Australian Rating Petition Gets Amazing Response

[Logan Westbrook]

Australian Rating Petition Gets Amazing Response

A pro-R18+ petition, backed by the retailer GAME, has garnered tens of thousands of signatures.

The lack of an R18+ rating for videogames in Australia has been a sore spot for some time, and has lead to many getting toned down to fit the Mature 15+ rating, which is the highest the country has for games.

A petition for the creation of an R18+ category for however, backed by videogame retailer GAME, has managed to get 72,000 signatures. GAME plans to present the petition to a Standing Committee of Attorneys-General on May 7th, and to the Federal Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Conner.

With the recent departure of Michael Atkinson [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/99288-Michael-Atkinson-Steps-Down] as South Australia's Attorney-General, Australia's chances of finally getting an adult rating improved, and this shows that there is plenty of support for an adult category in the country.

Source: Game Politics [http://www.gamepolitics.com/2010/04/15/game-backed-petition-r18-draws-huge-response]


Permalink

 

[Sethzard]

Nicely done GAME, australians deserve freedom of gaming.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Soon my Aussie brethren! Soon your games will contain the same level of gore as mine! Rejoice!

 

[Jared]

Nicely done GAME, australians deserve freedom of gaming.

Agreed. For too long did Atkinson basically just kick em to the curb.

With that kind of response, they cant surely think of turning it down now

 

[Dr. Crawver]

well, that sort of response was kind of predictable, there's no reason for there not being an 18+, and you know Yahtzee's going to be pleased with this

 

[dommyuk]

Didn't Atkinson say there wasn't a big enough demand for it or something similar? I suspect a conspiracy!

 

[Lord Mountbatten Reborn]

well, that sort of response was kind of predictable, there's no reason for there not being an 18+, and you know Yahtzee's going to be pleased with this

He won't. He'll want games to be released at an earlier time.

 

[Brad Shepard]

And it just keeps getting better.

 

[Simalacrum]

Hurraaaay, evil retailer corporations are actually doing something good for once!

 

[Jonny49]

Hooray! GAME gets a cookie.

 

[AbsoluteVirtue18]

Hell, I'd sign it and I'm not even Australian. Hope all goes well.

 

[Aptspire]

GAME has proven it's coolness to me ^-^

 

[Starke]

72,000? That's pretty good.

Still, I think it's the departure of Atkinson doing it. With him in office, the only thing that could get R18 would have been a lynch mob, but now, there's actually a chance.

Good luck!

Hopefully the parliament will act like an actual democracy and listen for once.

It's always slightly surprised me that it never came to that, honestly. I don't mean I think Aussie's are insane or something, but, rather, that Atkinson never came under fire from a lone nut does.

 

[Dr Bob]

I never knew GAME was situated in Australia!

 

[Burningsok]

The light at the end of the tunnel has been turned ON yaay!!

 

[Crunchy English]

Good news. Let's hope the government takes notice. If it doesn't? Please no rioting or death threats. Not that I'd blame you personally, but Gamers get enough bad press.

 

[ThreeKneeNick]

Am i the only one who thinks 72,000 is not that much, at least not "amazing"?

Still, i hope whoever's in charge takes notice.

 

[Sovvolf]

Go on Australia, Good luck with this, then finally you can (legally)play big boys games like most of the world. Then maybe we should petition to have Michael Atkinson, Jack Thompson and the other guy who appeared on the BBC saying "I've never played a console and I never will" put on a stake and burnt alive... or to be re-rehabilitated to liking violent video games, Clockwork Orange style .

Spoiler: For gamers only and not for the eyes of Michael Atkinson, Jack Thompson or any other anti-gaming politician.

At last we can finally spread the evil of the devil to Austrailia to corrupt the minds of the children to make them violent, evil and sex offenders. Now that Atkinson is out of the picture nothing can stop us from finally taking over the world Mhuaahahahahaa!!