Aussie AG halts R18+ rating for games indefinitely

Bummer

Cant wait until the boys over at Australian Gamer get to rant about this, bringing Yahtzee onto the show would propel it to instant epicness. I'm sure Blunty3000 will also have a few choice words for this decision

http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/2569/1219730956451ua5.gif

This is fucking bullshit.

Feels good to live in America.

Feels good to live in Canada.

Well, at least you'll get to enjoy Fallout 3. I'll promise to send you guys all the games you want :D. (Shipping+$ purchase+tax not included). Still, I'll do it. Maybe.

isnt it all about adult's choice. its like saying you cant sell porn because a minor might watch it.

Looks like play-asia will keep my business afterall. Not only is it already ~30% cheaper than in Aus, they will sell me the unnerfed version :)

May as well ban porn and R rated movies while you're at it, they're just as likely to fall into minors hands...
o well I never buy games from here anyway.

"Hey, you know what we should do, censor all games and deny adults the choice so that kids with bad parents dont see the gore and turn in to violent serial killers, coz, y'know thats what always happens with games. Although we'll let them see it all in films and tv and on the internet, but thats ok coz those forms of entertainment dont make them killers, even if it did we couldnt do anything about it anyway, banning games is easy, plus it gets me in the papers."

That's quite bothersome.

Michael Atkinson is a prudish old codger with a hard-on for censorship, so I can't say this is unexpected.

God I hate politicians.

but...but...i dont come into any contact with any kids, im an only child, i dont have kids, i dont work with kids, in fact the only place i come into contact with kids is when i pass them on the street.

THEY WILL BREAK INTO YOUR HOUSE AND PLAY YOUR 18+ RATED GAMES AND THEN LEAVE WITHOUT YOU EVER KNOWING!!

You could say it's possible for a minor to get hold of beer?

Will Australia stop selling beer next? Oh yeah, like HELL you will, you fucking hypocrites.

That sucks New Zealand gets all our games from Australia even though we have R18+ rating

Old news for Australian gamers :P.
Firstly: "Atkinson is quoted as saying to Australia's parliament earlier this year that he's opposed to the introduction of an R18+ rating because, despite it denying adults choice, it was necessary to protect children from "potentially harmful material." Hey guys, lets protect children from harmful content by denying an adults only classification, thus adding more confusion about the MA rating and allowing children easier access to harmful content, through confused parents and uncaring retailers. Hell, lets make all our classifcations fruit coded. Apples will be general audiences, as everyone likes apples. Mangoes can be parental guidance, as sometimes kids cant figure out how to cut them into square bite sized bits. Coconuts can be mature because they are brown... and pineapples are mature audiences 15+ because they have spikes. SIMPLE.

Secondly: We can't import "R" rated games into Australia as they will be seized by customs. This is because they are considered contraband from their refusal of classifcation.

Thirdly: This + the internet filter that is being introduced (thank you Kevin Rudd), Australia is a fun place to be a gaming adult.

Kotaku Australian edition have some interesting stats on this stuff:
http://www.kotaku.com.au/games/2008/10/how_old_is_the_average_australian_gamer_30.html

Bah! This is nothing! In communist Russia, R18+ games indefinitely delay YOU!

Did you know that Michael Atkinson is the sixth most hated person in Australia? I sure didn't.

Thanks, Wikipedia!

Hey all. Just thought that I would let you know that the Aussie game retailer, Gametraders, is one of the few companies in Australia to voice their objection over the lack of an R18+ rating for games. At the moment, they are launching a campaign to get the law through and all Gametraders stores have petitions in store that you can sign to voice your opinion. Please sign this, and be a part of the movement!

Guess it is just Australia's way of coming to terms with it's origins.. yeah pretty lame ass comment but in all seriousness this does suck for our Aussie brothers. Hopefully their government will lighten up because it is hurting the industry as a whole, just look at how it caused all versions of Fallout 3 to be edited.

Our rating system is fucked up. They push most "R Rated" stuff out as "MA" then refuse classification to the odd game, to look tough. With proper regulation, an "R" rating would work as DVD's and Magazine's do now. Atkinson just doesn't get it, and most of his age group here thinks alike unfortunately.

there's a barrel full of acid in a bank vault just waiting for this douchebag