Govt to consider R classification for games

[Mr Eagle]

http://www.theage.com.au/news/techn...on-be-sold-here/2008/02/24/1203788146608.html

Write to your state A-Gs, folks! Make sure they realise how long overdue this move is.

 

[Kerrby]

Grr I was just about to post that!!!


From a gaming website:

"The Sunburnt Country has never been a very friendly place for video games with adult content. With a maximum game rating of MA15+, games which are deemed unsuitable for the pubescent, corruptible senses of a 15-year-old are often refused classification, and therefore banned.

Several North American best-sellers have fallen victim to Australian banning, or been forced to release censored versions for the land down under, such as GTA III, Postal, Manhunt, and (preemptive attack!) Dark Sector.

Luckily for gaming Aussies (50 percent of which are over the age of 18), government officials are considering the addition of an R18+ rating, allowing the sale of more mature titles. This proposition will be discussed at the next Standing Committee of Attorneys-General on March 28. Should the system undergo the change, for the first time in Australian video games, there will be blood, nudity, and strong language. You know, the good stuff."

 

[melbournemartin]

I wonder if the blokes at EB will bother checking for ID.

 

[Higgs Boson]

About furken time!

 

[HBK619]

I wonder if the blokes at EB will bother checking for ID.

There usually pretty strict with that, whenever you want to trade in games you need to be over 18 and they have always asked me for ID.

Might not help that I look about 16 though.

 

[Kerrby]

I wonder if the blokes at EB will bother checking for ID.

When ever me or my mates get an MA game, they always ask us for ID.

 

[DamianBis]

When ever me or my mates get an MA game, they always ask us for ID.

Never EVER been asked for ID to buy a game.

The only time I've been asked for ID for something game related was when i was 10 trying to hire GTA.

 

[melbournemartin]

I got asked for ID at some small video game store when I was about 14 trying to buy Half Life which was MA. The guy said that he couldn't sell it to me so I said "fine, I'll just download it" to piss him off. I bought it from David Jones without a worry That small video game store closed shortly after. They just don't exist with massive companies like EB these days.

 

[Kerrby]

I've never had a problem with getting anything MA before, just at EB they always ask!!!


I really hope that the R classification will come out.

 

[footyfreak]

Attorney-general opposes R rating for games

By Chloe Lake, Technology Editor February 27, 2008 02:00am

THE controversial R18+ classification for games is still opposed by at least one state attorney-general, a spokesperson has confirmed.

The issue of introducing an R18+ classification for games will be raised at the next Standing Committee of Attorneys-General (SCAG) on March 28th. It has been off the political agenda since 2005.

At present, any game that exceeds an MA15+ rating must be refused classification in Australia.

The classification system can be modified if there is agreement from the Commonwealth and all state and territory attorneys-general.

But a spokesperson for Michael Atkinson, the South Australian Attorney General, has confirmed that he will maintain his long-running opposition to the proposed system.

"The attorney-general remains very firmly opposed to introducing an R rating for computer games in Australia," the spokesperson said.

Minister Atkinson would not consider an 18+ rating even if there were measures to protect children from being exposed to adult content, the spokesperson said.

"He doubts whether any safeguards could be put in place to deter young people, who after all (are) the most computer literate and savvy in our society, from being able to access material."

Most international videogame rating systems have an adult or 18+ category.

The Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia (IEAA) has called for a more consistent ratings system to "bring Australia into alignment with the rest of the world."

"Harmonisation of the national classification scheme will provide Australians with a consistent and uniform system," the industry body said in a statement.

"(This) will allow consumers to make educated and informed decisions on their entertainment choices, regardless of the medium or delivery method,"

"It will provide parents with a complete toolkit to manage children's game playing."

Last year, a study by Bond University for the IEAA found that more than 50 per cent of Australian gamers are aged over 18, making the average age 28.

"An R18+ classification will cater to the rising age of computer and video game players in Australia, allowing adult gamers to be treated as such and have broad choice in the types of games they play", the IEAA said.

