Their reasons for not giving a game an Australian release are detailed in their press release.

As part of our normal procedures in submitting any game for classification, it was determined internally at Rising Star Games that the game would not satisfy the criteria for an MA15+ rating in Australia and further that any changes to the game would not be possible. It was therefore decided, with regret, the game will not be released in Australia.

The ESRB lists the game as containing Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, and Suggestive Themes. Although the first paragraph of their rating summary tells everyone what can be seen in games released in Australia, the second paragraph of their rating summary paints a more disturbing picture.

Graphic depictions are presented during investigations of crime scenes, where players sometimes discover the victims: a woman is found tied to a tree with her abdomen sliced open—blood surrounds the open wound (hair partially obscures her breasts); another woman is strung up by wires in a shower, covered with blood, and strangled by an elaborate trap; and a “profile”-montage depicts still-frame images of a struggle between killer and victim amid sounds of crying and desperate pleas (e.g., “stop, please . . . I swear . . . I won’t tell anyone . . .”). A couple of cutscenes are intense as well, depicting suicides via gunshots to the head. The dialogue contains mild sexual innuendo (e.g., a woman at a gas station says, “Let me know if you want me to pump it”) and more direct commentary about sex: “She’ll scr*w anyone” and “Oh, I sleep with anyone I wish. Anyone I prefer to sleep with . . . I could sleep with you, if you’d like.”

If an R18+ rating already existed in Australia, then Deadly Premonition would have gotten a release here.

Although the Classification Board was not involved, it is the first time a game developer chose to boycott Australia due to the failure of our game classification system.

“The Greens support the introduction of an R18+ classification for video games in Australia. We believe that it is time to change the system. It is bizarre that Australia is one of the only countries in the Western world without an adult classification for games. We believe that a change to the classification system should occur in the next term in parliament.

“The Greens will continue to support a campaign for R18+ for games. We also believe that the games industry and gamers have done a really good job of highlighting the issue and putting it on political agenda. We’re going to play our part in parliament and the community to make sure people know about the issue. We plan to raise this issue during our upcoming federal election campaign and make sure it is part of the debate.”

You can use the article to determine who to vote for. It even has a section for you to contact your Federal member via e-mail.

Source: Kotaku

The Western Australian Union of Liberal Students, the peak body of all University Liberal Clubs in WA, moved a motion to support the creation of R18+ classification for games at the annual conference. The conference was attended by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, state and federal MP’s and Ministers, as well as industry leaders. Although the motion was defeated 74 votes to 67, we understand the debate was well received within party ranks and that the issue is gaining attention.

To this date, neither major party supports this much-needed change to the ratings system. And with an election campaign well under way, it is doubtful that this issue will even come back on the agenda for the next few months.

That decision was going to be made at the meeting that was to be held at the end of this month. Unfortunately due to the upcoming Federal Election, this meeting has now been postponed until November 4-5.

Source: Games.On.Net

Ironically, this is the same type of content that saw Left 4 Dead 2 get banned in Australia. Were an R18+ rating for games had been introduced years ago, the censors would make sure that the game was restricted to adults. DR2 is rated 18 in the UK and Europe, and will be released in September.

In their farewell note, David Doe highlights what his party achieved during the South Australian election this year.

““We put political pressure on and helped unseat an Attorney-General (who was oddly absent throughout the ALP’s 2010 campaign). We (along with others) helped raise public awareness of the classification debate by getting on mainstream radio and television and outlaying the facts as they are, rather than as they are perceived or often portrayed. And personally, I’d like to think that we brought something genuine to the political process and managed to engage a previously disengaged and largely overlooked segment of voters.”

Their de-registration as an official party is to follow later.

Although they didn’t win any seats, their actions partly contributed to the resignation of Michael Atkinson and made their voice heard in relation to the government’s R18+ discussion paper. They will be sadly missed, and we wish them good luck in the future

And despite the majority in favour, according to Games.On.Net, O’Connor has requested further analysis from the community and expert views before making a final decision on whether Australia receives an R18+ games rating. The Federal Attorney-General’s department has released a status report, available for download here. O’Connor helps this would ensure that community is kept well-informed of its progress.

The report provides statistical breakdowns as well as summaries of the positions taken by various lobby groups. Interestingly, only one religious group, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, spoke out in favour of the new rating.

The Australian Catholic Bishops (ACB) state that their preferred position is that R 18+ material would not be available in Australia. However, as material is currently available despite its illegality, it would be preferable to introduce an R18+ classification category for computer games so that access to such material, particularly by children, can be restricted.

Well, at least one religious group is using common sense!

Gibeau then goes on to explain the changes in the userbase, saying that the average age of gamers is 28, yet the rating system only goes up to MA15+. This “demonstrates a distance between those policies and the reality of the video game industry and the people that play interactive games in Australia today.” and the legislation “effectively censor[s] entertainment choices for adults.”

Read the full statement here. Note that you have to login or register with the site to be able to read it.

When the next SCAG meeting takes place in Melbourne on May 7, will this be enough to convince all attorney-generals to agree to the new rating?

“I have no preconceptions about this issue and intend to listen to the arguments. I can neither support nor wisely argue against a position if I am not aware of the relevant factors.

“It is worth noting that ultimately, the decision does not rest with me alone. Any change would require the support of each jurisdiction’s attorney-general.”

Although Rau’s decision doesn’t look promising when it comes to introducing an R18+ games rating, it is much better than Atkinson’s constant rejection of an overhaul of the classification system, as well as his refusal to thoroughly research the issue.