A plea for common sense. [UPDATED] I got my reply. 18/1/10

[Beartrucci]

Someone should do a survey on gamers and violent crime. Would i not be making an understandable assumption that gamers commit less violent crime than the national average?

I was hoping to find some research that shows that games improve social skills (LANs and stuff like that) and something like you've mentioned; something that shows that gamers have an outlet with violent games to work out frustrations and are less likely to commit violent acts.

Any research you could find would be a blessing <3

Exactly this, like my friend let me join his LAN group (Dawn of War ftw) and I'm now friends with majority of the people in the group.

Gaming also lets you take out your frustrations on things like you said. Like after a shit day instead of sitting around all pissed off, I just load up Red Faction: Guerrilla or Grand Theft Auto 4 and just cause mayhem. It calms you down and you start having fun after a while, instead of being tempted to go kill shit in real life.

 

[Radelaide]

<a href=http://www.abc.net.au/tv/goodgame/video/default.htm?pres=20081124_2100&story=08>Michael Atkinson talks about video games

I came upon this from a Steam group. It seems as though Atkinson attacks his own argument and is questioning himself.

He also says that research done by Bond University is "bogas" because it wasn't done by the Australian Government.

Think I could add any of this to my letter?

 

[4fromK]

there is a petition here http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/ozgamers

 

[TheDoctor455]

nice work there, write about who parents should be in control of what their children can and can't see.

Yes, though the pity of all of this is that the whole reason these laws get passed is because some parents are too lazy to pay attention to what a game is rated and WHY it got that rating.

 

[Motti]

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Could you raise the point that not having an 18+ rating means that teenagers are getting access to content that is only truly meant for adults, making the problem worse?

 

[Radelaide]

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Could you raise the point that not having an 18+ rating means that teenagers are getting access to content that is only truly meant for adults, making the problem worse?

I sure can. I plan on getting back into writing the letter tomorrow. I've had a busy few days and it's had to slip down the list of things to do.

nice work there, write about who parents should be in control of what their children can and can't see.

Yes, though the pity of all of this is that the whole reason these laws get passed is because some parents are too lazy to pay attention to what a game is rated and WHY it got that rating.

I was thinking something like that, too. Lack of education is a huge reason why children are getting these games. I think perhaps putting posters up around the store you're buying the game from explaining what the ratings mean. Like they used to put in VHS videos. I can remember a family being at a video store deciding what they wanted and it explained in detail what the ratings meant and gave examples.

 

[TheDoctor455]

snipped

Could you raise the point that not having an 18+ rating means that teenagers are getting access to content that is only truly meant for adults, making the problem worse?

I sure can. I plan on getting back into writing the letter tomorrow. I've had a busy few days and it's had to slip down the list of things to do.

nice work there, write about who parents should be in control of what their children can and can't see.

Yes, though the pity of all of this is that the whole reason these laws get passed is because some parents are too lazy to pay attention to what a game is rated and WHY it got that rating.

I was thinking something like that, too. Lack of education is a huge reason why children are getting these games. I think perhaps putting posters up around the store you're buying the game from explaining what the ratings mean. Like they used to put in VHS videos. I can remember a family being at a video store deciding what they wanted and it explained in detail what the ratings meant and gave examples.

Yeah, but there's no real guarantee these same lazy-ass parents will actually READ the fucking posters.

 

[Hollock]

tell his assistant who will burn the letter that not being able to get the games will result in downloading the stuff online or importing it so it only hurts the austrailian economy. and that buddist monks approve of this shit now so why dont they?

 

[TheRealCJ]

Doesn't sounds as persuasive as a bat to the face.

Just saying IMO.. Jk

Anyway, nice letter. You should get more people to do it

See now, this is the kind of thing that feeds that man's arguments. You play video games, & you want to smash someone's face in with a bat.

Having said that, given the chance I would utterly rape Michael Atkinson's skull from here to New Zealand, the little prick.

I pplay cricket, and occasionally want to brain someone with a bat.

Perhaps we should ban that too.