What a tosser. What country do we live in?

Is this a Fereral law or a state based one?

As Barney would say "go back to Russia"

 

[Jabso]

I hired Mortal Kombat 3 when I was about 10 by myself with no ID required.

I've never been asked for ID when buying or hiring anything MA/MA15 including going to movies when I was under and around that age.

 

[melbournemartin]

Have you always looked older?

 

[OzBomber]

I look about 12 and I was able to buy an MA game a year or so go. So I looked probably 10 then.

 

[Mancey]

Its been too long since i was under 15.

About the closest you got to an MA game back then was Double Dragon on Amiga...maybe Operation Wolf on Sega Master System,

 

[Borgsta]

Is there any safeguard from preventing someone under 18 accessing R rated movies?

How can you not come to the logical conclusion that it can be moved across to video games?

Also the funniest thing is this ridiculous quote

who after all (are) the most computer literate and savvy in our society, from being able to access material.

You banning it does nothing you dumb arse. People can still download the games!

 

[Mr Eagle]

Oh well, back to downloading. Thank you Mr SA A-G for saving me all that money...

 

[footyfreak]

for those that want to tell this stupid prick how out of touch he is......

agd@agd.sa.gov.au

 

[Xtreme]

I hired Mortal Kombat 3 when I was about 10 by myself with no ID required.

I've never been asked for ID when buying or hiring anything MA/MA15 including going to movies when I was under and around that age.

I never had many issues with getting access to R18+ content when i was younger, as for the most part (aside from movies with heavy sex scenes), my parents were ok with me watching many R rated movies and just violent movies in general when i was younger (Robocop, Terminator, Commando, Predator, First Blood 1 & 2).

Even going to the video shop when i was little, i could hire out M - R rated movies (did it prior to and after getting to know the owners through the family).

I actually have more issues with getting into M - R rated movies at the cinema and buying R rated dvds from shops these days (always get asked for ID or if i'm paying as a child or adult at the movies etc.). Always am told that i look younger than what i am (25).

 

[Higgs Boson]

What a tosser. What country do we live in?

Is this a Fereral law or a state based one?

As Barney would say "go back to Russia"

I just read that article and became quite enraged. I was going to unload, but Borgsta's just said all that needs to be said.

Is there any safeguard from preventing someone under 18 accessing R rated movies?

How can you not come to the logical conclusion that it can be moved across to video games?

Also the funniest thing is this ridiculous quote

[insert unintelligible gibberish here]

You banning it does nothing you dumb arse. People can still download the games!

What a shithead that guy is. The AG, not Borgsta.

 

[HBK619]

I love the fact that we have R rated movies, which depict real people doing unspeakable things, which is considered ok.

But when it comes to digitally created imagery it has to be banned!

 

[Conan Troutman]

What really annoys me is that most gamers are over 18 (or 50% it says in one of those articles - I've heard higher than that before - also heard the average age of gamers is around 30), yet the knob in the article, by doing his moral crusade, is effectively saying he is better (and knows better) than the rest of us over 18. Why should we have to suffer - it's up to parents/educators to protect kids, as with everything else in life.

"young people, who after all (are) the most computer literate and savvy in our society,"
I am 31 and video games and computers have been around all of my life. I think some people forget that at times. I had a C64 and Atari 2600 when in primary school. I played 'Sex Games', 'Samantha Fox Strip Poker', 'Platoon', 'Barbarian' on my C64 - I remember playing NARC in the arcades, where the bad guys throw syringes at you, and weed plants fill the background scenery, and you rocket a group of bad guys and limbs and other body parts fly around the screen - I think I turned out ok (well, maybe that's arguable ) - maybe the remake for xbox went a little too far in using the drugs as different power-ups, and it wasn't the best game, so not a big loss to be banned here, but still, I would have liked that choice.

If he really wants to protect children, why not put his efforts into education, creating jobs, bettering the world, etc, etc - I think they have the potential to damage a kids growth much more than some video game ffs.

Anyway, sorry about that , good news otherwise - about time!!

