Australian R18+ Bill Hits a Snag

[Micromyni]

Australians won't complain to the higher-ups. Most of them have perfected apathy to an art form and practice it daily unless it applies to their favorite footy team.

 

[Micromyni]

Don't get me wrong, I'm just as disappointed as the next guy over this ridiculous outcome...but...Australian-to-English translator?

It really is needed for someone who isn't a born and bred Australian. I've been here for a while now and I still don't understand half the slang they use.

 

[Schimmelord]

I don't understand the comments that the Australian Parliamentary system are bad. It works in very much the same way as Congress and Westminster. Some bills pass swiftly, some are neglected for no apparent reason and some are worth taking stands over. This is slow in Australia because there are no game industry lobbyists influencing the decision. The industry is much stronger in the US and Europe.
New Zealand's use of the R18 label is primarily because of one man's recommendation and didn't become an actual law until recently.

 

[tombman888]

OH FOR SWEET FANTA JESUS FUDGE TITS CHRIST! AGAIN!?!?!?

god damn it... at least i'll be 18 by the time this gets solved (I'll probably be 50 by that time....)

 

[TheRealCJ]

"the longest-running and most elaborate legislative troll ever perpetrated by a modern Western government"

*COUGH*AMERICANHEALTHCARESYSTEM*COUGH*

 

[SwagLordYoloson]

Doesn't really surprise me, the government seems to be more interested in bringing back those fancy wigs they used hundreds of years ago in primitive societies.

 

[andrewbrownster2]

This is beyond a joke. That is all I can say without repeating everything I've already said over the past several years....

 

[TacticalAssassin1]

Well, there is one good thing about the bill being delayed.....I'll most likely be 18 by the time they decide on it.

High-five for nearly-18 Aussie gamers!
Pass this shit so I can play messed up games without restriction asap!

OT: Fucking get on with it, government. Stop trolling us

 

[the clockmaker]

Honestly, we have a stable economy, low unemployment, no government crackdowns and a standard of living bettered only by the scandinavian nations and yet people with no sense of priority or proportion think that our system of government is 'beyond embarasing'.

 

[Loonyyy]

Sigh. Yet another Member of Parliament who is in the Australian Christian Lobby's (ACL) pocket. Most of the Christians I know here in Aus think the ACL are a bunch of nutters.

In fact, even a lobby of Christian Bishops disagreed with them about it, pointing out what I think should be quite obvious to the crazies. If you have an R18 rating, then you can rate extreme cases of MA15 games R18, and do a better job at censorship anyway.

 

[Gunner 51]

wait they STILL don't have a 18+ rating?
why don't they adopt the Japanese system? no 18+ rating just letters.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_Entertainment_Rating_Organization
I actually had to laugh a little when I read a violent game got a higher rating then a sexual game.

Because that would be sensible. Australian Parliament is allergic to sensible actions.
The R18+ is coming, I think the calls for enquiries are nothing more than stalling tactics perpetrated by the bill's detractors trying to buy them time to come up with an excuse to ride roughshod over the wishes of the majority of people.

So long as the bill's supporters keep focused - the bill will become an inevitability.

 

[R0cklobster]

I don't believe that some of our pollies still don't get the FACT that the overwhelming majority of gamers in Australia ARE OVER 18 ANYWAY. There's no more reason not to have an 18+ rating for games than there is for movies.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

the whole world has 18+ rating for ages, and they still cant decide if games should have it as well?
i might be 60 before they issue a 18+ rating.

Not quite. Several authoritarian regiemes don't allow any outside media to enter there nations at all.

And my "several," I mean North Korea.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

Of course the bill "hits a snag". The snag is it's trying to get past this joke of a government.

It was a Coalition MP who stopped the bill this time, not a member of the government.

it seems that people argue for the sake of it. Almost like they're saying no because the other guy said yes.

That's the point of the opposition. If they stop the government from getting anything done, people get fed up and vote a new government in.

 

[Ziadaine_v1legacy]

FOR FUCKS SAKE!

Why the hell do I live in a country run by sheer idiots!! They've put this off for fucking years, the MAJORITY of Australia want this in effect! 1 fucking MP who's backwards retarded view on society should NOT be the final rule on A WHOLE DAMN COUNTRY'S DECISION! We're not a damn Republic Country!

low unemployment

Maybe if you live in Sydney and can afford the insane rent prices.

 

[LazyAza]

This whole thing now reminds me of the scenes in Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy with the aliens just endlessly demanding paperwork and specific forms and nothing ever gets done.

 

[BlueMage]

Wow Australia, hoe does your democracy actually stay functional? How does anything ever get done if badly needed legislation can get bounced-back like this? Get your shit together guys, this has gone BEYOND embarrassing. It seems that there is an undercurrent of AU law makers that, beyond all logic and reasonable arguments, are still trying everything to sabotage this bill.

You can't get your way so you just delay the bill almost indefinitely? Hoe can you be allowed the do that?

Mostly because (and this may shock you) ... It's not that badly needed! *GASP*

That's right. It's important to us as gamers, but to the vast majority, it gets met with a resounding "meh." There are larger fish to fry at the moment, and those fish like to dig things out of the ground.

 

[Metalrocks]

the whole world has 18+ rating for ages, and they still cant decide if games should have it as well?
i might be 60 before they issue a 18+ rating.

Not quite. Several authoritarian regiemes don't allow any outside media to enter there nations at all.

And my "several," I mean North Korea.

not to sound offensive and racist here but this with north korea doenst surprise me. this country has of course a totally different government. im sure cuba is the same.
i was of course exaggerating that the whole world has 18+ rating. not every country thinks the same.
but just thinking that germany has a 18+ rating and they still cut down the violence that a 12 year old can play it.

 

[Strazdas]

well id take 18 rating over game being banned. however evne better would be the first country to actually bre brave enough and drop the rating altogether. you know, actually let people chose for themselves.

 

[acer840]

Meanwhile, in the Australian House Of Parliment;


I wonder how long this will actually take. When people born today turn 18? Any bets anyone?