Grats Australia

[higgs20]

I seems like a good thing to me, it sucks that games already banned under the old system won't be re-evaluated

They didn't say that. They said they won't be unbanning them which means they won't be simply overturning Refused Classification ratings. It will be up to the publishers of RC'ed games to resubmit them to the OFLC for evaluation under the new guidelines.

well in that case there seems to be absolutely no reason for anyone other than 15-18 year old Australians to get annoyed about any of this.

 

[Jezzascmezza]

This is good for the majority of Aussie gamers, but not me.
I'm not eighteen yet...

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

I seems like a good thing to me, it sucks that games already banned under the old system won't be re-evaluated

They didn't say that. They said they won't be unbanning them which means they won't be simply overturning Refused Classification ratings. It will be up to the publishers of RC'ed games to resubmit them to the OFLC for evaluation under the new guidelines.

well in that case there seems to be absolutely no reason for anyone other than 15-18 year old Australians to get annoyed about any of this.

15-17 year olds. 18 year olds can buy R18+ media... although if most of their mates are 17 they might get pissed about them wanting to borrow all their R18+ games.

'Side, we won't know if its going ahead until Friday.

Although, to be honest, the fact that any Federal minister has openned their yap on the subject could indicate the fix is in and it will go ahead. They try not to leave opennings for state level politicians to make them look like complete dicks and publicly coming out in favour of R18+ when any State or Territory A-G could nix it fits the bill.

 

[Eisenfaust]

well the article seems a little... over the top... they didn't say "you can't ever play these specific games" it was "we support the creation of an R18+ rating", which will probably be no more enforced than the MA15+ is now... some game stores might enforce the rating system but most don't... it'll (hopefully) merely allow for games to come without getting cut in half... but with this government, who the hell can tell

 

[higgs20]

I seems like a good thing to me, it sucks that games already banned under the old system won't be re-evaluated

They didn't say that. They said they won't be unbanning them which means they won't be simply overturning Refused Classification ratings. It will be up to the publishers of RC'ed games to resubmit them to the OFLC for evaluation under the new guidelines.

well in that case there seems to be absolutely no reason for anyone other than 15-18 year old Australians to get annoyed about any of this.

15-17 year olds. 18 year olds can buy R18+ media... although if most of their mates are 17 they might get pissed about them wanting to borrow all their R18+ games.

'Side, we won't know if its going ahead until Friday.

Although, to be honest, the fact that any Federal minister has openned their yap on the subject could indicate the fix is in and it will go ahead. They try not to leave opennings for state level politicians to make them look like complete dicks and publicly coming out in favour of R18+ when any State or Territory A-G could nix it fits the bill.

that's very true, I don't live in Australia but I've been led to believe that the legislation on censorship, particularly where video games are concerned can be somewhat brutal, i'm hoping this will go ahead because quite frankly not having an 18 rating for this type of media just doesn't make any sense, how can you openly ban something that you deem unsuitable for children but not give those deemed mature enough to make their own choices in life the opportunity to in this case play the product. it's like lowering the driving age to 15 but then warning everyone that your going to ban driving next time there is a particularly grizzly crash.

 

[SoulSalmon]

To the people saying "Why grats? isn't this bad"
We never used to have an R18 rating for games, anything considered over M15 was banned.
Christian lobby groups prevented the R18 rating because (as Extra Credits will tell you) people still see videogames as toys for children.

I repeat this rating is the OPPOSITE OF A BAN.

It's true that having a game rated R instead of M will do NOTHING! as far as purchases go, but it's gonna be nice to stop seeing games get released everywhere else and have a cut-down version come our way because it's not suitable for a M15 rating.


With that out the way though, this could still mean nothing and end up making things WORSE if the rating doesn't get passed...

And on a sidenote it's wierd, us Aussies have a rep for being the MOST laid back people on the planet, and then there are the censorship laws which are the TOTAL OPPOSITE of laid back >.<

The only reason censorship exists is because stupid immature people do stupid things, and stupid yet mature people try to do something about it, leaving the rest of us to get chastised.
I suppose it also exists for a lot of other reasons... but that's one of the larger reasons >.>

 

[Lord_Gremlin]

Who cares. After all, those games are not intended for children anyway. Now it's officially parent's responsibility in America.

