DayZ will be banned from Australia after it was refused a rating

[overlord360]

Original Source:

https://www.kotaku.com.au/2019/08/dayz-pc-ps4-xbox-one-banned-completely-australia/

 

 

Quote

Earlier this week, news broke that the Classification Board had blocked the physical sale of survival sandbox DayZ, despite the game having been rated MA15+ multiple times through the IARC online process.

 

IARC is the acronym for the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC), See the bottom of the post for a link to further information on Australia's rating / classification system.

 

Quote

The Classification Board first granted an RC rating to DayZ on June 4, following an application from local distributors Five Star Games to have the game sold in brick-and-mortar stores across the country. According to the report, which was supplied to Kotaku Australia on Friday afternoon, the game was banned over "illicit or proscribed drug use related to incentives or rewards".

 

It seems bizarre that the board is ok with extreme violence in movies and video games, but if there is some weed as a reward for completing an objective results in a instant ban.

 

Quote

The Classification Board's decision will mean the game, at some point, will be removed from sale on Steam, the PlayStation and Xbox One stores. It's still currently available online for Aussies, but it's only a matter of time before that's no longer the case (unless you're using a VPN).

 

While personally I don't play DayZ, I am fearful as to what precedent this will set for future games, such as Cyberpunk 2077 which showed inhalers being used as drugs in the hour long gameplay video last year.

From what I've personally experienced, drug use (as a reward or incentive) or rape results in a instant ban. As an example Hotline Miami 2 was banned due to the rape scene (and still is banned). This wikipedia link has a list of games currently banned in Australia (and games that we're once banned that have been overturned since). The link also has a nice summary of what type of content may cause a 'refused classification' to be given.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_banned_video_games_in_Australia

 

Here's a handy dandy link to the Australian Classification Board's explanation of their ratings:

http://www.classification.gov.au/Guidelines/Pages/Guidelines.aspx

[givingtnt]

What is this ?
2014 ?
(or is it 2004)

[DrMacintosh]

Just ban Australia. lmao

 

If this only bans retail sales, this should not adversely affect the sales of the game since everyone buys online these days. 

[overlord360]

Just now, DrMacintosh said:

Just ban Australia. lmao

 

If this only bans retail sales, this should not adversely affect the sales of the game since everyone buys online these days. 

The ban was caused by Bohemia Interactive wanting to sell physical copies, but now that it has been give the 'Refused Classification' classification it cannot be sold in australia by any means, including online.

[DrMacintosh]

5 minutes ago, overlord360 said:

The ban was caused by Bohemia Interactive wanting to sell physical copies, but now that it has been give the 'Refused Classification' classification it cannot be sold in australia by any means, including online.

That's too bad for Australians. 

[Princess Luna]

Yay for pointless measures that only helps increasing piracy.

[PlayStation 2]

I still stand by my statement that the only good thing Australia has made in the last 10 years was the Ford Falcon, the Holden Commodore and the Chevrolet SS.

[leadeater]

Finally, someone thought of the children!

[Dabombinable]

And they don't seem to understand that you can't actually ban a game, not in this day and age.

44 minutes ago, Dan Castellaneta said:

I still stand by my statement that the only good thing Australia has made in the last 10 years was the Ford Falcon, the Holden Commodore and the Chevrolet SS.

You're forgetting the ford straight 6 and V8 Barra.

[leadeater]

4 minutes ago, Dabombinable said:

You're forgetting

And losing Rugby games to NZ, that's another good thing . Oh and America's Cup boat design   

[overlord360]

2 minutes ago, Dabombinable said:

And they don't seem to understand that you can't actually ban a game, not in this day and age.

they can ban sales, so there is no legal way to purchase the game. For example it is impossible to buy Hotline Miami 2 in Australia (the Developers told to just pirate it)

[Dabombinable]

Just now, overlord360 said:

they can ban sales, so there is no legal way to purchase the game. For example it is impossible to buy Hotline Miami 2 in Australia (the Developers told to just pirate it)

Just look at how people were paying for a US Netflix subscription in Australia...

[overlord360]

4 minutes ago, Dabombinable said:

Just look at how people were paying for a US Netflix subscription in Australia...

Oh I'm sure "life finds a way" It's just a legal gray area at the best of times and outright illegal at the worst

[Anult]

I'd like to point out that DayZ is being banned for something that was referenced in game files 2 years ago and it isn't even added to the game yet (and probably never will be):

 

 

[Salv8 (sam)]

2 hours ago, DrMacintosh said:

Just ban Australia. lmao

excuse me, what the fuck did you just say.

thats it i'm fucken releasing the dropbears and the steroid infused kangaroos to destroy you while fucken rocking out to this:

 

[DuckDodgers]

2 hours ago, overlord360 said:

While personally I don't play DayZ, I am fearful as to what precedent this will set for future games, such as Cyberpunk 2077 which showed inhalers being used as drugs in the hour long gameplay video last year.

This case is not a new precedent. Many other games were marked with RC in Australia, like L4D2 a decade ago was stuck in the same limbo for long time.

[overlord360]

1 minute ago, DuckDodgers said:

This case is not a new precedent. Many other games were marked with RC in Australia, like L4D2 a decade ago was stuck in the same limbo for long time.

That was before the R18+ rating was rolled out for video games. With the 'new' rating added in 2013 violence / gore tends to not get a game banned. Now it's only drugs and sexual violence (in most cases) that will cause a game to receive the "Refused Classification" rating and subsequently be banned.

[mr moose]

2 hours ago, leadeater said:

And losing Rugby games to NZ, that's another good thing . Oh and America's Cup boat design   

We play today, if they allow under arm shots a goal I dare say we have it in the bag. 

[mr moose]

45 minutes ago, Pintend said:

I'd like to point out that DayZ is being banned for something that was referenced in game files 2 years ago and it isn't even added to the game yet (and probably never will be):

 

 

Interesting, because the board can only review content submitted to them, which means the game developer (who every is applying for classification) must have submitted the drug use as part of the content. 

 

[RejZoR]

4 hours ago, givingtnt said:

What is this ?
2014 ?
(or is it 2004)

Fucking 1600's... Witch hunts and all that shit. Games are literal witchcraft!

[williamcll]

Guess you could play arma 3 then. 

[D13H4RD]

7 hours ago, Dan Castellaneta said:

I still stand by my statement that the only good thing Australia has made in the last 10 years was the Ford Falcon, the Holden Commodore and the Chevrolet SS.

And Mighty Car Mods + The Skid Factory 

[TechyBen]

24 minutes ago, D13H4RD said:

And Mighty Car Mods + The Skid Factory 

Linus just said he'd love to do a MCM and LTT crossover... like, the BEST Anime crossover of all time. I'm hoping for dance offs!

[LAwLz]

This is typical Australia.

They are very prude and a massive nanny state. 

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_banned_video_games_in_Australia

[leadeater]

Just now, LAwLz said:

This is typical Australia.

They are very prude and a massive nanny state. 

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_banned_video_games_in_Australia

I'd agree with the state being so but the majority of Aussies very much are not prudes, some of the most dirty and vulgar comedians on the planet. The difference between the people and the regulators is rather striking.