Why no console version for New Zealand? We have an R18 rating.

[Tel Prydain]

So, guys... what's going on? Unlike the Aussies, we have an R18 rating and have R18 games on the shelf along with all the other titles. Games that haven't been rated (and were blocked from Australia) haven't had any issues here, so what's the holdup?

[MrPropellerhead]

Exactly - would the powers that be please enlighten us!

[Gennadios]

... Sheep don't have much disposable income...

Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

[IMaKitch]

I say we get this known, I went out bought a PSN card happily to get the season pass only to find out when I got home it wasn't on the store. Then I see I can't put the money onto my UK account to try downloading from there, surely if we have our R18 rating it entitles us to get releases, how hard can it be for them to release it in NZ and not Australia, it'd be just like the other releases. I say get as many friends as you can to comment on this friend and make it popular it's the only way we will be noticed and if so many people want it maybe we can get it over to our store, but to fill your craving for now or to buy it make a UK PSN account and use a debit/credit card for that store to purchase or download the demo from there as I am as I don't have a debit card.

[Bambam]

Same here - I was looking forward to the Xbox version but apparently there was nothing to look forward to. I can understand just a tiny bit with physical releases, but with online distribution why does NZ miss out just because Australia doesn't have R18? It makes no sense.

[Casamyr]

Originally Posted by IMaKitch

I say we get this known, I went out bought a PSN card happily to get the season pass only to find out when I got home it wasn't on the store. Then I see I can't put the money onto my UK account to try downloading from there, surely if we have our R18 rating it entitles us to get releases, how hard can it be for them to release it in NZ and not Australia, it'd be just like the other releases. I say get as many friends as you can to comment on this friend and make it popular it's the only way we will be noticed and if so many people want it maybe we can get it over to our store, but to fill your craving for now or to buy it make a UK PSN account and use a debit/credit card for that store to purchase or download the demo from there as I am as I don't have a debit card.

Chances are the best you'll be able to do will be to download the demo/trial since using a debit/credit card won't work since they are tied to the physical postal address. Of course, if you have a mate, they could buy you a psn cars for your country of choice and load it onto this UK/us account.

[mr00droidman]

dear TT,
you have said that the game is not releasing on consoles here in AU and NZ because of classication laws, but what i don't understand is how come you have not registered the game for a classification review yet and there is no evidence on the website about the classification. so even though your worried the game may be classified, why don't you just register for the classification so that you can see for yourself if the game is banned and if it does you can re apply for the classification when the R18 bill comes into effect. the only other option is to wait until next year when the r18 bill comes into effect, but not many people could wait that long.
could you please rethink about this issue because lots of people here in Australia and New Zealand are being affected and NZ should have the game.
i will wait for your reply
thanks, mr00droidman

[Laserschwert]

I assume registering for classification costs money...

[mr00droidman]

yea but they are blaming the classification laws when they have not even registered the game for a rating yet so how do they know it will be banned??

[serializer]

I'm sorry, it's not TTG's fault that some countries have prohibitively strict censorship laws.

I don't know anything about the financial cost of the classification process; but it will certainly cost time in man hours, and having seen some parts of this game I am 100% certain it would fail the process in Australia on the basis of previous cases. It would be a waste of time and money trying (when that time is better spent on making the remaining episodes even better!)

I'm not so sure about NZ but the situation can be brought to TellTale's attention in a better way than being frankly rude to them.

[ff_manic]

serializer cool that as per usual there's someone with a counter argument haha, look man I'm entitled to vent even if it may not be the best way to do it. Another countries Law is affecting the content we get which isn't on at all.

There is no reason why we should miss out I don't think they should miss out either, I'm guessing you're not affected by this if your not your reply will mean nothing at all if it is true then you commenting in this thread says a lot .

[serializer]

Just saying, people are more likely to listen if you're polite and reasonable in your arguments.

No it doesn't affect me, but dismissing someone's opinion as irrelevant based purely upon their geographical location is as bad as, well, restricting a game from one country based on a different country's censorship laws Living in the UK there are countless times when I've been in a situation of having to wait up to a year for e.g. a TV series to get broadcast here, so I know how it can be. Yeah, I'd be pretty gutted too if I couldn't get TWD. But frankly this sense of entitlement that is rife within the gaming public is getting somewhat sickening. I don't really care when it's targetted at a big, bloated studio - but TTG are a small and independent outfit who do actually care and listen to their fans.

Anyway, as far as I've been able to tell you can still get it online for Mac/PC so it's not like you can't find a way to play it if you're that determined...

[Badge]

All information regarding this is CLEARLY explained via n.z classification website... ANY research (at all) would have yielded this information:
http://www.censorship.govt.nz/indust...try-games.html
From a supposed backwards country no less. Classic.
Cost is around $1,400. Far too much to warrant initiating a foreign fan base? Pfft.
Amazing how little yanks know bout Australasia.

[cormoran]

It's not a rating issue, i'm in Australia and have quite happily played The Walking Dead through twice, having it available to me on telltale and STEAM (where, if it was RCed, it absolutely wouldn't be available)

[Badge]

its a middle finger

[_BrYan_]

Hey guys - I happen to be the producer on The Walking Dead that handles game ratings/classifications. I was checking out the forums, saw this post, and just wanted to take a moment to respond to this valid concern from you.

First of all: I don't feel like anybody is being rude. I understand your excitement to play a game so many others are talking about. I'm sorry you can't get it on console at the moment.

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 (See: Mortal Kombat), but the cost of the rating must be weighed against the potential for sales in that reigon. 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!

At any rate, I hope this sheds some light on the issue. Again, I'm sorry that we couldn't get this game to your consoles at the same time as places elsewhere, but I just wanted to point out some reasons why and say without spoiling any potential future plans that you guys are on our radar!

[Tel Prydain]

This post is pointless... since _BrYan_ ninja posted.

[Tel Prydain]

Originally Posted by _BrYan_

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!

Hey, BrYan - thanks for explaining.
I guess my best hope is to hold out for some time in the future when Australia might allow them through.


Thanks again for the reply.

[MrPropellerhead]

Originally Posted by _BrYan_

*snip*

@_BrYan_
Thanks for the response - your explanation of the rationale behind the decision is at least understandable, if still unpalatable (and I would seriously question the assumption the game would not pass muster under Australian classification). To forestall further ill-feeling, I'd suggest the "powers that be" make these details more widely known to the gaming public, especially that percentage (albeit comparatively small) resident in NZ.

[Casamyr]

Originally Posted by _BrYan_

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!

At any rate, I hope this sheds some light on the issue. Again, I'm sorry that we couldn't get this game to your consoles at the same time as places elsewhere, but I just wanted to point out some reasons why and say without spoiling any potential future plans that you guys are on our radar!

While I understand this is a business decision to not release in NZ, due to our market being too small and that we are basically at the mercy of the Aus classification board here, this is still very unpalatable and would have been nicer to know prior to the release of the game, rather than the day of. Had i known, that TWD was not going to gain release in NZ, I wouldn't have been so hyped for it and probably wouldn't have followed it as closely as I did hungering to play this game.

If we are such a small market, businesswise, I can't see how we could be on the radar unless there are plans to release TWD here (and AUS) come 2013 and the change to the r rating classification to the video game industry there. Can't come soon enough in my opinion.