 

[OniaPL]

How does this stop kids from getting these games anyways? I got GTA III when I was fourteen, even if it was R18 and no one would sell it to me at store.

 

[WestMountain]

Isn't GTA4 banned for everyone everywhere that is under 18 years old? It got a 18+ rating right?

 

[Fledge]

It makes me OH SO sad.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

Isn't GTA4 banned for everyone everywhere that is under 18 years old? It got a 18+ rating right?

Original console release got an editted version in on a MA15+ in Oz.
PC version release, uneditted, got a MA15+ in Oz.
DLC went live no problems
DLC stand alone version MA 15+, all platforms.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

"Mr O'Connor also gave a guarantee he would not allow games that had been banned in Australia to be approved for release under the new R18+ classification, if it is approved."

Oh so close, Australia. But you're still retarded when it comes to game classification.

 

[PrimoThePro]

Snip

Oh, well good, I'm glad you guys are getting this. I didn't realize how rampant the censoring was down there. Shit, the Jedi Council does NOT know what to do with video games.

 

[UberNoodle]

It horrifies me when students in my year 7 Science class talk about playing CoD or Fallout 3.

Why? Games like that are not damaging to kids.

Those games have plenty of potential to affect kids in undesirable ways. I'm not talking about juvie crime potential, but the kids ability to process the content of those games. Honestly, Western society has become so egalitarian that it even assumes children have the same ability to process the world as adults do. For the most part, they don't. That's not old fashioned or antiquated thinking either. I question any parent who's fine with allowing their kids free access to such adult content. Sure, there are problems with trying to make "one rule" for all kids, as there are for doing so with ANY demographic, but that's how society works, and it for the most part, it does. Denial of access to some media content is not the most pertinent issue that children face today. Studies for and against media's affect on people suffer corruption from both sides, and it is today's laziness that accepts statistics and sound bites over common sense.

I was exposed to Postal 2 at the age of 10 (give or take a year). Funny? Yes. Hilarious even? Yes. Complete fiction? God fucking yes.

I'm no psychiatrist but I'm pretty sure I'm not crazy in any way.

your argument is one of the worst types for discussing this kind of thing. Let's say you fell from a plane and lived with only a few broken bones. This happened in WWII to a Lancaster aircrew. He had to prove he wasn't a spy because the Germans refused to believe he'd fallen from a plane without a parachute. Anyway, it would have been illogical for him to assert that because his fall wasn't fatal, that falling from such a height was always non-fatal, or even mostly non-fatal. This is what you seem to be implying. Other than that, you appear to be grossly over simplifying the issue at hand in order to force a win. You're limiting the scope of the argument to only overt symptoms which are for the most part, rare and not how the things really work.

I am not saying that games are of the Devil and create criminal kids, so don't play the standard gamer-defense on me. Of course the factors involved in shaping each of us as people are boundless. Very rarely would any aspect of our psyche hinge on a single experience in our lives. But it would be stupid to deny that gaming does NOT have an influence simply because of this. And that influence need not be because of the content. There are many other aspects to take into account, including social ones.

 

[UberNoodle]

Awweeesome! I be happy for ye

EDIT: I showed this to my brother, he went on to say that every Australian ever is a complete douchebag for a single underarm bowling incident in 1981. I said that was a bullshit reason, he then said that every Australian ever is a complete douchebag for being descended purely from convicts.

So how much help can I get with demolishing him?

Because the First Fleet also brought with them prestigious officials, scientists, Captains, tradespeople to Australia, from Europe. Hardly anyone Australian today is a direct descendant from a convict.

A lot of poeple forget that the USA was a penal colony as well. So, if that poster is American, he or she has just shot himself or herself in the foot!

[EDIT - ah .. he's from the NZ]

OH WHEN will English grammer nazis formaly let us recognise "they" as a singular pronoun for non-gender specific use???!!!!

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

It's actually not a good thing. They're just moving all MA games to R rating. So we still have a problem.

They were always going to shift a number of MA15+ titles to R18+ when it came it and to have thought otherwise is hilariously naive.

It's actually not a good thing. They're just moving all MA games to R rating. So we still have a problem.

