Australian Government Rolls Out R18+ Game Rating Guidelines

[Jonabob87]

Good for Australia,

Hang on a minute...

Some material would still be restricted but the bar would be set much higher to include "detailed instruction or promotion in matters of crime or violence," promotion of pedophile activity, depictions of child sexual abuse, gratuitous, exploitative or offensive depictions of excessively frequent, prolonged or detailed high-impact violence, and other similar material.

Am I wrong or does this say that it's alright for games to "instruct in matters of crime or violence" and to "promote pedophile activity"?

I get the feeling it's either badly written or I'm not reading it right.

 

[gyroscopeboy]

OK... Good news, but some things though... Did they think this through before writing it?

document says. "Sexual activity may be realistically simulated. The general rule is, 'simulation, yes - the real thing, no'."

Now, feel free to point it out if I'm forgetting something here, but unless this was lifted wholesale from the film classification guidelines, this particular statement makes no sense whatsoever.

With a handful of exceptions owing to Full Motion Video (Which nobody really uses much anymore), video games are 100% simulated by definition.

This means 'the real thing' is a meaningless concept when applied to computer games.

Ergo, this comment implies pornographic computer games can get an R18+ rating, while otherwise equivalent sexual content would have an X rating (or be banned altogether).

That's... A very weird statement, to say the least.

I think its a question of what is shown rather than if its computer generated or not...like showing graphic penetration is NOT simulated. I get what your saying though, they should reword it.

 

[Ziadaine_v1legacy]

Victoria Attorney General Robert Clark.

Its ALWAYS a fucking Victorian Attorney General. First Michael Atkinson, now this sod. Im pretty sure +3 Millon people's opinions are more important then 1 old fart who has a grudge on society and pin-points all blames of violence on stupid theories.

 

[smudgey]

But not everyone is onboard with the new plan. "We remain concerned that these draft guidelines would legalize games with high levels of graphic, frequent and gratuitous violence, including violence against civilians and police, and would not adequately protect the community," said Victoria Attorney General Robert Clark.

....You mean, like GRAND THEFT AUTO, which has been available in Australia for fucking years?!? For 15 year olds?!?
Idiot.

Victoria Attorney General Robert Clark.

Its ALWAYS a fucking Victorian Attorney General. First Michael Atkinson, now this sod. Im pretty sure +3 Millon people's opinions are more important then 1 old fart who has a grudge on society and pin-points all blames of violence on stupid theories.

Michael Atkinson was the South Australian Attorney General, for which i apologise.

 

[Ziadaine_v1legacy]

Victoria Attorney General Robert Clark.

Its ALWAYS a fucking Victorian Attorney General. First Michael Atkinson, now this sod. Im pretty sure +3 Millon people's opinions are more important then 1 old fart who has a grudge on society and pin-points all blames of violence on stupid theories.

Michael Atkinson was the South Australian Attorney General, for which i apologise.[/quote]

We'll just call it "Southern Area" and call it even. *thumbs up*

 

[B-Lavaunit]

All right, I retract my previous comparing to the US guidelines, since the Australian government controlling it makes it apparently a case of apples to oranges. However, considering the number of retailers that will allow AO-rated games to be sold, rating a game AO might as well be banning it, since the game developers have to censor it in order to sell it. Just because the government isn't involved doesn't mean that the games are able to be sold uncensored.

I dont think there will be a problem getting stores to sell r games, and we dont have a rating of AO, because R is 18+ and is basically the same thing. I am not aware of any dvd store or cinema not showing movies if they get rated, same with music...yeah...we actually have restrictions on who can buy CD's.

So long as the games follow the proposed R18+ guidelines, and i would imagine that most developers and publishers would be pushing for clarification, they will be in stores, maybe not Kmart, but they stock shovel ware and the top 5 and thats about it anyway. The might be on a higher shelf, or not as obvious, but i am sure they will be sold in the big chains, EBgames, GameTraders etc, people who run those are pretty much all gamers themselves

 

[B-Lavaunit]

....You mean, like GRAND THEFT AUTO, which has been available in Australia for fucking years?!? For 15 year olds?!?
Idiot.

I dont know if you remember, but when GTA3 was released, it was available in the full version for a few weeks, then the ratings board decided that hiring prostitutes and then killing them crossed the line and they pulled it and re-released an edited version.

I remember the original version going for hundreds of dollars on ebay, when you could import it from New Zealand for less than it cost here anyway

 

[B-Lavaunit]

Victoria Attorney General Robert Clark.

Its ALWAYS a fucking Victorian Attorney General. First Michael Atkinson, now this sod. Im pretty sure +3 Millon people's opinions are more important then 1 old fart who has a grudge on society and pin-points all blames of violence on stupid theories.

Michael Atkinson was the South Australian Attorney General, for which i apologise.

We'll just call it "Southern Area" and call it even. *thumbs up*[/quote]

Woah woah woah, just which parts of australia are you including in this "Southern Area", im from Queensland and i want nothing to do with the southern states, we all want to be like australians...and to some extent perhaps californians\miami..ans, whereas the shouthern states want to be like new york. Also, the only thing South Australia is even known for is a dude dumped a bunch of bodies in drums of acid in an unused bank...which come to think of it may have been why Michael Atkinson was so against the R18+

 

[Ziadaine_v1legacy]

We'll just call it "Southern Area" and call it even. *thumbs up*

Woah woah woah, just which parts of australia are you including in this "Southern Area", im from Queensland and i want nothing to do with the southern states, we all want to be like australians...and to some extent perhaps californians\miami..ans, whereas the shouthern states want to be like new york. Also, the only thing South Australia is even known for is a dude dumped a bunch of bodies in drums of acid in an unused bank...which come to think of it may have been why Michael Atkinson was so against the R18+

Southern area of Australia. Dont make me use a Derp image.

 

[B-Lavaunit]

We'll just call it "Southern Area" and call it even. *thumbs up*

Woah woah woah, just which parts of australia are you including in this "Southern Area", im from Queensland and i want nothing to do with the southern states, we all want to be like australians...and to some extent perhaps californians\miami..ans, whereas the shouthern states want to be like new york. Also, the only thing South Australia is even known for is a dude dumped a bunch of bodies in drums of acid in an unused bank...which come to think of it may have been why Michael Atkinson was so against the R18+

Southern area of Australia. Dont make me use a Derp image.

Ok, probably over-reacted, was just making sure you werent lumping all of australia together, as a lot of non australians tend to do