PlayStation Pulls Hotline Miami 2 from Sale in Australia
PlayStation has made the decision to remove Hotline Miami 2 from sale in Australia and has initiated refunds for PS5 owners who purchased the game. This move comes a decade after the game’s controversial release in the region, which sparked a memorable response from the designer Jonatan Söderström back in January 2015.
Background on the Hotline Miami 2 Controversy
The Australian Classification Board’s strict regulations led to the blocking of Hotline Miami 2 due to a scene depicting simulated sexual violence. In response, Söderström advised Australian fans to pirate the game, emphasizing the challenges faced in securing official release approval.
Recent Developments
Despite the initial hurdles, PlayStation successfully launched both Hotline Miami 1 and 2 on PS5 in Australia last October, with the latter even included in the PlayStation Plus Extra catalogue. However, Australian PS5 owners of Hotline Miami 2 are now facing unexpected refunds as the ACB, or another enforcing entity, has once again intervened to enforce the original ruling.
Refund Process and Communication
Affected PS5 owners received notifications stating:
“We have become aware that the product Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number has not received a proper rating from the Australian Classification Board and have therefore taken steps to refund customers who have purchased the game.
“We have issued a refund of the total purchase price for the product back to your original payment method. This may take 30-60 days to appear on your bank statement. If your original payment source is unavailable, we will refund the purchase amount to your PlayStation Network wallet.
“We apologize for any inconvenience caused.”
Impact on PlayStation Plus Subscribers
In addition to individual purchases, users who obtained Hotline Miami 2 through PlayStation Plus have also had their access revoked following these recent developments.
Comparison to Previous Incidents
A similar situation occurred in 2019 when a Hotline Miami 2 port for Nintendo Switch briefly appeared on the Australian Switch eShop but was promptly removed within 24 hours by the ACB.
Unanswered Questions and Publisher Response
The reason for the renewed action against the PS5 version of Hotline Miami 2 remains unclear, prompting enquiries to publisher Devolver for clarification on the sudden course of action.
FAQs
1. Why was Hotline Miami 2 removed from sale in Australia?
– Hotline Miami 2 was removed due to the lack of proper rating from the Australian Classification Board.
2. How are affected customers being compensated?
– Affected customers are receiving refunds for their purchases, either back to their original payment method or as credit in their PlayStation Network wallet.
Credit: www.eurogamer.net
