Big news for games fans yesterday – The Minister for Home Affairs Brendan O’ Connor officially announced on Sunday morning that the Julia Gillard Labor government officially supports an R18+ rating for video games in Australia. Now we just need the AGs to play ball.
According to O’Connor: ““We want to provide better guidance for parents and remove unsuitable material from children and teenagers. The introduction of an R18+ classification will help achieve that.”
Finally. But while this is great news for all the adult gamers who have been fighting for games to be classified in the same way as all other forms of entertainment in Australia, it’s not a win. Not yet. The Attorneys General have their next SCAG meeting on Friday, and the issue of games classification is on the agenda. If all goes to plan, they’ll all join forces to bring responsible classification laws to video games. Having the government vocally come out in support of the move is a good start though…
[Kotaku]
Peter Simpson
Monday, December 6, 2010 at 10:09 AM12 or so of the Lib-Nats in WA are trying to have their way with the AG in our state using the same backwards logic every other opponent has. Let’s hope they’re neatly put back in their place.
DW
Monday, December 6, 2010 at 1:14 PMWell at least SA now has a more moderate AG compared to Atkinson, who could only really be classified as a narrow-minded twat.
Womp
Monday, December 6, 2010 at 2:16 PMFrom what I have read the new R18 for games will simply be the current MA just renamed, and a new even more restrictive MA Classification will be created, NO GAMES UNBANNED. So, exactly the same level of Censorship, just with a different name.
It is like the parents of an 18 year old changing his “7PM Bedtime” to “19 Hundred Hours Lights Out”, if anything it is even more of an insult because they not only still think you are a child, but such a simple child that a name change will easily placate you.
matt
Monday, December 6, 2010 at 3:37 PMthis is true.
however it IS also true that the current MA15+ rating IS to hardcore for 15 yearolds. as he mentions, for every game that gets banned in aus, half a dozen get into the MA15+ rating that are rated 17, 18, or even 21+ in other countries, including the US, and UK.
so I can understand them approaching the debate from this angle, it is much more likely to get support.
but if I recall correctly, what he actually said is that they wouldn’t be in any rush to retroactively review and unban previously banned games, and would instead first focus on retroactively reviewing and upgrading current and previous MA games to a new R rating.
however, the ratings board has long been in support of an R rating, and have mentioned quite a few times when ever they have banned a game, that if an R rating had been available, it would have got through.
Womp
Monday, December 6, 2010 at 8:07 PMI don’t believe that he said he wasn’t in a hurry to carry out reviews, I think he said there wouldn’t be much point to reviews because he intended to set the criteria for a game to be Classified R18 such that those games currently RC would remain so, as you would expect when the new R18 Classification is simply the current MA15 renamed.
klaw
Monday, December 6, 2010 at 5:33 PM@Womp: That’s pretty much what most people wanted. Our current system was allowing kids to get their hands on stuff that is only suitable for adults.
On the other hand, the Classification Board might be willing to let a few more games into the country if they can be a little more sure they’re not going to be played by kids.
This is a win for common sense any way you look at it.
Womp
Monday, December 6, 2010 at 8:15 PMThe Classification Board can’t, or shouldn’t, “let” anyone do anything, they should simply Classify in accordance with the Law. And, if the Law turns out to be that the new R18 for games is simply the old MA15 renamed then games will continue to be banned. The question is do people just want a new Classification or do they want an end to the silly bans?
pan.sapeins
Monday, December 6, 2010 at 7:13 PMWho cares about unbanning OLD games? You’ll be able to buy NEW games which are rightly classified R18+ from Australian shops (provided you are over 18 of course). Anyway most people old enough to own a credit card (to buy stuff online) have already played any banned games they wanted to -it’s just that not being able to buy stuff in shops was a hassle.
Womp
Monday, December 6, 2010 at 8:23 PMAnd how exactly are you going to get new games if they have to pass the same old standards that banned the old games? The Government is offering the same censorship just with a different name.
Greg
Wednesday, December 8, 2010 at 11:28 AMhey womp
baby steps bro baby steps
a little progress is better than the stagnation we have suffered thus far