Valve Appeals Left 4 Dead 2 Ban in Australia

Valve Software has appealed Australia's decision to ban Left 4 Dead 2 in that territory.

Yesterday Valve Software sent along a small announcement that it has formally appealed the OFLC's Australian ruling that has virtually banned the sale and distribution of Left 4 Dead 2 in that territory. Currently the game has scored ratings in all other foreign countries including Europe, Japan, Germany (gasp!), and even Korea. However, New Zealand and the United Kingdom are still marked as "in progress."

Last week the Australian Classifications Board refused to classify Valve's upcoming zombie shooter sequel, banning the game based on its "realistic, frenetic, and unrelenting violence," a feature many FPS games of late actually share. The game's high-impact violence was thus deemed unsuitable for gamers less than 18 years of age, and since there are no Adult Only ratings in Australia, the game thus remains in limbo.

"We were surprised to hear of this news yesterday," Valve's Doug Lombardi said last week. "Obviously, everyone at Valve is pretty bummed. It would be a shame if folks in Australia, or anywhere else, are unable to purchase Left 4 Dead 2 because of a ratings issue."

But there might be hope for L4D2. Apparently, there are some members on the OFLC who believes that the game could still classify under the MA 15+ rating, but with an added caption that advises consumers against strong violence as seen with the first Left 4 Dead installment. Valve said it would keep us informed on the issue.