R18+ Meeting in Oz

[42]

Well the news is out, apparently the Attorney Generals have come round and finally accepted an R18+ rating here. All states and territories will implement it. Except NSW, maybe. great. just because of one AG, the state i just happen to live in is the one with the idiot.

The gist of it is that 8 out of 9 AG's have voted for the rating with the one from NSW abstaining his vote because he is waiting for a report to be released next year.

But the one thing that has got me perplexed is this line

"Under the proposed guidelines games containing high-level violence will be restricted to adults, while games containing extreme violence will continue to be refused classification and banned from sale altogether."

I don't get it, by what definition is their idea of extreme violence?

In general the outcome of the meeting was brilliant, as the wheels are now in motion for introduction of the R rating.
The other thing is the government will go ahead with it anyway with or without the NSW AG's support. but that only raises my question does that mean NSW will not be getting the R rating, and that games will be banned from being sold in the state?

Well it's progress i guess even it's just a chip off the block.

What do you think Escapees? espicially the Australian ones?
[link]http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-07-22/games-rating-agreement/2806200/?site=newcastle[/link]

 

[Gavmando]

Damn. Ninja'd.

It's about bloody time!

Now, time to find out who our Attorney-General is and write them a letter...

EDIT: Here's the website that has his contact details: http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/Lawlink/Corporate/ll_corporate.nsf/pages/attorney_generals_department_agd_contact_us
Turns out this website is utterly useless. Surprise, surprise... Use the other one below.

And here's his electorate website: http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/members.nsf/0/DF02695BD3531C0DCA2572A700165B29

Turns out i'm only 300 meters or so outside his electorate.

 

[Jim From Accounting]

WWWWWWW000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 i could do this for hours to be honest.

 

[newuseforvintage]

I think the "extreme violence" will be somewhat like the current restrictions on unnecessary violence that does nothing for/within the story. Example: The finishing moves in the latest mortal kombat

 

[enzilewulf]

Some one explain to me what this is about? is this rating for games?

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

"Under the proposed guidelines games containing high-level violence will be restricted to adults, while games containing extreme violence will continue to be refused classification and banned from sale altogether."

That's the articles words not the guidelines...

And seeing as 2 states want to make amendments to the guidelines and Greg Smith (NSW AG) has his thumb firmly up his arse things could take a bit of time to thrash out.

Some one explain to me what this is about? is this rating for games?

Yes, it's about the Australian Commonwealth government trying once again to get the States to agree to introducing an R18+ rating for video games and as usual, someone just had to play the ****.

 

[Thaluikhain]

The other thing is the government will go ahead with it anyway with or without the NSW AG's support. but that only raises my question does that mean NSW will not be getting the R rating, and that games will be banned from being sold in the state?

As I understand it, they couldn't really implement it without violating the constitution.

Under section 92, trade between states is "absolutely free", so, I think that you could simply buy from another state without there being an issue, although I'm led to believe there's been all sorts of interpretations about this.

 

[madster11]

There's not much fucking point if they're still gonna ban games.

The entire reason we wanted an R18 rating was to prevent that.

God, we're governed by archaic dickheads. "Oh no, that man removed that mans arms, BAN IT!"
Meanwhile on TV at 10pm they show people getting literally tortured to death in some movies.

 

[enzilewulf]

Some one explain to me what this is about? is this rating for games?

Yes, it's about the Australian Commonwealth government trying once again to get the States to agree to introducing an R18+ rating for video games and as usual, someone just had to play the ****.

Dis regard that im stupid

 

[StormShaun]

Finaly but are they still getting rid off the MA15+ rating...plus are they going with the plain box art because that would suck!

 

[banksy122]

To the people who seem to think this is a step forward. It isn't, we are in the same position as we were before. One person holding the country back. This country is so far from a democracy >.>

 

[infohippie]

I don't really care that much, myself. Our government has dragged this out for so long they've made themselves irrelevant. Australian gamers have already gotten themselves their own ways around our ridiculous restrictions - playasia.com, digital stores plus VPN or IP spoofing, even piracy.
It's hurting local retailers, of course, since that's a whole lotta gaming money that won't be going into their pockets, but I don't feel any particular loyalty to our retailers, given the prices they charge and their total failure to care about their customers.

When we finally do get a proper 18+ rating for games, assuming they don't gut it with stupid exceptions and weird little clauses to appease the Christian Right and the hand-wringing Helen Lovejoys, then it'll be a good moral victory and statement of principle, but it won't make any real practical difference. Too little, too late, Mr. Government Man. You've missed your opportunity to be relevant to the situation. It's a discussion gamers are now having without you.

PS: There should be no such thing as "Refused Classification" at all. It's a weaselly way of banning while claiming not to ban. There should merely be a graduated system of age ratings culminating in 18+, and nothing ought to fall outside that. If some media contains something of which the very depiction is illegal, such as child porn, then we already have laws on the books to handle such cases.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

The other thing is the government will go ahead with it anyway with or without the NSW AG's support. but that only raises my question does that mean NSW will not be getting the R rating, and that games will be banned from being sold in the state?

Under section 92, trade between states is "absolutely free", so, I think that you could simply buy from another state without there being an issue, although I'm led to believe there's been all sorts of interpretations about this.

Yes and no.

That's not what section 92 is about. Section 92 prohibits the imposition of duties, tariffs and taxes on interstate trade.

As for theoretically importing R18+ games from other States... iffy but mostly yes. Would almost certainly be treated the same as X18 movies imported from the ACT and NT.

 

[ChupathingyX]

Hehe, funny, I just gave an oral presentation about this today at school.

Anyway, I don't get it, they're going to introduce a R18+ rating but they're still going to ban games, what's the point of having a R18 rating then?

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

Finaly but are they still getting rid off the MA15+ rating...plus are they going with the plain box art because that would suck!

That's only in South Oz.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

Anyway, I don't get it, they're going to introduce a R18+ rating but they're still going to ban games, what's the point of having a R18 rating then?

Any form of media can be RC'ed in Australia, not just games.

 

[ChupathingyX]

Anyway, I don't get it, they're going to introduce a R18+ rating but they're still going to ban games, what's the point of having a R18 rating then?

Any form of media can be RC'ed in Australia, not just games.

Still, this barely seems to be a step forward, more like a step forward and then one AG taking a step back and now the other guys have to wait for him to catch up.

Whatever happened to "moving forward"?

 

[zehydra]

Where is this? Australia? OP needs to actually say the country he's talking about, especially since Australians are in the minority on this website. (According to the user polls I've seen, anyway)

 

[BanicRhys]

Very good.

Now let's do something about those ridiculous prices.