Our brother from another server, Mark over at Kotaku, has been all over the recent Mortal Kombat debacle like gratuitous blood splatter in a fatality. And today, he’s at it again, informing us that Home Affairs Minister Brendan O’Connor has thrown down the gauntlet to the Attorneys General should they fail to come to an agreement at the July SCAG meeting.
Talking to the ABC, O’Connor put the situation in no uncertain terms:
“We’re becoming the laughing stock of the developed world, where we’re the only country that doesn’t have an R18 classification level for video games.
“I foreshadow that if there is not a consensus around this issue, the Commonwealth will certainly be considering other options because we cannot continue to have an outdated classification system that’s actually, in my view, causing harm to young people.”
As Mark points out, this certainly points towards a positive result from the July SCAG meeting. Because if they fail, it seems like O’Connor could look to take the responsibility out of their hands. While we’re certain that the issue will continue to rear its ugly head over the next few months, hopefully it will go away forever come the new financial year.
Mixa
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at 12:58 PMI was under the impression nothing could be resolved at the july meeting any how due the absence of the NSW AG because of elections…
Steve
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at 2:41 PMThis should be a legitiamte goal to bring in the R18+ classification. The rhetoric by the christian lobby isn’t helping resolve the issue by throwing their moral views on it. They need to keep their fingers out of this debate and let the government bring us in line with the rest of the world
Mik
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at 2:48 PMNSW elections prevent a NSW AG appearance in March. July is to be the next ‘fully attended’ SCAG meeting.
Allegedley.
Dylan
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at 1:04 PMIt may have taken awhile, but its about time that its come to this stage.
hopefully we
Simon Reidy
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at 1:48 PMGood to see the Labor party are being pro-active on this issue. The Liberal party are in bed with the ACL so you won’t see them support it.
I know it comes down to the attorney general’s decision, but it definitely helps having Brendan O’Connor delivering such a strong message of support.
Evan Gorman
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at 1:49 PMWhat really pisses me off is that apparently AU Customs are on the look out for imported copies of Mortal Kombat to confiscate at the border.
A video game, that was purchsed with a credit card, which can only be owned by someone who is over 18 anyways. Pathetic.
They are actually confiscating fantasy cartoons from adults. This puts us in the same league of censorship as Saudi Arabia, Libya and China.
I already spent nearly $200 pre-ordering this game before a decision was made. Now I stand to lose said monies because I (as a 29 year old professional with a degree)am apparently prone to commiting acts of violence and rape if I play this video game.
Sorry for my rant, but words fail me when trying to express my utter disgust in this archaic and draconian system.
Corteks
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at 2:24 PMYeah it’s pretty stupid.
Not to mention it means the government is actively and directly encouraging piracy, which is extremely disgusting. I understand that is not the government’s intention, but intent doesn’t matter in the slightest here. They’ve closed the doors to legal purchasing, and the only possible outcome for people who wanna play this game is piracy.
They know people are going to do it (or if they don’t they are so shortsighted it’s downright frightening to think they have any control over our control and people) so they are responsible. So in a very real sense they are encouraging piracy, supporting it. They are DIRECTLY and ACTIVELY sticking their middle finger up to the developers and telling them they don’t deserve money for their product, and that people should copy it for free.
If the game truly deserved an RC rating this might be different, but as they have been so lazy and incompetent in regards to bringing in the required R18+ rating (where this game would definitely fit, there is not the slightest doubt it would be given’ this rating) for this game it is DIRECTLY the government’s fault that these game developers are going to have their precious work taken for free. At least with the ability to import people could hand over their cash as it is deserved. But no, the government prefers to actively promote piracy.
Disgusting, absolutely disgusting.
Virus__
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at 4:12 PMThere are other ways other than a credit card to pay for internet purchases =P
Play-Asia take debit cards activated with Visa or Mastercard, and you don’t need to be over 18 for that.
Anyway, why is this receiving such crap from the gov’t when L4D2 didn’t get any a lot imported that/.
Brett
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at 4:03 PMThe average age of console gamers is not 13 or 14. It’s probably a lot closer to 23 or 24.
Factor in that these games cost $100+, what 13 or 14 or 15 has that money. They clearly aren’t the ones buying games like Mortal Kombat. And places like EB Games don’t have the game sitting on the shelf ready to be stolen. It isn’t hard to card someone for 18+ ID if a game were to require it.
joshd
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at 8:25 PMr18 rating missing from our country is ridiculous
but theres always ebay
i had stephen conroy and his filter more than this so im fairly relaxed
joshd
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at 8:26 PMr18 rating missing from our country is ridiculous
but theres always ebay
i hate stephen conroy and his filter more than this so im fairly relaxed