In response to Australia’s refusal of classification for Valve’s first-person zombie shooter, Left 4 Dead 2, EA has made the following statement;

“It's funny that a place like Australia, which has come up with some pretty violent material in the past with something like Mad Max, can effectively ban videogames for the same reason… EA believes that adults should have the right to make their own choices when it comes to the content they consume."

Australia is notorious for its strict game standards, and has likely banned more games than any other country with a significant gaming population.  Left 4 Dead 2 was refused classification because of its "realistic, frenetic and unrelenting violence."  Apparently, shooting zombies is “realistic” in Australia.

This issue brings up lots of questions about Australia’s ratings board, but, more importantly, it brings up the argument over Adult-Only rated games.  Home video games are approaching their fifth decade in existence, and yet still, they are treated as a bastard child.  Despite the geometric advancements that gaming has seen over the years, in both quality of content and sophistication of presentation and storytelling, the world at large looks at them as disposable, inconsequential entertainment fit for children and simpletons.  Also, for some reason, much of the world fears that violence and, to a much greater degree, sex in video games signifies the end of civilization as we know it, but rarely bats an eye at R-rated movies, adult books, or even television. 

I’ll likely never understand why, if a game contains mature content, (much like almost every movie rated above PG since 1980), it can’t be sold.  I always assumed that people would eventually come around, and see that games are every bit as legitimate as any other medium.  Nowadays, though, I’m starting to wonder.