 

[deora2dude]

as i am a proficiant gamer i suppose my opinion might be slightly biased. however i do wish to say that withholding an +18 rating as absurd! while i do not mean to insult you dear sir, i do wish to interject my thoughts that this makes no sense at all. if you are doing this to "protect the children" i do say this is doing quite the contrary. i am quite sure that if a child were to hear of a game such as left 4 dead. or say manhunt. (i will admit that game made even ME squeam)that if the child wanted that game he would reasearch it. in that event i must say that would lead to bittorrent. (if you dont know what that is i dare say that you have to right to object to this issue) and if there was, say an +18 rating that child would know that there are certain restrictions. while this would not stop EVERY kid from playing these kind of games, need i remind you that the avarage gamers age is around 30! and last i checked 18 < 30.

though if you really are dead set on stopping anything with an M rating here in canada. why stop there? why not ban anything you deem vulgar or objectionable? heck. why not just ban the internet? you know... just to be safe?

it seems that under jack Thompson's ideals (an idiot from Florida)anyone who looks at violent video games becomes a blood spewing chainsaw massacring un-athecticized neutering atila the hun scare-er...




well... im fourteen and nothing has happened to me! or anyone else for that matter.

 

[Knonsense]

It may also be nice to try going over the guy's head. He seems to hold a lot of positions according to Wikipedia. Which one gives him this utterly stupid power, and who is responsible for giving the position to him?

 

[PurpleRain]

Dear Mister Atkinson,
As I'm sure, I would not be the first person to email you about the matter concerning introducing an R 18+ rating into the Australian Games Industry.
I agree with you on many points about the issue, but the idea of blocking the rating simply because that some under age minors may get their hands on the game is completely ridiculous. Video games are not simply for children in this modern technological age. Many are enjoyed by people over the age of 18, sensible people who deserve to be treated like the adults that becoming 18 classes us as.

Mister Atkinson, you are the only person opposed to the matter concerning a great deal of adults who decide your future. I raise this point, not as a threat, but as something to think about. I understand that you want to protect the children from the horrors of video games, but there are greater horrors going on without the inclusion of video games. Ask yourself: Where are the Australian Troops? Where is there great famine? Sir, all we ask is that you sit down with some "gamers" and talk to them about the need for their to be a change to the system.

He's going to read your point as this: Children however do not watch the news and so are not exposed to the war. Children in fact play video games as it is targeted at them.

Just sayen' is all.

 

[The_Healer]

Good editing work.
I think that some constructive ideas would also benefit the argument - ways to address the issue that has prevented the establishment of such a rating system. (Children being exposed to things deemed unsuitable)

Dear Michael Atkinson:

As I'm sure, I would not be the first person to mail you about the matter of introducing an R18+ rating into the Australian Games Industry.

It stands to reason that Australia should have a consistent rating system. There are adult-level novels, films, videos, and television shows, all of which have an adult-oriented rating. The video game industry does not. This is because of minors gaining access to the adult-oriented titles without being of the pre-requisite age.

I agree with you on many points about that issue, but the idea of blocking the rating simply because that some underage minors may get their hands on the game is completely ridiculous. Video games are not simply for children in this modern technological age. Many games are enjoyed by people over the age of 18, sensible people who deserve to be treated as adults that becoming 18 classes us as.

Consider another medium of entertainment, the film industry. Studies show that all forms of violent entertainment media (with film being one of the three primarily studied) will increase a child's likelihood of violent behavior. Studies also link alcohol-consumption and operating a motorized vehicle as increased signs of violent behavior, the effects higher for younger participants. From this data, any child that has access to their parent's DVD collection, liquor cabinet, or car keys is at a significantly higher risk of violent crime than one that is not.

Because of that risk, there is a rating system in place for adult-level film media. There are laws in place for operation of a motor vehicle, and a law in place for liquor consumption. There are not laws in place for adult-level video games, nor is there a rating for them. The idea of denying games a classification parallels introducing an alcohol prohibition or banning motor vehicles.

Minors can only gain access to other prohibited media or materials through an adult and therefore adults should be informed of the risks posed by such things. For the majority of other restricted materials, significant warnings are in place to discourage adults from supplying minors with that which they are not authorised - the Australian Games Industry has no such luxury. Instead, adults are denied this mature content, despite their obvious seniority. What I propose is a campaign not unlike those undertaken for alcohol and cigarettes, with gratuitous warnings against those who decide to bypass the rigorous rating system. Surely then the risk of children being exposed to mature content will lay on the irresponsible parents of these children; allowing those who do not ignore the guidelines to enjoy the content that is suitable for them individually.

Mister Atkinson, you are the only attorney-general opposed to the matter concerning a great deal of adults in this country.who decide your future. I raise this point not as a threat, but as something to consider. I understand that you want to protect the children from the horrors of video games, but there are greater horrors going on without the inclusion of video games. Ask yourself: Where are the Australian Troops? Where is there great famine? Sir, all we ask is that you reconsider your position, and consider a potential need for sit down with some "gamers" and talk to them about the need for there to be a change to the system.

