R18+ decision delayed… again

Friday, December 10th, 2010

According to GameSpot, Attorneys-General across Australia have failed to reach an unanimous decision on whether an R18+ rating is to be introduced, delaying the process until the next SCAG meeting in March 2011.

An hour after Laura Parker’s article, Kotaku had a phone conversation with Brendan O’Connor stated that everyone who attended the SCAG meeting agreed that the rating system needed to be changed. Interestingly, he was asked about the involvement of Western Australia’s Attorney-General, Christian Porter.

“Ah look, Christian has a really open mind about the subject, and he is genuinely worried about the way games are currently falling into childrens hands under MA15+.”

He is not alone when he says this. However, there are some reports that say that he wanted to consult his cabinet ministers before his decision can be made. He had plenty of time before the meeting to discuss this, so there was no reason for the delay. O’Connor went on to mention the new Victoria Attorney-General, Robert Clarke.

“We also had a new Victorian AG, and he’s only been an Attorney General for a few days, so we really need more time to get everything worked out.”

This statement is of concern. Around March, New South Wales will have an election; and if the Coalition win power and a new Attorney-General is appointed, then the decision can be delayed once again.

So we have to wait until March to see what happens. Until then, games such as Splatterhouse, Dead Rising 2, and Call of Duty: Black Ops will continue to be available to minors; and the Classification Board will have a much difficult job classifying games due to a line in the National Classification Code which reads “adults should read, hear and see what they like”.

Greens support R18+ Game Rating

Friday, August 13th, 2010

GameSpot’s “I Game and I Vote” article has a rundown of where the major political parties stand in regard to the R18+ issue. Although Labor and the Coalition is fence-sitting on the issue, The Greens have replied with:

“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

John Rau and the R18+ issue

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010

When Michael Atkinson stepped down from his position as South Australian attorney-general, his replacement, John Rau, previously told Gamers4Croydon of his support for R18+ games. However, he tells GameSpot that he intends to listen to both sides of the argument before making an official decision.

“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.

Only one A-G in favour of R18+ Rating; Others remain silent

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

In the previous post, we announced that the majority of submissions to the Discussion Paper were in favour of an R18+ rating for games. (The figure has since risen to over 16,000 thanks to EB Games.) The consultation ends on Sunday. Before the deadline comes and goes, GameSpot has asked for the opinion of each Attorney-General whether or not they support an R18+ game rating, with only one A-G standing up and saying that he supports the R18+ rating: The Australian Capital Territory’s Simon Corbell:

“The ACT Government supports the introduction of an R18+ classification for video games, similar to that of films and television. This position has been conveyed at meetings of commonwealth, state, and territory ministers on a number of occasions. There is general support in Australia for an R18+ classification, and the ACT would encourage anyone with an interest in this issue to have their say by making a submission to the discussion paper. I expect that the support that exists for film and television classifications translates into [support for] classifications for computer and video games. The ACT Government is supportive of introducing an R18+ rating for video and computer games and will take into account the views of consumers through the consultation process.”

The others, including Victoria’s Rob Hulls, remain tight-lipped about their stance, while the Northern Territory’s Delia Lawrie declined to comment.

This does not mean they will oppose the R18+ rating. The Discussion Paper is proof that they are willing to listen to the majority of people who want to see a change in video game classification; and with a majority of submissions in favour of the rating, there is a good chance that change might be on the way.

Valve loses appeal on uncensored L4D2

Friday, October 23rd, 2009

Coming in from GameSpot, it appears that the Classification Review Board has made a decision regarding the unedited Left 4 Dead 2.

And it’s not good.

Any hope that the Review Board might take a more balanced approach, as with the reclassification of F.E.A.R. 2 was dashed yesterday, with the board citing that there was “insufficient delineation between the depiction of general zombie figures and the human figures, as opposed to the clearly fictional ‘infected’ characters.” As a result, Australian audiences will be restricted to a watered-down version of the game, which removes the “depictions of decapitation, dismemberment, wound detail, or piles of dead bodies lying about the environment.”

This is just the latest in the wheel of classification fortune. (Again, the inconsistency of the ruling is bizarre, given that F.E.A.R. 2 pitted you against clearly human adversaries.)