 

[Jabso]

I love the fact that we have R rated movies, which depict real people doing unspeakable things, which is considered ok.

But when it comes to digitally created imagery it has to be banned!

Movies/TV shows are more dangerous as they can manipulate your mind into justifying such acts and sympathising with some bad people. Sure video games also have the power to do this but even the games with a very well crafted and produced storyline at the core of it, it is a video game. How come Dexter isn't banned? A TV show which sympathises with a mass murderer.

Music is also dangerous in this way.

What is their reasoning for allowing very violent movies/shows with scary themes (I'm not talking about horror/gore them but sympathising with murderers) compared to their reasoning for banning violent video games? Is it because "Oh....these are just movies, they aren't going to go out there and recreate stuff, people realise it's just a movie there to entertain us in one way or another". Hello! That's what video games do.

Sure you can act out those murders in some games, but at the end of the day you are just pushing buttons. You are not going to get arrested, you don't actually hate the guys you murder. You are far more detached from the whole thing than powerful movies. Does that desensitise our youth? Yes it does but so does other imagery. It is up to kids parents to regulate what they see by setting boundaries using classifications as a guide. It is not up to the government who will tar everyone with the same brush.

I don't care about the games that are banned. Most of them are crap. I think most games that just rely on shock factor aren't good games. Carmegeddon is a good example. It's a novelty when you're 12, but in reality it's a crap game. GTA series are good games because of the freedom you have in completing missions, the huge world and good fundamental simple gameplay which is very fun. A first person shooter has never been acclaimed because of the violent way your enemies die, but because of good map designs, good artificial intelligence, the ammo and gun choice challenges. I just hate the way video games are perceived in society.

Also to add to this there just seems to be a perception that in violent video games you have the freedom to act out your most violent fantasies. That is not the case.

 

[melbournemartin]

I love the fact that we have R rated movies, which depict real people doing unspeakable things, which is considered ok.

But when it comes to digitally created imagery it has to be banned!

Not that I necessarily agree with it but the difference in classification comes due to the nature of video games. Controlling the character who directly does the killing, swearing and even ****ing in some games is seen to be more graphic than watching someone else doing it. I can see their point in differing their classifications between movies and games. They'd also find it impossible to ban all R rated movies in Australia given the huge amount of them. Video games only produce a relatively small amount of R rated games.

 

[HBK619]

Not that I necessarily agree with it but the difference in classification comes due to the nature of video games. Controlling the character who directly does the killing, swearing and even ****ing in some games is seen to be more graphic than watching someone else doing it. I can see their point in differing their classifications between movies and games. They'd also find it impossible to ban all R rated movies in Australia given the huge amount of them. Video games only produce a relatively small amount of R rated games.

But if they are available to play everywhere else in the world, whats the difference?

Rate the games R for stuff that should be rated R, if a game goes overboard and has tons of sex, violence, drugs, racism or whatever then ban it, fact is though, there is probably the amount of 1-2 movies banned each year as opposed to 5-10 games, just have the same rules.

 

[footyfreak]

Games ratings speech cut off in parliament

March 06, 2008 05:10pm


SOUTH Australian Attorney-General Michael Atkinson was cut off in State Parliament today while arguing against an R18+ classification for games.

The Attorney-General was presenting a speech to the South Australian Parliament that clarified his stance against the rating.

Mr Atkinson is the most vocal opponent to a R18+ classification for games, which cannot be introduced without the agreement of all state and Commonwealth attorneys-general.

During the speech, Mr Atkinson began to describe five games that had been banned in Australia. As he was describing drug use in the game Narc, he was cut off by raucous interjections and returned to his seat.

Here is the transcript of Mr Atkinson's speech in full:

The Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia has repeatedly put to attorneys-general that there ought to be an R18+ classification for computer games.
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Unlike films, for which there are R18+ and X18+ classifications, the highest classification for computer games that depict, express or otherwise deal with sex, violence or coarse language in such a manner as to be unsuitable for viewing or playing by persons under 15 are classified as MA15+.

