Michael Atkinson Once Again Dismisses Gamers

[T-Bone24]

"I think you will find this issue has little traction with my constituents who are more concerned with real-life issues than home entertainment in imaginary worlds."

What, like the film industry? Or books or television? This man's an idiot, and needs to be brought down a few feckin' pegs.
"I AM YOUR CHILDREN'S SAFETY. GIVE ME ALL YOUR MONEY. I AM THE ONLY SANE MAN IN AUSTRALIA. I AM ATKINSON."

 

[RealLifev2.0.09]

its illogical for him to try and stop R18+ rating for games here in australia yet he seems strangely silent about R18+ movies and music

This is most likely because though he is probably right about his constituents not caring about video games, he will lose that seat in a heartbeat if he gets R rated movies and music banned.

 

[MysticnFm]

Who got this prick into power again?

Pretty much this is my question as well, how the fuck did this guy get into power?

Who did this guy blow to get in a position of power?

(I can't seem to think of anything mature to say right now, not afer reading that.)

People have to realise, and I am sure most do, that he probably is a very good Attorney General when it comes to most issues in Australia. It just so happens he is also a massive prick when it comes to the rights of gamers.

 

[ShadowsofHope]

Goddamnit, what a prick.

I really get fed up when these "Paladins against Gaming" show up and try to boss everyone around about what they think YOU should do, and attempt to MAKE you coincide. Immaturity and arrogance at its best.

 

[The Great Fa]

I admire this man. He's really standing up for what he believes is right, and frankly his arguments make a lot of sense. To the hills with your calls of censorship! This guy is living my dream job. I may not agree with him, but paradoxically, I would love to be him.

 

[TankCopter]

He may be an ignorant moron, but at least he's a committed ignorant moron. It kinda gives you a sort of angry respect. Although he seems to think parents have never had to hide anything from kids, or that parents can't look after their kids. Hell, my mum managed to hide a wakeboard from my brother, I'm sure she could manage an itty-bitty game.

 

[Bealzibob]

Someone shoot him FFS >.<

 

[Abster]

This is a messy concept, but the R18+ rating for gamers will not only allow uncensored versions of games made especially for adults, but will also give parents a strict definition as to why games don't belong in the hands of children. Not to mention the game systems themselves nowadays have parental controls built right into them, so if a parent is so concerned about preventing their toddler from playing GTA they should set it up for themselves. Sadly a lot of parents don't give a shit about what they end up buying for their kid, so child fetish specialist here feels he has to insert himself into the mix just so he can make up for their ignorance, and also completely ignores the fact that other people also have brains, and can use the occasional skill to think with them once in a while.

 

[Dudeakoff]

It's nice to see Atkinson single handedly saving Australia from becoming a morally decadent shitholes like the rest of the world. Thanks to him, Australia doesn't have kids running around murdering millions of people because they thought it was cool in GTA, as you often see in the destroyed countries of Britain and America.

Godspeed Michael
Godspeed...

 

[Nihilism_Is_Bliss]

grrrr oh how i despise this man....

 

[Zing]

So sick of this ignoramus cock. There's just no logical to his idiotic opinion. It's completely undemocratic, and he's just abusing his power completely. Evident by the fact that he's gone as far as to downright insult people who are against him on the issue. Why doesn't he go move to China where he can be a communist.

The fact is that we deserve a choice, no one is asking for this stuff to be sold to kids or advertised/marketed towards children. There is absolutely no reason a right-minded 18+ adult should not be able to enjoy games that the rest of the world does.

Unfortunately, he won with 76% of the vote, so reelection is possible. Sigh.

 

[Disaster Button]

Atkinson is obviously the retarded catcher for Jack Thompson's crazed, nazi, police state supporting cock.

 

[DCFowl]

I have an idea
We go to Atkinson's seats (croydon?) video rental places and refuse to let any one perchase/rent R rated movies.
When people ask why we use the same argument he is using

 

[Cousin_IT]

"It is important that you do not confuse the classification rating of a game with the game's sophistication, or the challenge or interest to the player," he wrote. "It does not follow that a game is more interesting to an adult simply because it contains extreme violence, explicit sexual material or highly offensive language. Indeed, with all the effort and money that goes into game development, coupled with the effects and graphics now available, there is no need to introduce these extreme elements. I am baffled and worried about why proponents of R18+ games are putting up their hands and saying, 'Give us more cruel sex and extreme violence!'"

While I think the guy is a tool etc (oh what an eloquent nerd I am) It is unfortunate that this is pretty much how "mature" rated games are both marketed to gamers & look to anyone outside the gaming world. For all the "rights of free speech" & "adults can make their own decisions" etc, most gamer outrage does just seem to sound like "I want my games with titties blood & beer, gimmie gimmie gimmie." Hardly an argument thats going to sway the opinion of someone opposed to allowing an r18+ for just that reason.

