R18+ update

[Trixxter]

[Artful-dodgeR]

For those interested, this is the bill in question.

http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/dow ... tion%2Fpdf

...all of those years and years of trying and fighting equates to a handful of paragraphs. Brilliant.

[steve_rogers42]

[Mekon]

Scott Ludlum's speech to the Senate about this issue

http://greensmps.org.au/content/speeche ... 8-computer

That is a fantastic speech - over the last decade, politicians have almost invariably disappointed with partisan, narrow-minded and counter-factual utterances. This was a refreshing change for the better...

[Sathias]

Scott really has his head screwed on right, I see him leading the party one day. The fact he can talk with authority on a range of non environmental issues is a huge plus.

[Nacimota]

Scott really has his head screwed on right, I see him leading the party one day. The fact he can talk with authority on a range of non environmental issues is a huge plus.

I've never been particularly partial to the Greens, but he has impressed me with intelligent positions on all sorts of tech related subjects (like ISP level filtering, for example) over the years. I'm really starting to like the guy.

[CelticAngel82]

now we can soon enjoy our blood-soaked-raped-corpses of hookers in games!

[exe3]

So did the classification itself get through unscathed or is R18+ just a glorified MA15+?

/edit

Apparently the Senate didn't make amendments but what about before them?

[Sathias]

So did the classification itself get through unscathed or is R18+ just a glorified MA15+?

/edit

Apparently the Senate didn't make amendments but what about before them?

I don't think any amendments were made in either house. As far as I know the legislation was supported by all parties as is.

[ChainsawMcP]

We already have a pretty clear commitment from the ACT Govt...

Given that they ALREADY introduced legislation back in March.
http://info.cmcd.act.gov.au/archived-me ... ml?v=11503
Released 27/03/2012

The ACT Government will introduce legislation this week in the Legislative Assembly that will allow for the creation of an R18+ classification category for computer games for the first time in the Territory, Attorney General, Simon Corbell announced today.

"The ACT Government has been a strong advocate in national discussions on the issue of an R18+ classification for computer games in Australia, and I am pleased to be able to introduce this bill to the Legislative Assembly," Mr Corbell said.

"The ACT will be the first jurisdiction to progress a bill giving effect to the Commonwealth's decision to implement the R18+ category in Australia."

And committed money in the budget a few weeks ago
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-05/a ... ls/4053870
Other
• $0.5 million over four years for enforcement and inspection of stores providing R18+ games.

[Ninja Catfish]

So did the classification itself get through unscathed or is R18+ just a glorified MA15+?

/edit

Apparently the Senate didn't make amendments but what about before them?

One of the biggest issues has been games that should have been R18+, getting through as MA15+, and games that are just over the limit of an MA15+ just getting RC'd altogether.
With an R18+ rating, it will mean games appropriate for R18+ will be rated as such, and some games that would have been RC'd might squeeze into the R rating.

That said, there's still the opportunity to refuse anything classification if it is worse than an R rating will allow. It'd have to be pretty frigging bad though

[Sathias]

So did the classification itself get through unscathed or is R18+ just a glorified MA15+?

/edit

Apparently the Senate didn't make amendments but what about before them?

One of the biggest issues has been games that should have been R18+, getting through as MA15+, and games that are just over the limit of an MA15+ just getting RC'd altogether.
With an R18+ rating, it will mean games appropriate for R18+ will be rated as such, and some games that would have been RC'd might squeeze into the R rating.

That said, there's still the opportunity to refuse anything classification if it is worse than an R rating will allow. It'd have to be pretty frigging bad though

I'd say the Manhunts and Postals of the world will still be RC but we shouldn't miss out on games that practically the whole rest of the world get to play.

[Jez]

I'd say the Manhunts and Postals of the world will still be RC but we shouldn't miss out on games that practically the whole rest of the world get to play.

^ This right here is what makes me kind of apathetic about the whole process, I've played both Manhunt and Postal 2, and see no reason why they shouldn't be legally allowed for sale in Australia. If all that happens with an R18+ rating is that MA15+ games get booted up a category while anything above that is still restricted, then what is the point of achieving an R18+ rating?

Cautious pessimism.

[Ninja Catfish]

I'd say the Manhunts and Postals of the world will still be RC but we shouldn't miss out on games that practically the whole rest of the world get to play.

^ This right here is what makes me kind of apathetic about the whole process, I've played both Manhunt and Postal 2, and see no reason why they shouldn't be legally allowed for sale in Australia. If all that happens with an R18+ rating is that MA15+ games get booted up a category while anything above that is still restricted, then what is the point of achieving an R18+ rating?

Cautious pessimism.

Games that clearly shouldn't be played by 15 year olds, still being able to be released?
That's been one of the main points all along, to better educate parents as to the content of games.

[Jez]

Games that clearly shouldn't be played by 15 year olds, still being able to be released?
That's been one of the main points all along, to better educate parents as to the content of games.

As a 21 year old with no kids I don't really care about that. Perhaps it's because I played a lot of age-inappropriate games growing up, but I also don't really think that changing the sticker on the label from MA15 to R18 is going to change parenting behaviour all that much. If someone's buying GTA for their 14 year old it means that they're either apathetic or that they don't think the content is inappropriate, either way a different number on the box probably won't change much.

Could also be that they're just easily-swayed by their children's pleas, I remember **** hard to get Mortal Kombat III when I was a kid.