R18+ games still not over the line in Oz
Feds sign off but States could set bar low, forcing more games into adults-only territory
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Australia's national Parliament has passed laws creating a new R18+ rating for computer games, but just what will earn that rating is now up to the nation's nine States and Territories, all of which must pass their own legislation before gamers can enjoy currently-banned fare.
There's not much on the banned list, with just three titles deemed too nasty for local release in the last year.
Australia is, however, all-but alone among developed nations in not having an official rating for games deemed suitable only for purchase and play by those who have attained their legal majority.
Ron Curry, CEO of the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association (IGEA), welcomed the new federal law but says adoption by the States and Territories is far from certain, even though the national law was drafted with input from all Australian jurisdictions. “No-one has said anything to the contrary but some States are not pushing ahead as quickly as others,” he told The Register.
Curry fears two scenarios, one of which is rejection of the classification by some States and Territories. That possibility is very real, as in New South Wales the government has recently made concessions to the Christian Democratic Party's platform to win votes it needed to pass its own policies. The Christian Democratic Party is opposed to an R18+ classification. If one State or Territory did not enact its own law, games would therefore be legal to sell in some Australian cities but not in others, a situation Curry feels would be massively inconvenient to the games industry, and frustrating for gamers.
The second scenario would see the States and Territories agree to laws implementing an R18+ classification, but lower the bar so that more games win the adults-only rating.
“You could get an R18+ classification that could look like an MA15+,” Curry worried.
IEGA will therefore lobby hard in the three States – West Australia, Queensland and New South Wales – that it thinks have the greatest potential to cause problems.
Curry hopes those talks succeed and that “we can put this issue to bed, because that will leave us to talk about other more important stuff and not an issue that in this day and age should be irrelevant.” ®
COMMENTS
Censorship of games, I think that at 40 years old, I am old enough to make up my own mind rather than have the State tell me what and what is not good for me.
If I want butter I will eat it, or will they ban that too because it is not good for me?
religious opposition
What a surprise, the Christian Democratic Party (oxymoron) are opposed to an R rating.
If they're hoping to limit the choice of ALL Australians to purchase a product and make up their own mind, then perhaps the Christian Democratic Party should do us all a favour and remove the word "democratic" from their party name.
Funny though isn't it how the title "Christian Party" doesn't quite have the same political ring/legitimacy to it when you remove the word democratic.
Can you imagine if there was a "Muslim Democratic Party" (yeah another oxymoron) trying to do the same thing, there would be an outcry and demand that religion/religious beliefs not ever interfere with politics.
I have absolutely no problem with religion provided the religion in question keeps their opinions and rules to themselves and don't try to enforce their opinions/views on others like me.
For all the Christian talk of good will/good meaning Christians are often the first to fail to see how un-Christian their actions often are and that there are other people in the world who hold different (no greater/no less valid) views.
If there is a separation of religion/government then I wonder how there can even be a religious party, let alone one that can have this sort of influence.
Apologies in advance if I have offended any Christians (and Muslims).
If you don't like violent video games then, by all means, don't buy or condone them amongst yourselves. At the same time though, please don't use the law in order to FORCE your beliefs/opinions on me, I believe women and the gay community are also asking for the same sort of thing (except of course the ones who want to turn your children into depraved sex fiends and bring about the downfall of society)
"Why exactly is Christian Democratic an oxymoron?"
Because Christianity is submitting to God's rule, whereas democracy is rule by Man.
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