PSN, Xbox Live versions of The Walking Dead not headed to Australia, NZ - Telltale

ah this is fking bullshit, why can I get it on steam but not on console, what a load of bull, there are way worse games than this in AUS or NZ

What the ****? I'm in NZ, and we have totally different ratings and no-where NEAR the uppityness of the Aussie policies regarding games.. we're chilled out as....

 

Did Telltale even TRY and release it in NZ?  Lazy.

This doesn't really make sense. There are plenty of games that have been banned or modified for release in aus but released here in NZ. How is telltale confused about the different rating law systems?

@famekiller Yeah that's me... my band is called Megaton Hammer. I call us "Suicide-drug rock" You can find us on facebook, myspace, youtube, etc. All existing recordings are from before I took over on vocals, though. Currently mixing our new EP. On topic... hopefully in a few decades all the people in power will be people that grew up with gaming just being another form of media and we can get past the double standards. Things that are perfectly acceptable in film (or even on TV) are still considered taboo for games, and it makes no sense. Of course we'll probably still have issues like Germany being sensitive about WWII-related games, but I'll be glad when the stigmas related to violence and nudity in games are a thing of the past. And that goes for my own country too.

My sympathy goes to you Australian gamers. I hope Anon attacks the government again, dont think it will do much but this censorship crap is way too much.

thinking of it .... Australians aren't stupid because they have substitude american or asian psn account...... and US psn card are not that hard to find in any online retailer

lol at aussiepet

@decepticondevil i totally agree with you mate. nothing us Australians can do until our nanny government changes the rating system. Oh, hang-on, there is one thing we can do. Import the banned game from the UK/US. That's what i do. They won't/can't stop us. idiots. Is that you headbanging in your avatar? what's your bands name?

@famekiller While you may have only had a couple games outright "banned", don't you quite frequently get toned-down versions of games too? I remember seeing comparisons for Left 4 Dead 2, and visually it was almost like a totally different game... no gibs, little to no blood, bodies instantly fading away upon being killed, etc. I guess if you never knew the difference it wouldn't be so bad, and the game still plays the same... but that would annoy the hell out of me. Not saying your country "sucks" (I've never been there, but I hope to one day... and it's not like the US is without fault with the whole AO thing) but it seems like it would be really frustrating being a gamer there. Especially if it's true that games are so much more expensive. Paying something like 40% more for a toned-down or truncated version of a game sounds like a bum deal. Hopefully when more people that grew up with gaming come into power, these silly restrictions will be lifted.

im on PC and i can buy it on STEAM. im in NZ

Oh ffs we here in NZ dont have the same censorship laws as they do in aus

@zaiwen i love how you send off a childish reply sounding like a spoiled little 5 year old and then delete your message so no one else can read it. You need to grow up man child. And your spelling is atrocious. You really should have stayed in school.

@Lozzica Response from an [alleged] employee regarding NZ distribution...

[QUOTE="_BrYan_"]... Typically, our games come to New Zealand because as long as a game is not restricted in Australia, we release in both countries for the cost of just 1 rating. It's been pointed out in this thread already that we pretty much have no chance at getting an Australian rating until early 2013 (when new certification laws come into effect). That said, there IS a way to bypass the Australian rating and attempt to get a game rated directly in New Zealand.., but the cost of the rating must be weighed against the potential for sales in that reigon [sic]. Start by considering the cost of the title. Mortal Kombat has a better chance to make money in New Zealand because it costs roughly 55 dollars MORE than Episode 1 of The Walking Dead. That means they can sell less copies of their game than us and still make money. Even if you opt for the season pass on PSN, Mortal Kombat is still more than twice the cost of The Walking Dead. That means we need to sell a VERY high volume of games in New Zealand to justify the cost (in both time and money) of a New Zealand only rating... So, to answer your question: It's a business decision, not a middle finger. Trust me, this is NOT an issue of us disliking our fans in New Zealand, or forgetting about them! Some people in this thread have suggested methoods for getting the game on console already, but my suggestion would be to get it on PC/mac![/QUOTE]

Kiwi's... Drop them a note here: http://www.telltalegames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29422

@XBLACKXVIPERX Check your facts - NZ has an R18 rating that has always allowed for the importation of those "mature" games that have been banned in other countries. Please take your ill-informed comments elsewhere.

Ohhhh I so feel for our brothers and sisters down under.

The US is great for games, but horrible about everything else. Stupid christians ruined everything with their fairy tales.

