Grats Australia

[RhombusHatesYou]

but with that guy Jack Thompson influencing politics there

And exactly how is a disbarred Florida lawyer influencing things in Australia?


Or do you mean former South Australian Attorney-General and all round killjoy Michael Atkinson, who was forced behind the scenes to decline continuing as state AG because he'd become such a massive political liabilty?

 

[UberNoodle]

I absolutely love the title/image choice.

I agree. The wrong message? maybe.

Good Job aussie government. really, you, a "western" nation smashing its boots into peoples' faces. YOu rock. YOu are the coolest guy ever. You Doesn't afraid of anything!

Maybe there will be a few less retards on X-box live though, think abou tit that way.

For someone with an Assange pic as avatar, I wonder if you aren't missing the point here. Isn't the article stating that games will most likely be granted the same ratings as film, and therefore NOT suffer the censorship they do now?

Perhaps I misunderstood you. I don't understand the marks around "Western", since we are indeed a Western nation. I don't get the boots comments, since that isn't what's happening, and even if is, which "Western" nation ISN'T constantly curb stomping its citizens? And there wouldn't be less retards on Live because those idiot kids will have idiot parents who will buy R18+ the games for them.

It seems by combination of your loose typing and composition and the limitations of text based communication, I have missed your attempt at subversive humour. Correct me if I'm wrong. Otherwise, bravo.

Cheers.

 

[Jazzyjazz2323]

Australia and the biggest banhammer on the planet.

 

[PrimoThePro]

but with that guy Jack Thompson influencing politics there

And exactly how is a disbarred Florida lawyer influencing things in Australia?


Or do you mean former South Australian Attorney-General and all round killjoy Michael Atkinson, who was forced behind the scenes to decline continuing as state AG because he'd become such a massive political liabilty?

Ooh, ya, him, sorry, I'm not up to date with Australian politicians and... ahem... failures... I was not aware that he was shut down. Good.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

Isn't the articale stating that games will most likely be granted the same ratings as film, and therefore NOT suffer the censorship they do now.

That's exactly what the article states if you read it. If you don't actually read it, it states "OMG! AUSTRALIA HATES FUN! ENGAGE HYPERBOLE! SET IGNORANCE TO FULL!"

 

[UberNoodle]

Isn't the articale stating that games will most likely be granted the same ratings as film, and therefore NOT suffer the censorship they do now.

That's exactly what the article states if you read it. If you don't actually read it, it states "OMG! AUSTRALIA HATES FUN! ENGAGE HYPERBOLE! SET IGNORANCE TO FULL!"

Ahhhhh ... OKAY, gotcha. As a person who does read, I've grown accustomed to ignoring headlines, so I didn't notice the misleading message there. Tah.

 

[PrimoThePro]

I feel like the control in Australia keeps going over more and more to the government. Can an Aussie intelligently explain the whole political situation down there?

You've gravely misunderstood the issue. The Australian rating system is as follows. It's pretty logical:

G - FOr anybody
PG - Parental guidance
M - Recommended for 15s and up
MA15+ - Restricted to 15s and up
R18+ - Restricted to 18s and up

This is not about "gov't control". That's is a real American fear but Australia doesn't share quite the same neuroses. The rating system in Australia is controlled by a gov't body, the OFLC. Games granted above the MA15+ rating have not been allowed to be sold in Australia because the R18+ rating was not available for games. The news is that it most likely will be in the near future. The PM has approved it. This is great news because now games no longer need to be edited for the lower rating. The R18+ rating criteria is very fair and open, and it's actually more open than the BFCC's adult rating. Many movies cut in other countries are untouched here, unless we inherited their cut prints. I see this development as a great step.

As for control going "more and more to the government", they aren't. They are the same as they always were. Anyway, as long as that gov't isn't a corrupt corporatocrasy run by bickering fools only interested in lining their own and their rich friends' pockets, I think things should be fine. Not naming any names or pointing any fingers, but privatisation of societal moderation is not the way to go. Corporations and private interests care even less than about the people than the worst politician.

This is exactly what I was looking for. I forgot to mention in my OP that I thought this actual rating thing was a good decision, I just wanted to know the situation concerning the government in general. So is it degenerating slowly into the hands of corporate owners? Is the whole place actually becoming privatized? Or is it showing signs that this is happening...

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

I mean, they ban small breasts and women projectile pissing

Hahahaha... 'projectile pissing'...

The ban is on female ejaculation not pissing.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

Ahhhhh ... OKAY, gotcha. As a person who does read, I've grown accustomed to ignoring headlines, so I didn't notice the misleading message there. Tah.

No different to the people who carry on as if the ISP level national filter has already been implemented when it's dead in the water at least until the next federal election.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

So is it degenerating slowly into the hands of corporate owners? Is the whole place actually becoming privatized? Or is it showing signs that this is happening...

UberNoodle was using a polite way of saying "At least we haven't turned into a bunch of corporate whores like the US."

 

[Zenode]

I swear you're all being stupid.....this isn't about "banning" games, its about an R18+ classification, it means that children under 18 wont be able to go into store and buy them. They are only "banned" for people under 18 who want to buy them, parents can buy them for their kids, but what does that say about the parents, kids will get a hold of them sure, but not EVERY kid is going to be in possession of them. I have no idea were bloody censorship comes into this.
Sure they are edited, but they aren't censored like you believe, its only removing blood or gibing or anything like that, not taking out information in the game which the government doesn't want you to see.....

People who are whinging about this are either
1. Under 18
2. Read the article the wrong way
3. Non-Aussies who have no idea how stuff works down here
4. Idiots

Its the most progress we (Australia) have had towards an R18+ classification in A LONG TIME.

tl;dr its not about "banning" the games, its to stop retailers selling them to underage kiddies.

