Slashdot Mirror
Australia Reveals R18+ Video Game Guidelines
RagingMaxx writes "Is Australia finally ready to implement a video game rating system that allows for classification of adult games? Draft guidelines have been released by the federal government which allow 'virtually no restrictions on the treatment of themes,' and violence in games 'except where it offends against the standards of morality, decency and propriety.' Last month, South Australian Attorney General John Rau said that the state was finally ready to adopt the long-proposed R18+ adult rating for games, but only if the lower MA15+ rating is eliminated and all games in the category pushed into the new, higher rating. However, this new draft has both the R18+ and MA15+ ratings available together."
I have to admit, I'm a little bit excited to see our country move forward with this. However, I will maintain a healthy level of trepidation until it actually passes.
What will the US and European game exporting juggernauts of industry and the source of our last remaining exports do now!? War with Australia is the only way forward! Why couldn't you guys just let it be? ... oh well just gotta find my flak jacket now brb.
About Time....
it has been ridiculous not having one...
Really, why should we get rid of MA15+? The end result would be that we get a few extra games and other than that the system is the same - just that what was formerly restricted (at least in theory) to 15 year olds would be restricted to 18 year olds instead.
I can't really say it surprises me though. This was covered in the news a while ago, and they were pushing it on the "think of the children" front - boosting everything with violence up into R18+ to supposedly keep it out of the hands of minors
Our culture doesn't get smarter, it just finds new ways of being retarded.
haha
console makers
PCs rule.
This guideline offends my morality, decency and propriety.
With vauge crap like that why even have a rule...
Huh? Yay? Nay?
Ah, it all becomes clear. The Duke Nukem Forever release has just been waiting until Australia gets an R18+ rating!
It sounds like MA15+ and R18+ are pretty much the same, they're just trying to raise the age bracket under the guise of being more permissive. The language used makes it seem like they can actually be more restrictive.
Twinstiq, game news
Who's standards? My standards are pretty fucken low.
I for one welcome this. If there was anything missing from video games, it was violence. Whatever sucks about gaming now can be fixed with more violence. Sometimes when I look at the news I think that there's not enough violence, so I'm glad that video games in Australia can now fill that gap. For violence, I mean.
"In the absence of the ability to establish the attribute of truth they tried to establish the noble attributes."
John Rau, however, is not.
"except where it offends against the standards of morality, decency and propriety"
And guess what ? That means they can decide at any arbitrary time that game xyz do not match those "standard" and ban it arbitrarly. After all those standard are not really described point by point in the law, so any classification group can make up any bullshit reason why it does not match the foggy "standard" of "morality" (is there even enough scare quote in that sentence?). So my best guess if they really want to push an agenda very hard, they can declare all game they subjectively don't like against the "standard" and have the standard a moving target enough so that 18+ is a joke.
The real solution to this is to simply abolish the classification board on it's current form. Instead replace it with a voluntary games classification system run by industry, with regular audits by a government body to ensure industry is complying by it's own rules.
Oh and keep it at the federal level, I'm sick of some dickhead ex-lawyer hicks at the state level blocking everything that doesn't agree with their mates in the Christian lobby.
Pre-canned Evolution Links for all those Slashdot holy wars.
So... murder is accepted by the general populace to be moral and decent now? Really, how much worse can you get than murder and destruction? I don't understand the point of that little exception (especially since they're just games anyway).
Filthy, filthy copyrapists!
Parents will realise 18+ rating is to be ignored, and when Gory Psycho Killer comes out 18+ will also buy it for him, even
However the draft poposal states
Computer games will be refused classification if they include or contain any of the following:
CRIME OR VIOLENCE
Detailed instruction or promotion in matters of crime or violence.
The promotion or provision of instruction in paedophile activity.
Descriptions or depictions of child sexual abuse or any other exploitative or offensive
descriptions or depictions involving a person who is, or appears to be, a child under 18 years.
Gratuitous, exploitative or offensive depictions of:
(i) violence with a very high degree of impact or which are excessively frequent,
prolonged or detailed;
(ii) cruelty or real violence which are very detailed or which have a high impact;
(iii) sexual violence.
Sexual violence related to incentives and rewards.
SEX
Depictions of practices such as bestiality.
Gratuitous, exploitative or offensive depictions of:
(i) activity accompanied by fetishes or practices which are offensive or abhorrent;
(ii) incest fantasies or other fantasies which are offensive or abhorrent.
DRUG USE
Detailed instruction in the use of proscribed drugs.
Material promoting or encouraging proscribed drug use.
As a general rule, computer games will also be Refused Classification if they contain:
(i) drug use related to incentives or rewards;
(ii) interactive drug use which is detailed and realistic.
Mafia games, drugg runner games, and rape games might not get a RC status, which will be be the ultimate "must have" label for those people searching the limits,
If i read this, SAW 3D, the movie might be allowed, but SAW 3d the game might be RC (and RC means normal stores will not carry this. ). (disclaimer, i did not see saw, but i suppose it scores very high on the violence with high impact )
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Does this reflect austrlian morality as in normal socialty? (can you show a tit, on a beach, do people use drugs or are those people considerd to be in prison)
except where it offends against the standards of morality, decency and propriety
So... maybe they'll allow some of that. Which is pretty much the situation we have now.