Australian Christian Groups Collide Over R18+ Ratings

[Manicotti]

I may be missing something here, but wouldn't an R18+ rating keep these dangerous video games out of the hand of their precious children? How's that a bad thing?

According to the ACL site, an R18+ rating is just a waste of paperwork and that the energy should be spent on making better sure that MA15+-rated games are kept out of kids' hands. I don't honestly see the point of this conflict - it's like saying a gun is somehow more dangerous if you put a label on the barrel that says "This is a gun."

Nice strawman argument but no, the comparison is unjust and doesn't suit the case, hyperbole shouldn't be used in an argumnet such as this, because like hyperbole does, it gets out of hand. One is a pysical risk and one is psychological, if you're to believe the people at ESRB and any other institute that tells us why this is a good thing, you would know it will help prevent games from being squeezed down into the M15+ rating and exposing the content to minors that outherwise, possibly would never have seen it. Don't get me wrong, i have my own beliefs and you have yours, i respect that, but if someone tries to make their beleif law, then they better have some damning evidence to prove their way is best for everyone and not just their own agenda or pride.

Firstly, I'm just passing on what the ACL site said. By all means take it up with them. Secondly, you misunderstood my comparison before throwing out the $5 rhetorical effect - my point is exactly the same thing you just used to counter me. Protesting the label of a game that would keep allegedly more dangerous content out of kids' hands is basically saying that the label itself is creating additional risk, when exactly the reverse is true, just as you, I, and the ESRB all pointed out. *That's* why I said the whole conflict is pointless and counterproductive.

If you don't like the fact that I used a gun in the metaphor, then you could compare it to a meatball sandwich that is "supposed to" taste like cheese just because it has a label on it that says it tastes like cheese if you like. The argument still stands and you're the only one here at risk of hyperbole.

 

[Elijin]

Would be good to get an 18+ rating. Make more sense than what they've got right now. I'd hate to think a kid is out there playing Assassin's Creed II and loving on the bloodshed and interesting ways to kill people. Or Borderlands, with the interesting ways that you can shoot a person's head off or fry their skull. That ain't healthy for a child to be doing! (Probably ain't so healthy for me either ^_~)

Both these games are actually MA15+ here in Australia. Like they said, the lack of a rating means lots of games that potentially should be 17/18+ end up being 15+ just so they can actually be sold. Its....kind of the dumbest thing ever. Because they dont want the really extreme end of the 18+ games (Im looking at you Japan.) we end up having a lot of games which should be somewhat restricted in their sale to minors, totally available.

On the flipside, more and more gamers have grown tired of the combined issue of games being banned, plus the odd pricing (Some old old games still sell at brand new prices because our game market is so screwy.) means lots of people just import anyway, completely circumventing ratings existing or not existing.

But, all that aside, good for you Bishops, way to actually think about the issue and come to a reasonable stance.

 

[KP Shadow]

Wait...Smart Christians helping the Video Game Community.

I'm going to go check the temperature in Hell now.

Hey, this is Catholics that are supporting us. The dipshits are the Protestants. Eastern Orthodox is sorta in the middle.

 

[therealsomeguy]

my faith in (some) religions has been somewhat restored

 

[e.wlmo4]

I think it should be known that New Zealand, despite having an R18 rating for video games get the neutered Australian version most of the time because of the fact that in terms of media markets New Zealand is right next to Australia and in turn is easier to ship the same game to both countries.

 

[Infinatex]

15-17 year olds shouldn't get too excited over the ACB submission, their suggested guidelines would shove most MA15+ games into R18 and I don't just mean the ones that should have been R18 in the first place.

It just means they'll have something to look forward to!

Maybe a group like the ACB will be able to help some of the loonies see that it is a good idea.

 

[Idocreating]

Sensible forward thinking Catholic Bishops?

No no, this story is clearly a load of twoddle. They're probably aliens or robot duplicates or maybe clones. That said, the Pope said condoms were ok in some situtations recently, maybe the church is finally catching up to modern times completely.

Hell, maybe they'd keep going and be more forward thinking than the rest of us. Wouldn't that be interesting to see?

 

[AmayaOnnaOtaku]

Bishops that are smart and making sense?

Has hell frozen over? Can someone get me Satan on the phone!?

He can't come to the phone right now, he's in the hospital recovering from shock.

In all seriousness, HOLY SHIT! The Bishops came to their sense and realized that maybe JUST maybe it should be up to the parents

 

[Spectre4802]

Yeah! Go ACB! Glad to see their head isn't up their ass.

EDIT
...Asses, as the case may be.

Maybe there is hope - if Austrailia can just get more R18+ supporters...

 

[aashell13]

Interesting, though I notice neither side is argueing the fundemental right of such games to exist as a free speech issue.

That would most likely be because they want to be taken seriously and not to be told to stop watching so much American tv. It's not a free speech issue. We'd need Constitutional guarantees of free speech first for it to be an issue.

Does this mean the Australian constitution contains no such guarantees of freedom of expression?
I don't know much about Australian censorship policies but this would explain the things I have
heard, which were previously baffling.

 

[BabyRaptor]

Religion is the reason we can't have nice things.

 

[WanderingFool]

So wait, the ACL doesnt want an R18+ rating, which means about half of the violent videogames are marked down to a MA15+, and the other half is banned outright. So instead of making it so games cant be baught by children, they are wanting it so at least half of them can be baught by children...

WTF, there is some fucked up logic at work here...