Update on Australian and New Zealand pre-orders [EDIT: September 7, 2020]

[DaJay42]

I think I remember hearing something along the lines of the Australian video game rating system is screwy due to not having an equivalent to PEGI-18 because the government couldn't conceive of the idea that adults would play games. Is/was that accurate?

 

[Dracupuncture]

Australian game ratings have been a joke for years (Took us until 2013 to get R18).

They kick up a stink over anything portraying drug use (Morphine got renamed to MedX because of us) so if there's any flavour events of that nature it might be a sticking point.

They also are far harder on games because "it's an interactive medium and you are given the choice to do X" as opposed to just witnessing it happen

Blasted useless regressive happy clappers. I hope Paradox don't cave to them much.


I am curious to know what will happen to those of us who have preordered if this is not resolved before launch. I really don't want to have to pirate a game I've already bought.

seriously though, like not to get too political or anything but I feel that the people who regulate the games should be people who actually play them. you wouldn't have a body of non-medical professionals regulating the ways doctors practice because they haven't the context to understand the implications of laws the put in place.
shit like this annoys me - its illogical.

 

[grommile]

What odd is Aussies can swear on TV, but for some reason, game ratings cause much less fuss in America. (For some reason, American censors are fine with sex and violence in games, no questions asked, but using the wrong word to refer to excrement is an instant ban on most networks...)

The terrestrial free-to-air television broadcasters avoid "racy" content because the FCC will jump down their throats if it goes out before 10pm local time.

Subscription and pay per view services are exempt from these regulations, as are services whose programming is transmitted by means other than terrestrial radio-frequency broadcasting.

 

[Karlington]

"sleeping with his sister!? DISGUSTING!!"

"It's alright, sir, they're from Tasmania."
"Oh, carry on, then!"

 

[Maxamaicus]

Oh god please no.
I'm so sorry about our insane pearl clutching ratings board, I really hope paradox doesn't have to change anything for the Austrailan and NZ release because of it.
I've already preordered the royal edition and would hate if the product received was reduced in some way...

 

[Alenarae118]

Oh god please no.
I'm so sorry about our insane pearl clutching ratings board, I really hope paradox doesn't have to change anything for the Austrailan and NZ release because of it.
I've already preordered the royal edition and would hate if the product received was reduced in some way...

Agree, I really hope their isn't removal or changes for any content, I would be so p*#*#d off at the Aussie Government if the game is not the full proper version.

 

[Werther]

God! I moved to Japan last year but my Steam account is still in Australia. Do I have to change my country location? Do my pre-order will still be available?

 

[kremit72]

Unfortunatley some Karen probably saw the stream. it is unfortunate. i was keen to actually pre-order a game for the first time in like 5 years.

 

[Lord Canterbury]

seriously though, like not to get too political or anything but I feel that the people who regulate the games should be people who actually play them. you wouldn't have a body of non-medical professionals regulating the ways doctors practice because they haven't the context to understand the implications of laws the put in place.
shit like this annoys me - its illogical.

Though there are similarly silly example in medical regulation.
Most obviously, the particularly harmful drugs alcohol and tobacco are legally available. The slightly less harmful marijuana is not legally available. Nor are the largely benign mushrooms. You can thank political pressure by non-experts for that. Yay democracy.

 

[fish4198]

This isn't the first time a release in NZ has been stymied by Australian pearl-clutchers. If a game like Hatred, a game specifically about mass-murdering innocent people can be sold here, surely a medieval lord simulator can too.

 

[Bobcat71]

Can we still buy direct from the Paradox store or will Steam refuse to redeem the purchase?

 

[HottestRod]

Can we still buy direct from the Paradox store or will Steam refuse to redeem the purchase?

For the time being you will not be able to buy directly from the Paradox Store if you reside in Australia or New Zealand. We are still investigating the situation and we will keep you up to date as soon as we have an update.

 

[Alenarae118]

For the time being you will not be able to buy directly from the Paradox Store if you reside in Australia or New Zealand. We are still investigating the situation and we will keep you up to date as soon as we have an update.

Will this end up being something that will affect the release version of the game we will get, I am starting to get quite anxious about the release for us Aussies due to this.

As I pre-ordered the game based on what I saw and don't want the game to be censored in anyway.

 

[Lexrizi]

Will this end up being something that will affect the release version of the game we will get, I am starting to get quite anxious about the release for us Aussies due to this.

As I pre-ordered the game based on what I saw and don't want the game to be censored in anyway.

I'm getting anxious to. I already had preordered the game but most of my friends haven't.

Is this more of the game might be rated m or ma or the game might be censored or refused classification? What is the problem the classification board has with ck3? Any estimate on when we will know the outcome?

 

[Eelectrica]

Can we take our idiot censors for a walk through a forest.

 

[GeneralPetrov]

If this is the Aussie government acting like idiots, why does it affect New Zealand too? Can you not sell separately in New Zealand?

 

[Azugal]

Goddammit. Just finally watched the CKIII streams on Twitch, and was looking forward to pre-ordering it. Stupid %$#@ing government!

 

[LordofLight]

I wonder if a VPN will aid folk in buying the game proper should this not be resolved or resolved unsatisfactory.

 

[Lord Canterbury]

If this is the Aussie government acting like idiots, why does it affect New Zealand too? Can you not sell separately in New Zealand?

This is what I don't get. NZ and Australia are set up separately on Steam, NZ's censorship laws are fairly benign, and I'm pretty sure Paradox has a good enough grasp of geography to realise they are different countries.
I guess the silver lining is that it gives us another Bad Thing to blame on Australia. One can never have enough of those

 

[HottestRod]

The situation in New Zealand has now been resolved. Preorders will resume as usual. We will keep our Australian community updated with development as soon as possible.