Computer games that exceed the criteria needed for an MA15+ classification must be refused classification and cannot be sold, hired, demonstrated or advertised in Australia. Nevertheless, thousands of games are available to computer game buyers and only a few are completely banned under this system.

I have consistently opposed an R18+ classification for computer games. I am concerned about the harm of high-impact (particularly violent) computer games to children. Games may pose a far greater problem than other media – particularly films – because their interactive nature could exacerbate their impact. The risk of interactivity on players of computer games with highly violent content is increased aggressive behaviour.

I do not want children to be able to get their hands on R18+ games easily. I understand that the lack of an R18+ classification denies some adults the chance to play some games, however, the need to keep potentially harmful material away from children is far more important.

Proponents for the classification say the latest technology allows gaming platforms and computers to be programmed to allow parental locks. Today’s children are far more technologically savvy than their parents. It’s laughable to suggest that they couldn’t find ways around parental locks if R18+ games were in the home.

I have mentioned that, despite there being thousands of computer games available to consumers, only a handful are banned. I want to give some examples of games refused classification in Australia because I’m certain that fair-minded people would not want the kind of content in them to be available to children.

Blitz: The League was banned in January 2007. It’s an American Football game in which players prepare teams and play through a season. It was banned because in the course of the game, the player may use illegal performance-enhancing drugs for the members of his or her team. The player can also use fake urine samples to avoid positive drug tests.

Reservoir Dogs was banned in June 2006. This game is based on the Reservoir Dogs movie and players are participants in a bank robbery. They can blow the heads off hostages and police as well as execute hostages at point blank range with a gunshot to the head. They can also torture hostages by pistol whipping the side of the head, burn the eyes of a hostage with a cigar until they scream and die, or cut the fingers off hostages. There are blood bursts as the victims scream in pain.

50 Cent: Bulletproof was banned in November 2005. The game’s central character is the rap star, 50 Cent, and he seeks revenge for the killing of his former cellmate. It was banned because the killing in the game was prolonged and took place in close up and slow motion. It included a lot of on-screen blood splatter when the killing was done with knives. Just to show that the current system does work, a censored version of the game was released later with an MA15+ classification.

Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure was banned in February 2006. In this game, players make names for themselves using graffiti. They join gangs and compete with rival gangs and the police force. This game was banned because it promotes breaking the law by vandalising public buildings with graffiti. Worse, the central character acquires his knowledge of graffiti tips, techniques and styles from real graffiti vandals who pass on those details. It actually instructs players on how to become graffiti vandals.

Narc was banned in April 2005. In this game, players try to defeat an underground drug trafficking and terrorist organisation. Nevertheless, the game contains frequent drug use. Players can choose to take illegal drugs including heroin, speed, LSD, marijuana and ecstasy and those drugs provide the player with benefits in progressing through the game. For example, when a player takes an ecstasy tablet...

At this point Mr Atkinson was interrupted and returned to his seat. The following is the rest of his speech as provided by his office.

... opponents will stop attacking and allow the player's character to escape. Similarly, taking speed allows the player's character to run faster and catch opponents.

I contest any idea that it is necessary for games to include material of this kind and that a game is more interesting to an adult because it contains extreme violence, explicit sexual material, instruction in crime or characters using illicit drugs. I remain firmly opposed to changing the classifications of computer games to allow an R-rating for games with such content.

This is a carefully considered position I have held for six years and other attorneys-general around Australia may now be coming to the same view. There are not adequate safeguards that can properly protect our children from those disturbing scenes and I know how computer-literate they are. Like other parents in Australia, I want to try to protect children from being able to access computer-generated pornography and violence.

I have not been persuaded by arguments for an R18+ classification for computer games and I will continue to oppose it.

**** HEAD!!!!!!!!!!

His whole point is destroyed by the fact that if kids are so tech savvy as he states they'll just download it anyway. Be a lot harder to disable a parental lock than download a game off the net you idiot!!!!

What a dumb prick this tosser is.