The point is though, that if we get an r18 rating, developers have the ability to use tools like gore, coarse language and sexuality to develop a better story. They wouldnt be as tightly constrained as they are now, and therefore have the potential to create more gripping stories.

That is true, & is an argument it would be nice to see gamers use. But it isnt. The GTA IV complaints boiled down to "booooo I wanna be able to run over prostitutes" & the L4D2 complaints to "booooo I wanna be able to watch a zombies bits go everywhere as I bludgeon it to a pulp." While his arguments about the moral need to protect children from this stuff is crap; gamers abilities to articulate their argument in favour of the r18+ beyond "lolz u suk Atkinson, gimmie them titties" isn't going to sway the guys position.

In a way, he is also right that if this was a real issue to people, & not just gaming nerds being angry because they can (& always) find something to be angry about, surely they could organize & challenge him in the political arena; which even if they don't beat him would force him to defend his position on a more equal footing than currently.

 

[Zing]

"It is important that you do not confuse the classification rating of a game with the game's sophistication, or the challenge or interest to the player," he wrote. "It does not follow that a game is more interesting to an adult simply because it contains extreme violence, explicit sexual material or highly offensive language. Indeed, with all the effort and money that goes into game development, coupled with the effects and graphics now available, there is no need to introduce these extreme elements. I am baffled and worried about why proponents of R18+ games are putting up their hands and saying, 'Give us more cruel sex and extreme violence!'"

While I think the guy is a tool etc (oh what an eloquent nerd I am) It is unfortunate that this is pretty much how "mature" rated games are both marketed to gamers & look to anyone outside the gaming world. For all the "rights of free speech" & "adults can make their own decisions" etc, most gamer outrage does just seem to sound like "I want my games with titties blood & beer, gimmie gimmie gimmie." Hardly an argument thats going to sway the opinion of someone opposed to allowing an r18+ for just that reason.

The point is though, that if we get an r18 rating, developers have the ability to use tools like gore, coarse language and sexuality to develop a better story. They wouldnt be as tightly constrained as they are now, and therefore have the potential to create more gripping stories.

That is true, & is an argument it would be nice to see gamers use. But it isnt. The GTA IV complaints boiled down to "booooo I wanna be able to run over prostitutes" & the L4D2 complaints to "booooo I wanna be able to watch a zombies bits go everywhere as I bludgeon it to a pulp." While his arguments about the moral need to protect children from this stuff is crap; gamers abilities to articulate their argument in favour of the r18+ beyond "lolz u suk Atkinson, gimmie them titties" isn't going to sway the guys position.

In a way, he is also right that if this was a real issue to people, & not just gaming nerds being angry because they can (& always) find something to be angry about, surely they could organize & challenge him in the political arena; which even if they don't beat him would force him to defend his position on a more equal footing than currently.

http://www.gamers4croydon.org/home
http://www.gamers4croydon.org/members

 

[Arkhangelsk]

Why can't adults have fun? This man is implying that gamers are bad parents and that children are impressionable. None are true. I grew up with video games, my first violent game was GTA when I was 5 years old (I was a very sneaky child, I played it on PC when nobody was awake), and I'm perfectly fine. Nothing wrong with my brain. And even though there were 18+ games in my house, my parents succeeded in hiding some of the more violent ones.

It's true, a game doesn't have to be 18+ to be fun, but remember that just cause it's 18+ doesn't mean that it's all about violence and sex. 18+ games can have massive depth that no kiddie game can even fathom, and maybe it needs violence or titties to show that depth or to be that fun. Place some trust in the developers and the parents.

 

[Wilbot666]

This isn't intelligent or new to anyone, but Atkinson needs to be lost in a desert. The only consolation to myself and other Australian gamers is that he's getting long in the tooth and hopefully will be voted out soon. I understand his concerns about children getting their hands on adult content and indeed agree with them, but we ALREADY have R18 (and in-fact X) rated content freely available in movies and music in this country. Does he really believe that *blatant* censorship is the way to prevent the younger generation becoming "corrupted"?! I would not let children play titles like Manhunt or GTA4, nor would I let them watch Kill Bill or listen to Get In The Ring by Guns'n'Roses. Grow up Atkinson, and let Australia grow up and think for itself.

 

[Ushario]

The Australian Jack Thompson, lovely.

No, if Jack Thompson was this successful the U.S. wouldn't have anything but Hello Kittie Island Adventure. Atkinson is hopefully going to fail at the next election, if not, I can always hope that he gets hit by a bus.