Group Claiming Games Are Worse Than Smoking Gets Funding From Atkinson 
All This Censorship Has Happened Before, And It Will All Happen Again Who Wants Freedom? If You're South Australian, You Can Forget About It... 
Fight Censorship By Sharing This Flash Game 
That R18+ Discussion Paper Has Finally Been Released Kotaku Discovers Why We Don't Have An R18+ Rating For Games Yesterday afternoon, the federal government finally got around to releasing their long-coming discussion paper on the merits of introducing an adult classification for videogames. They’re also asking for public consultation, so if you have a logical, coherent and informed argument to support an R18+ rating, you should download the discussion paper and submit your thoughts before next February.
The guys over at Gamespot have put together a handy video for game developers wanting to get their game rated for Australia. Although if Miranda Kerr or John Farnham ever make their way into a videogame, I think I might jump ship and start supporting Atkinson’s stance on things.*
It’s all well and good for us consumers to bitch about the lack of an R18+ rating in video games, but it’s another thing altogether when politicians start doing it for us. The Hon Kate Jones MP has sponsored a government petition up in Queensland to bring change to the current classifications scheme.
You know what this Monday needs? More anger. More outrage. Fortunately, there’s a nice long letter from Michael Atkinson over on Kotaku (or at least linked to from Kotaku) that spells out his position on the issue of an R18+ rating, which should provide plenty of ammunition for your resentment.
David over at Kotaku has a nice little story about Gamers 4 Croydon, a hopeful political party hoping to dethrone South Australian Attorney-General at the next election.
After plenty of online commentary, bickering, arguments and maybe the odd fistfight, the battle for an R18+ rating for games may have taken a step towards existence today after the AGs from around the country failed to reach a unanimous decision regarding the R18+ discussion paper. According to Gamespot AU, instead of being caught up in a tangle of disagreement, the Commonwealth Minister for Home Affairs, Bob Debus, has taken it upon his department to release the discussion paper to the public.
Australia’s video game classification system doesn’t work, according to Michael Atkinson, the South Australian Attorney-General and chief opponent of the introduction of an R18+ category. In a letter to Kotaku today, the minister claimed he “doesn’t trust” the Classification Board to do their job properly and claims that the current MA15+ category is being stretched to the limit to accommodate the games industry’s publishers.
We’re all familiar with the stubborn refusal of SA Attorney General Michael Atkinson to rationally debate the merits of an R18+ rating for video games, but it appears he’s quickly descending into Ewe Boll territory to argue with his critics. In response to a letter from Kotaku AU reader Terry, a 57 year old grandfather gamer, Atkinson responded to Kotaku and challenged their readers to go up against him at the next election.
