Fallout 3. The Australian Disgrace.

[slyder35]

For those unaware Fallout3 did not pass our ratings board, the OFLC, who do not have an R18+ rating for video games. So in crude terms, it is banned from our market unless something changes. Apparently it 'sends the wrong message' to our society.

I love my country but this to me is a disgraceful example of the government (who set the rules the OFLC must abide by) being everyone's pseudo-parents.

So Fallout3 is bad for me huh?

Let's see what else they should ban in this country:

SMOKING : cancer anyone? harmful to me and everyone around me.
TANNING : skin cancer anyone? ban the beaches, NOW.
ALCOHOL : harmful to me and potentially others around me via an accident.
TV : much of the trash on TV has worse themes and visuals than any video game.
FAST FOOD : McDonalds and KFC are more harmful our bodies than Fallout3 ever could be.
PORN IN ADULT SHOPS : lots of kids end up gawking at material their parents purchased from adult shops. So ban the entire industry.


That's just 6 harmful things to society off the top of my head, the list could be pages long of course.

I find the Fallout3 ruling inconsistent with the over-all ethos of 'protecting our society'. However, protecting our CHILDREN, if this is more what this is about, is a job for.......PARENTS. Not the government.

/end rant
/sorry if this is boring or old news, just move along to the next topic

Think about it though - I can legally purchase material showing a hot & sweaty inter-racial S&M orgy, or so much booze that my liver cries for a week after I get completely drunk - but noooooooo, I shouldn't dare sit quietly in my media room and play a video game where I shove pixellated drugs into my pixellated arm so that I can shoot pixellated monsters.

 

[Jumplion]

It's just like i said, stop complaining on gaming forums and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!

Seriously, what happend to the whole "petitions and protests and boycotts oh my!" stuff you guys were going to do?

You guys diserve a R18+ rating, so get to work with it!

 

[shadow skill]

Someone needs a hug.

 

[slyder35]

It's just like i said, stop complaining on gaming forums and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!

OK....I'll start complaining about it on....let's see.....greenpeace forums?

 

[Jumplion]

Someone needs a hug.

Me or him? (my father never loved me! *sobsob*

But seriously, before there was a whole thread about boycotting and petitions and angry bomb letters and everyone was up for it. And where did it end up? No where, it just fell flat on it's face and everyone forgot about it.

What's the point of complaining if nothing is being done? (depends on what you're complaining about, but still) I say get off your lazy asses and start doing something about this, because you've all got almost hte entire Escapist here, and i'm sure you could rack up even more people to fight for your cause.

 

[slyder35]

Trust me, if the ammendment of a federal law in parliament was based on people "getting off their lazy asses", we would. Surely you realise it doesn't work like that.

The complaints are rife because we realise we can't do anything about it.

 

[shadow skill]

Someone needs a hug.

Me or him? (my father never loved me! *sobsob*

But seriously, before there was a whole thread about boycotting and petitions and angry bomb letters and everyone was up for it. And where did it end up? No where, it just fell flat on it's face and everyone forgot about it.

What's the point of complaining if nothing is being done? (depends on what you're complaining about, but still) I say get off your lazy asses and start doing something about this, because you've all got almost hte entire Escapist here, and i'm sure you could rack up even more people to fight for your cause.

I meant the OP. It is lame what hapened though.

 

[HSIAMetalKing]

I'm so glad I don't live in Australia.

Why don't you try smuggling it into the country? It can't possibly be that hard.

 

[PurpleRain]

Ban movies. Everything that's a least bit offencive is on them striaght for childrens view. Requium For A Dream? There's drugs in that.

 

[pieeater911]

Wait. Is Grand Theft Auto banned in Australia? Because if it isn't, then their entire argument for banning Fallout 3 is just shot down right there.

 

[ForestFox]

I agree Australia seems to be "Bat S@#^ Bonkers" and "Pants On Head Retarded" when it comes to video games.

Also I agree with Pieeater911, if they haven't banned GTA they have no right to ban Fallout 3.

 

[Aries_Split]

If scarface is allowed in australia, then australia wins the hypocrit award.

 

[Ultrajoe]

We can smuggle it in (that was what I was planning on doing anyway, in order to exploit eBay and the weak American Dollar to get the game half priced) but thats not the point. The point is that it means the government doesn't percieve gaming as a mature pasttime like film. Its insulting. Like how Gay lovers battle for the right to be married. They could just live together, and it'll be no different than if they were married (save some benefits on medical plans, etc), but they want to be married, because they have just as much right to be recognised by the state as two people who love each other as a heterosexual couple.

Yes, I'm aware that I just compared gaming to two people loving each other. Sorry, but I can't come up with a better analogy right now.

weak australian dollar?

you may need to check on that my friend, it's a good time for the southern land.

 

[stompy]

If scarface is allowed in australia, then australia wins the hypocrit award.

True. They let in some of the most horrendous movies, and we can't even get bloody Fallout. Double standards much?