Hells' Reach Banned from Steam

Nollog

http://store.steampowered.com/app/43190
http://www.hells-reach.com

Just a quick update, unfortunately The Haunted Hells Reach has been banned In Australia and Ireland so therefore cannot be sold in in either of these countries. (There is always the option of getting a nice friend to gift you the game on steam or importing the retail version from the US.)

We recently mentioned about it being banned In Australia and Ireland on steam, which is still the case so to speak but for those of you who haven’t got any nice friends to gift you the game, there is now another option… gamersgate.

What is this?!
I'm outraged.

super_furry

Why on earth would a game be banned here?

Celly Smunt

Nanny state.

Simi

I just watched a gameplay video. It looks kinda stupid, but I don't see anything that could possibly lead to it being banned? Doesn't make any sense.

smk89

super_furry wrote: »

Why on earth would a game be banned here?

From the look of the trailer too many sideways rolls

AlmightyCushion

I've never heard of this game before but I'm actually considering buying it just to see why it was banned.

Gaunty

Just checked out a gameplay video of it. Can't see any reason why it has been banned...

funky penguin

Looks ****e tbh.

Varik

The Irish Film Classification Office barely ever bother to rate games at all and tend to leave it to PEGI, i didn't think that they ever review games until a problem was found (news saying game is terrible) so is it that this game is getting any attention from them.

Did anyone ever hear of this game before now.

Myrddin

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

I've never heard of this game before but I'm actually considering buying it just to see why it was banned.

The effect of banning.

Same here btw

MadYaker

Best marketing ploy ever? Everybody wants what they're not supposed to have.

K.O.Kiki

While their game looks utter pants, it's absolutely hilarious that they specifically ask gamers to break the law in order to purchase it.

humanji

Is it actually banned, or is this the only way they can get people to buy a sh*t game?

Myrddin

humanji wrote: »

Is it actually banned, or is this the only way they can get people to buy a sh*t game?

Would it not make more sense in that case to ban it everywhere, rather than just Ireland & Australia?

I looked at the gameplay, given the religious/hell connotations, its safe to say much worse has been done by the church in real life. I don't see what the problem is, rate it 18's & let it on. Banning it only draws attention to it

humanji

EnterNow wrote: »

Would it not make more sense in that case to ban it everywhere, rather than just Ireland & Australia?

I looked at the gameplay, given the religious/hell connotations, its safe to say much worse has been done by the church in real life. I don't see what the problem is, rate it 18's & let it on. Banning it only draws attention to it

Not really (because then they just couldn't sell it at all ), but Australia bans everything, so is to be expected and wouldn't make too much of a splash. Ireland on the other hand is well known enough for others to notice, but small enough for people not to be able to/not bother to check.

I might blast off an email to IFCO and see what they say.

Myrddin

humanji wrote: »

Not really (because then they just couldn't sell it at all ), but Australia bans everything, so is to be expected and wouldn't make too much of a splash. Ireland on the other hand is well known enough for others to notice, but small enough for people not to be able to/not bother to check.

I might blast off an email to IFCO and see what they say.

But its our censorship office that has banned it, not the game company themselves

Varik

EnterNow wrote: »

humanji wrote: »

Is it actually banned, or is this the only way they can get people to buy a sh*t game?

Would it not make more sense in that case to ban it everywhere, rather than just Ireland & Australia?

do you mean would it not make more sense to say it's banned everywhere, I'd think it would be down to believability.

this would be a ploy to increase sale everywhere rather then just where they day it's banned.


Sent off an email to check.

Only manhunt was banned and that did not last.

Myrddin

Varik wrote: »

do you mean would it not make more sense to say it's banned everywhere, I'd think out would be done to believability.

this would be a ploy to increase sale everywhere rather then just where they day it's banned.


Sent off an email to check.

Only manhunt was banned and that did not last.

Yeah I can't see something like that holding up, "they game they say is banned but actually isn't"

humanji

EnterNow wrote: »

But its our censorship office that has banned it, not the game company themselves

I'm saying that maybe they're just lying to make it controversial. It's not like it hasn't happened before, where companies have pretending their products are outrageous and shocking when they're incredibly tame. It just seems odd that something most of us have never heard of was banned for unspecified reasons.

Retr0gamer

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

While their game looks utter pants, it's absolutely hilarious that they specifically ask gamers to break the law in order to purchase it.

It's not really breaking the law. More breaking steams TOC's. It's not banned either, it's just been refused a rating meaning it can't be sold in ireland nothing wrong with owning a copy.

Varik

Retr0gamer wrote: »

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

While their game looks utter pants, it's absolutely hilarious that they specifically ask gamers to break the law in order to purchase it.

It's not really breaking the law. More breaking steams TOC's. It's not banned either, it's just been refused a rating meaning it can't be sold in ireland nothing wrong with owning a copy.

ireland goes by pegi, with the exception of 3 games they re-rated.

So unless our rating bodies did ban it (not deny it a rating) it still can be sold(because they're lying).

gizmo

Varik wrote: »

The Irish Film Classification Office barely ever bother to rate games at all and tend to leave it to PEGI, i didn't think that they ever review games until a problem was found (news saying game is terrible) so is it that this game is getting any attention from them.

Did anyone ever hear of this game before now.

It won the Make Something Unreal contest last year and got picked up by Valusoft (THQs budget label) to be released at retail. To put it in context, if you ignore The Ball which was another entry in the competition last year, then the last entrant to get a commerical release was Damnation.

Cuddlesworth

I wonder is this a result of our Blasphemy law.

Grumpypants

Not surprised with Oz banning games they ban loads of games, but the only other game banned from Ireland that i can remember is manhunt 2 and remember hearing an interview with the guy who banned it and he just said it was because the violence had no context.

johnny_ultimate

Sort of looks like Shadow of the Damned with blander art design and a less self-aware sense of humour.

Retr0gamer

If the game really is banned in Ireland I hope this isn't the start of turning Ireland into the new Australia when it comes to ridiculous censorship.

Cuddlesworth

Retr0gamer wrote: »

If the game really is banned in Ireland I hope this isn't the start of turning Ireland into the new Australia when it comes to ridiculous censorship.

If a game is in violation of the Blasphemy law or any law then they don't really have any option but to ban it.

Retr0gamer

****ing Balsphemy law. I really don't see how a religious rule that was invented by the church can make it into Irish law in a supposedly free society. Not being able to criticise religion is what got countless children raped in this country.

What's next? Ban all JRPGs since they all seem to end in you killing God?

Anyway that's another discussion. Thought the IFCO would have more sense and ignore such a backward law.

johnny_ultimate

God is ****.

There. I said it. Bring it on, Government.

Retr0gamer

I'm going to join in.

The Catholic Church is full of pedophiles... oh wait, I can't be done for blasphemy because it's a fact.

I'd love to know why it got banned. Anyone know if IFCO are good at getting back with queries?

BlitzKrieg

nothing on the IFCO website...considering they need to provide documentation this sounds like a load of bollocks.

Might as well pop an email to see if they respond.