Due to the physical version of the game being banned Down Under, the developers have elected to globally patch the game to pass Australian regulations.
Last week we reported that DayZ was kind of Schrödinger’s Video Game in Austrailia, due to the physical version being banned from sale but no such laws applying to the digital copy of the game; Hence, it both exists and doesn’t exist in Oz. It now appears that developer Bohemia Interactive have taken this ban far more seriously than I think most were expecting, choosing to patch every version of the game to comply with the notoriously strict rules of the Australian Classification Board.
While no specifics were given as to why the physical release of DayZ was being banned in Australia, many put it down to the use of drugs as healing items, most notably morphine and cannabis as the ACB stated, “illicit or prescribed drug use related to incentives” as the primary reason for the ban. It was later revealed that the ACB would be working to pull the game from digital storefronts in Australia.
I would like to point out that cannabis has yet to be added to the game and has only been planned for future content updates. However, evidence of its planned inclusion was found in the game’s files.
Following this decision, Bohemia Interactive released a statement regarding the ban, saying: “At the moment, we are editing the global version of DayZ so it will fit into the Board’s requirements. The key objective is to keep the gameplay as authentic as it was, so players are not affected by this change”.
The other solution for Bohemia would be to lock Australian players out of the game, which they stated to not be a favourable option as many Australian players enjoy the game across regions. How the game will be changed is yet to be seen; The drugs in question could receive some name changes to get them past or the board or be cut from the game entirely.
Last Updated: August 14, 2019
Original Heretic
August 14, 2019 at 14:38
So morphine isn’t a pain killer in Australia? And cannabis has no medicinal purposes?
HvR
August 14, 2019 at 14:45
All the fun things are banned in Australia, why do you think they box kangaroos and play Aussie rule football over the weekend?
Original Heretic
August 14, 2019 at 15:24
But Australian kissed are just the best.
HvR
August 14, 2019 at 14:45
All the fun things are banned in Australia, why do you think they box kangaroos and play Aussie rule football over the weekend?
Kromas
August 14, 2019 at 14:45
Both are classified as addictive Narcotics across the world. However alcohol is also classified as one so ….. meh. As a side note morphine is the purest form of Heroine and is actually used to make the stuff.
HvR
August 14, 2019 at 14:45
Aussies regularly placing bans on various forms of alcohol, ie like sletsappies.
Kromas
August 14, 2019 at 14:45
Not in games though.
Original Heretic
August 14, 2019 at 15:24
But it is also used as a very effective pain killer. Yes, very controlled doses.
Kromas
August 14, 2019 at 15:24
Only because their is no alternative just yet. People are desperately trying to find one though as morphine requires very little effort to cause addiction and is a major contribute to the current opioid crisis in America.