Made a few edits that are tentative and need some adjustments on. Otherwise, I hope I've helped a bit. The idea really is absurd, and the system is in need of changing. I'm hoping this does some good, and I'm glad I could help in whatever small way. Best of luck, and we'll see how well this goes.

I'm sick of the ratings system as well. Hopefully an intelligent, constructive letter will make some alteration to his antiquated attitude.

 

[Samurai Goomba]

The problem with Atkinson is he's intimately familiar with all of the logical arguments explaining why having an R rating is good, and why not having one is actually worse for kids (games designed for adults get tiny adjustments and then are released in a different classification, often with no change to core, disturbing material), but he doesn't care. He really doesn't. It's his opinion that games make people violent, and he will not rest until everyone either shares his opinion or suffers for failing to.

He's not "stupid," but there's certainly something wrong with him. I've linked multiple times to the GS interview that perfectly illustrates his insanity (anything he says illustrates this, but whatever), so I won't, but check that out if you honestly think Atkinson isn't a manipulative narcissistic hypocrite (what else do you call someone who tells everyone what they can't play while admitting he doesn't know what his OWN KIDS are playing?) who's impervious to reason and common sense.

Letters, petitions, debates... Nothing is going to convince Atkinson. Impeachment is the course of action we should be pursuing, on the grounds that this is discrimination (movies and books don't have this kind of censorship in Australia) and restriction of the freedom of adults to enjoy the mature hobbies they choose. Why can't each person decide for themselves what's appropriate for them to play? Why does Atkinson get to decide that (well, him and the review board, but they just do their jobs. Atkinson is responsible for all this.)?

 

[FROGGEman2]

Tell him that he is unnecessarily squishing an art medium for no reasonable reason.

 

[Vanguard_Ex]

As another disgruntled Australian gamer, furious over the rating system that has become such a joke not only here but overseas, I've decided to write the Honourable Michael Atkinson an email outlining the need for a change to the system, but I need your help.

So far I've written (and this is only a first draft mind you):

Dear Mister Atkinson,
As I'm sure, I would not be the first person to email you about the matter concerning introducing an R 18+ rating into the Australian Games Industry.
I agree with you on many points about the issue, but the idea of blocking the rating simply because that some under age minors may get their hands on the game is completely ridiculous. Video games are not simply for children in this modern technological age. Many are enjoyed by people over the age of 18, sensible people who deserve to be treated like the adults that becoming 18 classes us as.

Mister Atkinson, you are the only person opposed to the matter concerning a great deal of adults who decide your future. I raise this point, not as a threat, but as something to think about. I understand that you want to protect the children from the horrors of video games, but there are greater horrors going on without the inclusion of video games. Ask yourself: Where are the Australian Troops? Where is there great famine? Sir, all we ask is that you sit down with some "gamers" and talk to them about the need for their to be a change to the system.

What I need from you guys are more ideas, and more reasons for there to be a change for the system immediately. What would you write (and please, keep it fairly civil) to Atkinson? I'll include it in my email and hopefully, it'll give him something else to think about.

NOTE: I'm aware that I'm probably not the first person to do this, but I'm damned if I'm going to sit on my arse while my country is turned into a joke by one man refusing to listen to reason.

Yes, very nice. I like the inclusion of a reminder that none of this is a threat, that'll stop it getting out of hand.

Some minor touch ups I would suggest:
- Change the sentence about Australia becoming a joke to include: '...some under age minors may get their hands on the game is completely ,quite frankly, ridiculous.
- Make a point that if retailers do their job well, then children shouldn't be able to get their hands on the games anyway.
- That it isn't fair that everyone should suffer these regulations because the government wants to achieve this impossible nirvana where children can't possibly get hold of violent video games.

Good luck. By the way, who is Michael Atkinson? Methinks we should all be following this example...

 

[Radelaide]

Good luck. By the way, who is Michael Atkinson? Methinks we should all be following this example...

Michael Atkinson is the South Australian Attorney General, and opposes introducing an R rating into the Australian games rating system.

Michael Atkinson is kinda like the lawyer dude from America (He's so unimportant I can't remember his name), except Atkinson has power to do stuff, Lawyer dude just bitches till he's blue in the mouth.

 

[Vanguard_Ex]

Good luck. By the way, who is Michael Atkinson? Methinks we should all be following this example...

Michael Atkinson is the South Australian Attorney General, and opposes introducing an R rating into the Australian games rating system.

Michael Atkinson is kinda like the lawyer dude from America (He's so unimportant I can't remember his name), except Atkinson has power to do stuff, Lawyer dude just bitches till he's blue in the mouth.

Ah right. Thank you for the info. I really do think we should follow this example though.