 

[UberNoodle]

I feel like the control in Australia keeps going over more and more to the government. Can an Aussie intelligently explain the whole political situation down there?

You've gravely misunderstood the issue. The Australian rating system is as follows. It's pretty logical:

G - FOr anybody
PG - Parental guidance
M - Recommended for 15s and up
MA15+ - Restricted to 15s and up
R18+ - Restricted to 18s and up

This is not about "gov't control". That's is a real American fear but Australia doesn't share quite the same neuroses. The rating system in Australia is controlled by a gov't body, the OFLC. Games granted above the MA15+ rating have not been allowed to be sold in Australia because the R18+ rating was not available for games. The news is that it most likely will be in the near future. The PM has approved it. This is great news because now games no longer need to be edited for the lower rating. The R18+ rating criteria is very fair and open, and it's actually more open than the BFCC's adult rating. Many movies cut in other countries are untouched here, unless we inherited their cut prints. I see this development as a great step.

As for control going "more and more to the government", they aren't. They are the same as they always were. Anyway, as long as that gov't isn't a corrupt corporatocrasy run by bickering fools only interested in lining their own and their rich friends' pockets, I think things should be fine. Not naming any names or pointing any fingers, but privatisation of societal moderation is not the way to go. Corporations and private interests care even less than about the people than the worst politician.

This is exactly what I was looking for. I forgot to mention in my OP that I thought this actual rating thing was a good decision, I just wanted to know the situation concerning the government in general. So is it degenerating slowly into the hands of corporate owners? Is the whole place actually becoming privatized? Or is it showing signs that this is happening...

I've not been living in Australia for a long time. I moved away. But to some degree it is, in order to defer responsibility. Luckily, not as overtly as in some other countries whose pollies wear their corporate interests on their sleeves. In other ways, Aussie conservatives have been swinging the other way, asking for gov't run internet blacklists and so forth. This has stalled time and time again, thankfully. But the world over, gov'ts are suffering the same problems. Developed nations worship money. Money comes from business. Businesses end up commanding a lot of political sway. The recent coup in Aus which got Gillard the party leadership was mostly about the multinational mining corporations using this power. They didn't like the previous PMs strategies as it would affect their businesses. Before Aussies could objectively react, the PM was ousted. He wasn't the best PM, but many Aussies were left with a bitter taste in their mouth after that.

 

[PrimoThePro]

So is it degenerating slowly into the hands of corporate owners? Is the whole place actually becoming privatized? Or is it showing signs that this is happening...

UberNoodle was using a polite way of saying "At least we haven't turned into a bunch of corporate whores like the US."

Wonderous. We Canadians get the fucking backlash of all their shit. I wish Canada moved away somewhere...

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

I swear you're all being stupid.....this isn't about "banning" games, its about an R18+ classification, it means that children under 18 wont be able to go into store and buy them. They are only "banned" for people under 18 who want to buy them, parents can buy them for their kids, but what does that say about the parents, kids will get a hold of them sure, but not EVERY kid is going to be in possession of them. I have no idea were bloody censorship comes into this.
Sure they are edited, but they aren't censored like you believe, its only removing blood or gibing or anything like that, not taking out information in the game which the government doesn't want you to see.....

Exactly. Bringing in an R18+ rating means less games will need to be modified to squeeze into the MA15+ rating. It also means less games will catch Refused Classification ratings (ie, banned). It also means the OFLC can stop acting so schizoid when it comes to games.

 

[UberNoodle]

So is it degenerating slowly into the hands of corporate owners? Is the whole place actually becoming privatized? Or is it showing signs that this is happening...

UberNoodle was using a polite way of saying "At least we haven't turned into a bunch of corporate whores like the US."

And yes, you've seen right through me! That is indeed what I was getting at.

 

[mudshovel]

What I find funny is this...

"Mr O'Connor said he was not sure why it had taken so long for the Government to act on concerns that Australia did not have R18+ rated games."

That's was because a labor member blocked it at every turn, Mr O'Connor! That would be Mr Atkinson, a state labor party member.

Mr O'Connor is a Federal member of the labor party.

 

[Plurralbles]

I absolutely love the title/image choice.

I agree. The wrong message? maybe.

Good Job aussie government. really, you, a "western" nation smashing its boots into peoples' faces. YOu rock. YOu are the coolest guy ever. You Doesn't afraid of anything!

Maybe there will be a few less retards on X-box live though, think abou tit that way.

For someone with an Assange pic as avatar, I wonder if you aren't missing the point here. Isn't the article stating that games will most likely be granted the same ratings as film, and therefore NOT suffer the censorship they do now?

Perhaps I misunderstood you. I don't understand the marks around "Western", since we are indeed a Western nation. I don't get the boots comments, since that isn't what's happening, and even if is, which "Western" nation ISN'T constantly curb stomping its citizens? And there wouldn't be less retards on Live because those idiot kids will have idiot parents who will buy R18+ the games for them.

It seems by combination of your loose typing and composition and the limitations of text based communication, I have missed your attempt at subversive humour. Correct me if I'm wrong. Otherwise, bravo.

Cheers.

yeah I realized it a little too late.

 

[UberNoodle]

So is it degenerating slowly into the hands of corporate owners? Is the whole place actually becoming privatized? Or is it showing signs that this is happening...

UberNoodle was using a polite way of saying "At least we haven't turned into a bunch of corporate whores like the US."

Wonderous. We Canadians get the fucking backlash of all their shit. I wish Canada moved away somewhere...

Stay were you are. It's a beautiful place. Move them

 

[ilspooner]

Ugh. Thanks Julia. Oh well. Time to go play Fallout Three, in all its gory glory.