South AU replacing MA15+ with R18+ for games

[Macgyvercas]

Did they actually introduce the R18+ rating yet? And if they did, then those games are no longer banned?

If the answer to both of those is yes, then what the hell is the problem?

 

[Darkguy89]

I do not like this idea at all because most likely the Victorian government will adopt the idea, but it comes as no surprise with South Australia already banning R18+ movies. Wait then their idea is completely contradictory. What are those politicians smoking?

 

[Zeema]

Dear God Australia your government is officially retarded. They should be listening to the gaming community... to people like Yahtzee who actually have a fucking clue about the games industry.

Amen preach it

if you even put a R18+ on kids will still buy it they get there parents or older brother too do it.

 

[StormShaun]

This better not happen in Western Australia or im moving...who votes to move to Canada, home of better internet and bacon!

 

[Nouw]

I'd love to see their explanation behind this move.

 

[Reaper195]

http://au.games.ign.com/articles/118/1182354p1.html

While I'm a New Zealander, I think this is both pathetic on behalf on Australia's government and unfair for all the 12-17 year-old gamers who wish to enjoy their art-form.

Why can't Games and Movies just share? :/

Putting it frankly though, imagine Uncharted being rated Adults Only...


Discuss.

That is ridiculous. The entire world should adopt our Rating system. G, PG, M15, R13/16/18. Covers all grounds, and it is illegal for anyone under the R ages to play those rated games, not just for buying them.

 

[Nouw]

http://au.games.ign.com/articles/118/1182354p1.html

While I'm a New Zealander, I think this is both pathetic on behalf on Australia's government and unfair for all the 12-17 year-old gamers who wish to enjoy their art-form.

Why can't Games and Movies just share? :/

Putting it frankly though, imagine Uncharted being rated Adults Only...


Discuss.

That is ridiculous. The entire world should adopt our Rating system. G, PG, M15, R13/16/18. Covers all grounds, and it is illegal for anyone under the R ages to play those rated games, not just for buying them.

Funny that, Americans got all jumpy when the law to restrict games legally was considered.

 

[doggie135]

http://au.games.ign.com/articles/118/1182354p1.html

While I'm a New Zealander, I think this is both pathetic on behalf on Australia's government and unfair for all the 12-17 year-old gamers who wish to enjoy their art-form.

Why can't Games and Movies just share? :/

Putting it frankly though, imagine Uncharted being rated Adults Only...


Discuss.

That is ridiculous. The entire world should adopt our Rating system. G, PG, M15, R13/16/18. Covers all grounds, and it is illegal for anyone under the R ages to play those rated games, not just for buying them.

Actually, I also disagree with New Zealand's rating system.
Mostly because the restriction's criteria is poorly defined, inconsistent and encourages people underage who want to view the media to resort to illegal methods of obtaining it.

 

[RadiusXd]

A few M rated game casualities along the way are just a nessacary sacrifice, and again, won't piss off anyone but the kiddies.

God forbid youth have access to content appropriate for their age.

After all, they can't vote. So who gives a shit about them?

 

[Helscreama]

Glad I don't live in South Australia.

Just hope this doesn't transfer over to Victoria :/

I'm with you on this one!

 

[gillebro]

Interesting.

I think the idea of an R rating existing in Australia is good (like, I'd say, everyone). What I'm wondering is if this will mean that R-rated future games will be allowed in South Australia and nowhere else, or if R is just going to be the SA version of MA15+, so 15-17-year-old South Australians will have to nip over to Victoria to get games that should be MA15+. I guess we'll have to see.

 

[NerfedFalcon]

Glad I don't live in South Australia.

Just hope this doesn't transfer over to Victoria :/

I'm with you on this one!

Second that.

 

[Cowabungaa]

Jeez those guys have no clue about the middle road now do they? There really should be entry requirements for getting into politics, every idiot and his mother can get involved and screw things up like this.

Should I move to The Netherlands, Japan, or Germany?

Happy to welcome you in our little quirky country. Enjoy our censorship-free games, hedonistic freedoms, overal liberalism (a mainly Christian government not banning euthanasia and abortion? *gasp*) and very cute girls!

Eh, I live in Victoria, I'm over 18, I'm not affected.

You could be if your state decides to copy their legislation. Even still, it could only lead to more games getting censored or banned. This would only make the existing legislation more strict.

That is ridiculous. The entire world should adopt our Rating system. G, PG, M15, R13/16/18. Covers all grounds, and it is illegal for anyone under the R ages to play those rated games, not just for buying them.

Mostly good, except the illegal to play and buy thing. It should be parents who should be the ultimate enforcers. I mean really, the idea that it'd be illegal for my mentally pretty mature 17 year old brother to play an 18+ game is just plain silly.

 

[Sonicron]

... Ok, well, thats it then.
Should I move to The Netherlands, Japan, or Germany?

While Germany can be a nice place to live, if the purpose of your move would be less games censorship then for the love of God, move somewhere else. We're nearly as bad as the Aussies in that regard.

 

[Bob_F_It]

It's a step in the right direction, but not perfect; eventually they'll come to realise that they need MA15+ and R18+ ratings at the same time.
At this stage, you won't get R18+ games being shoehorned into a lesser catagory that they don't belong to, exposing younger audiences to inappropiate content. Yes, it's a pain that MA15 games are now placed further out of reach of older teenagers, but I don't see why Austalia should be maintaining its schism of what happens to adult games (no, we don't like them, but they're welcome if you trim a little bit off).

The truely bad thing that could happen (from a protective standpoint, great for the 15-17s you mentioned) would be if the ratings board started shoehorning MA15+ games into the M rating.

 

[blankedboy]

Strange. I'm 15 and just waltz around playing Borderlands or Prototype or whatever and getting away with it. Why? Because Steam.
Really, if you buy your games through Steam then censorship laws are just irrelevant to you. They pretend not to be, but in practice they are.

 

[TacticalAssassin1]

... Ok, well, thats it then.
Should I move to The Netherlands, Japan, or Germany?

My thoughts exactly. I was thinking... Switzerland?

 

[TH3_D15HWA5H3R]

this is why i hate my country...but it doesnt bother me i dont live in south australia and im over 18... but its kind of a backwards retard thing to do

 

[doggie135]

I was going to say! Germany are even worse than Australia censorship wise...

And for any Americans here: This is equivalent to removing R and jumping from PG-13 to NC-17! (Removing M, and jumping from T to AO)