you can't stop slacking or some mostly harmless critter will stab you in the heart.

[UnSub]

You would think they would prefer their kids just play video games and stay inside all the time, so they don't get eaten by the country side!

And if they don't even eat meat, there is a chance they will try and drown you.

More related to topic: Atkinson says, "If you want R18+ rated games, you'll have to beat me in an election". He's actually right: it's not really a vote loser to hold his position and some conservative sections of the community would find it a positive stand to have.

I disagree with his stand on the grounds that we have R18+ videos available in homes today, but he's hardly campaigning to have those removed. He's an opportunistic hypocrite.

[Setanta]

Might do this when I get my next pay. Do you need to keep your country listed as the UK forever, or where you able to change it back to AU?

edit - also found a boxed version from the UK for £26.89 plus £1.00 int'l shipping. I'll wait a week or two and see which is the most "secure" version that I can guarantee won't be neutered by a patch. Play-Asia have a US boxed copy for about the same $ as well.

I've changed mine back to Aus now and it's still ok. I like to think that Valve deliberately left the loophole there. :)

[Azazel]

In other news, Atkinson is now trying to get MW2 banned.

http://palgn.com.au/15618/sa-attorney-general-to-appeal-modern-warfare-2-rating/

SA Attorney-General to appeal Modern Warfare 2 rating
PALGN News | He's not a big fan of the Classification Board.
Michael Atkinson, the South Australian Attorney-General and outspoken campaigner against violence in video games, has revealed that he will be challenging the MA15+ rating given to Infinity Ward shooter Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

"I’ll be appealing against that classification, I think it’s wrong," Atkinson told Radio National (via Kotaku). "[The classification] doesn’t surprise me. The Classification Board in Australia does everything to try to get games in under the radar. But just because the system is not being applied properly, it does not mean that the principles of the system are wrong.

"What I want the Classification Board to do is to apply the guidelines properly. What I don’t want is the extremely violent, sexually depraved, drug use games in Australia at all. At the cinema, we can stop people under 18 going in to see R18+ rated movies. We can’t stop these games that are extremely violent and depraved from getting into the home or getting into the hands of children."

Atkinson didn't hold back on his opinion of the Classification Board either, stating that, even if a R18+ rating would eventually come to pass, he would use his role in drawing up for the guidelines for the rating to make sure that "extremely violent, sexually depraved, drug use games" wouldn't slip through the cracks.

"I have no trust in the Classification Board to apply the guidelines sincerely and correctly...thus to draw up such guidelines would be to do so in sure and certain knowledge that they would be stretched and then broken."

When asked about the Commonwealth discussion paper on the R18+ rating, due to be released to the public in April earlier this year, Atkinson said that he did not know why it had not been released.

[Wasted]

As a fellow South Australian I am constantly embarrassed by the stuff Michael Atkinson spews out.

[UnSub]

The problem with the argument some people have been using that not having an R18+ rating for games is that said games get put into the MA15+ category is that it plays right into his hands. He can then get publicity for calling the OFLC to account. And he's the only Attorney General that has any kind of media profile thanks to stuff like this (as far as I'm aware of - I certainly can't name any others).

Someone really needs to put forward the argument that the same issues exist for R18+ films as for R18+ games and that any measure that stops underage access to R18+ films can also work for games, but most online arguments I've seen about him haven't been that clever.

[lamaros]

No need to be clever, the guy is just a dick.

[UnSub]

"You're a dick" is not an argument that has ever changed someone's mind about anything, ever.

[lamaros]

Again: You think you're going to change his mind? With clever internet arguments?

[Azazel]

The guy is simply enjoying the free publicity for pertecting the childrun. It's a politician's wet dream. Particularly if he decides to move from state to federal politics, he has a pre-built media profile compared to random_backbencher_001 or new_federal_member_002

[UnSub]

Again: You think you're going to change his mind? With clever internet arguments?

I'm not personally, no. Nothing on the internet is going to work against him (unless it appears on a reputable news site), but will work in his favour.

[Azazel]

From one of the guys on another forum:

1. go to uk steam store - http://store.steampowered.com/?cc=uk
2. Navigate to L4D2
3. Add to cart
4. Change country to United Kingdom. Keep everything else the same. [so for example my address was in ********, Western Australia, United Kingdom]
5. purchase
6. download as normal through steam

I tried it and it worked like a charm. Full version, no censorship.

Can you verify that this is still working?

Also, please PM me the URL of the other forum. I've been looking around today and it seems that one of the hacks got patched out this morning. L4D2 is 25% off on steam for the next 12 hours, but I'm not willing to be shafted on the purchase.

edit - looks like WP. Still, want to doublecheck that it still works ok from the "UK" before sending them money.

[Setanta]

Mine still works fine.. Blood splatter all over the screen, dismemberment etc. Forum link here: http://www.bittah.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=17040&start=120

This is the original thread:

http://www.gamers-underground.com/forum/games-general/31864-how-buy-steam-games-other-regions-without-vpn.html