[This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

Wait a minute doesn't New Zealand have a R18+ rating? Plus the show "Walking Dead" passed Australian classification with a MA15+, so I don't see why the game wouldn't pass with a MA15+ rating. I think Telltale is just trying to cover their butts. They won't simply be honest and say "We have no plans to release this game in those territories." Because that would create a negative uproar amongst gamers. Instead they blame local censorship and use them as a scape goat to cover their own butts. Sorry Telltale but you just lost my respect.

oh well i would of bought this straight out on 360...but if they dont even want to try and get it approved in Aust then fuk em

Proud to be an american!

@pszone - That really didn't make any sense... also learn to spell. On topic this seems pretty flawed, from what I've seen the game is nowhere close to an R18+ rating. Luckily I have a decent gaming pc so I'm not too upset

They didn't even give it a shot. Sure, the game looks a bit gruesome, but I doubt that it'll get an R18+ here. We're not that sensitive. Oh well, I'll just have to grab it off Steam.

Censorship at it's finest.

I bought it in Australia on Steam. There is nothing in the game anywhere close to an R rating.

@zaiwen you are a little uneducated my friend. For starters its called Australia. The people living in Australia are referred to as Aussies. Also, Australia doesn't suck when it comes to releasing games. We have only had a couple of games banned over the years as we don't have a 18+ rating as yet. Every other game gets released here. As for the rest of the world having a free policy on games....go do some research before talking shiit. Plenty of countries ban games for whatever reasons. I'll even give you a start. Google Germany - Banned Games. While you're at it, check out The Middle East, North Korea, China..... want me to go on? Hey, even the USA and UK have banned games. Sorry to bust your little bubble

Been canclled in that country because blood and so . Thats stuiped there lot crime in that country and whats point canclleding this kind games. That country liveing fansty world like everything perfect lalalala land.

@zaiwen Not sure what country you are from, but care to compare your ecomony with Australia's. I promise that you that you would lose badly, not bad for a desert. lol. Ignorant fool.

Absolute BS!, it's even available uncut in Germany since it's comic-book-like violence against non-living things, what the hell Australian government??

@famekiller what made u so sure i've never been to aussie? yall breed by the seashore coz 90% of that place are nothin but dried up wasteland... why am i even botherin replyin to someone like u.. the fact remains aussie sux when it comes to releasing games over there... you're lucky the video game industry even bother sending games down there... but whatever, enjoy importing whereas the rest of the world can enjoy without restriction "banning" a game due to your dumazz rating system... bwahahaha

NNNNnnnnnoooooooooooooooo, this is BS. :(

Well I 'was' going to purchase these episodes for the 360 (in Australia) guess I'll just spend my money elsewhere. Shrug.

@Gelugon_baat As it's a downloadable title, I would have thought PSN and XBox Live would have had to meet the same criteria for assessment. Furthermore, Australia is also still able to access the PC/Mac versions. I've just looked at the last two Lists of Decisions by the OFLC (here in NZ), and there's no mention of The Walking Dead at all - my guess is Telltale haven't even bothered with the submission process, assuming (wrongly) that our classification system is aligned with that of Australia.

Okay Australia I can understand, but WHY THE F*** IS NEW ZEALAND BEING PACKED INTO THE DEAL?! This is like me not releasing a game in the US and Canada because Canada happens to be close by.

@ zaiwen Been watching too much Mad Max I think. Australia is far from a wasteland, we conserve a lot of the environment here, unlike America where corporate clowns choose profit over whats right for there people.

Is the game even rated R? Or did Telltale just not bother to try to release it here since they figured it would be declined? Telltale is a very U.S focused dev, so not suprising they couldnt bother

just import the game. screw our government. Who are they to tell adults what we can and can't buy. @zaiwen you obviously have never been to Australia then. barren wasteland my arse. it's a tropical island you fruitbat with a little(big) desert in the middle.

i cryed over this one

That's rubbish - New Zealand has a R18 rating for games. What the hell, guys?

sux to be down under... there's nothing there but a barren wasteland

Couldn't u still buy it online?

This is absolute BS - here in NZ we've always been able to purchase those games that have ever been restricted within Australia, precisely because we have the R18+ rating mentioned. Sounds like Telltale needs some geography/geopolitical lessons. What's even more perplexing, is why the restriction on console versions, when it's available via PC? EDIT: Just registered at the forum indicated in the article in an attempt to clarify the rationale behind Telltale's decision - I advise other Kiwis to do the same.

Why not just release it in New Zealand and NOT Australia? You know the country WITH the adult rating. Don't punish everyone in both countries because one of them doesn't have a high enough rating while the other one does. That's like not releasing a game in ALL of Europe cause Germany is strict with violence.