Ah no... they're moving the games that should be under the R18+ rating to it and (hopefully) uncensoring them in the process.
All future games will then fall under the correct ratings and will not need to be censored.
GOOD THING.

yes, minors can still get their hands on the games but it's harder and parents can clearly see the restrictions and it's their fault (bad parenting) if they are purchasing for their children.

And according to them all MA games should be R as they are, so no uncensoring. But they may change their minds mid-introduction. Only time will tell.

'them'? Who is 'them'?

And since when did 'as many as 50' equal 'all'?

And why don't I have a sandwich?

Them is the government and all is what they said in the newspaper article I read, maybe what I read is out-dated.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

It's actually not a good thing. They're just moving all MA games to R rating. So we still have a problem.

That isn't the case at all. Some games may be reclassified, it depends on how the Classification board want to approach the issue.

There are articles out there that explain it better than the Terrorgraph. If people here read more than just the headline of this article they would have a better understanding of the situation. There are other pieces out there which explain it much better.

We're supposed to be the educated ones who don't get caught up in the sensationalism and out of context quotes.

Although it's infuriating reading so many confused posts, a part of me thinks that the way they've written the article works well. If gamers who should know about the issue are getting confused then imagine the Sunrise Soldiers who cried because they thought an R18+ rating was going to allow games such as "Rapecore 3: The Rapening" into the country. They'll read the article and see that the evil R18+ rating isn't so evil at all. In fact, they might just realise that the R18+ rating means that the evil GTA game which they still buy for their children isn't supposed to be for their children.

I'm going to give up on trying to correct posts saying that this is a bad thing for Australian gamers. I'll wait for Yahtzee to explain the situation.

Final note: Sunrise is a show on Australian television. It is the very definition of mainstream sheeple-vision. Sunrise Soldiers refers to the masses who hang on it's every word. Although it may have become more edgy since I last saw it, so their official stance may be to support the R18+ rating, who knows?

But I love the Rapecore franchise! But seriously, as I said in another thread, the article I must've read a few days back is probably out of date now and I just haven't been paying attention.

 

[Lion_Slicer]

"Mr O'Connor also gave a guarantee he would not allow games that had been banned in Australia to be approved for release under the new R18+ classification, if it is approved."

Oh so close, Australia. But you're still retarded when it comes to game classification.

The line you pulled from the article is a complete misinterpretation of what O'Connor actually said.

This link cuts right through the spin of the Terrorgraph article:
http://www.igea.net/2010/12/gillard-government-advocates-for-r18/

O'Connor actually says:
"Games that are currently refused classification and do not meet the standard required for R18+ classification will remain in the refused classification category."

He didn't say anything about not allowing previously banned games to be reclassified.

Also for those people who think that all they'll be doing is changing MA games to R need to read this part:

"If the new category is introduced, it could result in computer games that are currently classified MA15+ being reclassified R18+, providing a new level of protection for children."

 

[Hauntghost20]

Well that sucks. I mean it doesn't effect me because I don't live in Australia and I'm 19, but still. Ouch.

Yeah i DO live in Australia and i'm 15 good thing i stocked up on gta and cod
also Australiaa is thinking if taking back the 21 old drinking limit hopefully i can save up my money i'll buy a boat and got the the place of the sea A DRINK TIL I CAN STILL DRINK


WHEN WILL THEY LET ME DRINK!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

"Mr O'Connor also gave a guarantee he would not allow games that had been banned in Australia to be approved for release under the new R18+ classification, if it is approved."

Oh so close, Australia. But you're still retarded when it comes to game classification.

The line you pulled from the article is a complete misinterpretation of what O'Connor actually said.

This link cuts right through the spin of the Terrorgraph article:
http://www.igea.net/2010/12/gillard-government-advocates-for-r18/

O'Connor actually says:
"Games that are currently refused classification and do not meet the standard required for R18+ classification will remain in the refused classification category."

He didn't say anything about not allowing previously banned games to be reclassified.

Also for those people who think that all they'll be doing is changing MA games to R need to read this part:

"If the new category is introduced, it could result in computer games that are currently classified MA15+ being reclassified R18+, providing a new level of protection for children."

Ah, I misread it then.

Well done Australia! Now you can be sensible about games, finally!