Australian MMOs: Without classification, but still on store shelves

We've talked about it in the past ad nauseum, but for those who are just now joining us: the Australian Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) doesn't have a rating for video games above MA15+. Thus, if your title is deemed too inappropriate for someone 15 years or older, it's Refused Classification (RC), essentially barring it from sale in the country. Except, it seems, if your game is an MMO.

Our friends at Massively took a look at MMOs in Australia, which -- with few exceptions -- are sold at retail without any rating whatsoever. Developers and publishers claim they've never submitted their titles to the OFLC because they didn't believe it was necessary to do so. That misconception may have come from the board itself, who is said to have given such counsel before it was merged with the Federal Attorney-General's Office. However, the now-assimilated group is saying that MMOs require classification, and selling an unclassified game is a crime. Hit up Massively for more information. This is gonna be a very interesting story to follow.

Reader Comments (21)

Selling an unclassified game is a crime?

That seems wrong.

It *is* wrong. Very, very wrong.

This is state-mandated culture-destroying freedom-restricting censorship.

It's times like these I'm glad I live in America.

Of course, in the USA it is not necessary to have a computer game rated at all. It is entirely voluntary. The big USA *Mart chains don't sell-through games that have too high a rating, but it isn't clear what their reaction might be if the publisher simply didn't bother to get one.

Outside the USA, however, it is relatively common practice for all films, all games, and some publications to have a mandatory rating in accordance with the national classification schemes of the country, and for sale (and in some places, also purchase) to be prohibited if they do not both have such a rating and have compliant labeling.

For example, in Australia, even games that are exempt from classification (according to section 5B of the Act - there are a few categories, but nothing you'd see in a normal games retailer) need to bear the label indicating that they have no rating because they are properly exempt.

Yes, I understand all that. Just because it's a "common practice" doesn't make it right.

I meant it seems morally wrong. It makes sense for retailers to make it a policy not to sell unrated media, but for it to be flat out illegal seems oppressive.

What else is new? Gaming for those in PAL regions has been backwards for years.

Games that run slower due to being poorly converted to the format.
Critically acclaimed games not seeing PAL release at all, or over a decade later when they finally do.
Bizarre censorship compared to the US or JP versions.

It actually isn't that bad here in Aus.
We dont have to wait that much longer for games to come out in PAL. And as a non-MMO-er, I had no idea about this whole non-rating thing.

But i'm quite happy with gaming in Aus.
Cept no Rockband 2. :(

Yeah, thanks.

Sometimes I do wonder if the relative dearth of (for example) PS2 games (less than a third of the PS2 games catalog ever made it to Australia, for example, and some only within the last year or so) is because some publishers, particularly those in Asia, might be offput by Australian classification requirements (or the fact that we have different sets of standards for each rating to what they do)

Doesn't make sense. Why don't they just make a rating for 17+ or 18+, thus would allow other games to be sold and this would all be over and done with? Without all the controversy that always happens around this.

cos Michael Atkinson, the Attorney General of South Aus (?) keeps blocking it. He says its ok to reduce freedoms for adults as long as it protects kids.. or something.

Lame.

In the words of Jefferson, those who are willing to give up freedoms for safety deserve neither. Stupid politicians trying to legislate what people think.

Wow, that was Franklin, not Jefferson. Stupid Sexy Snake!

Don't they realize that that plus sign means that it's 15 and up? They should look into making it like the ESRB has it and use the Teen rating for gamers 13 and up and Mature rating for gamers 17 and up. Also they should add an AO rating for games to be sold to gamers 21 and up, and not classify a game that they don't want sold in the country.

And once they have that, they should actually check to see if it is working and enforce their laws to make sure that retailers realize they are serious about the situation.

Can devs get around it by selling a 15+ game at retail with the 18+ parts as a downloadable patch? Seems like it'd work as "experience may change in online play".

Or can they submit games as movies? Like rockstar do with GTA in the UK and get it a 18 certificate from the movie board.

"Can devs get around it by selling a 15+ game at retail with the 18+ parts as a downloadable patch?"

You know, technically it seems to me that that would work. I doubt it would make certain groups very *happy*, but it does neatly sidestep the classification issue.

However, as we saw with Hot Coffee - even unofficial modification can cause an uproar.

"they've never submitted their titles to the OFLC because they didn't believe it was necessary to do so"

ROFL, its a game, it needs classification, end of discussion.

We wouldn't need classification if we had better parents.

i'm looking at my original WoW box and BOOM.

right there is the M rated classification. Lol, it cites alcohol use

Just as a footnote, the OFLC (Office of Film and Literature Classification) ceased to exist in 2007.

Up to that time, they provided administrative and PR services to the Classification Board (who actually handles the ratings process). In 2007, the OFLC was disbanded and its functions were folded into the Australian Federal Attorney-General's office who perform the same functions for the Classification Board, as well as setting policy for them.

Now, the important thing here is that it is the *sale* that is controlled - not the *purchase*. See also: http://www.massively.com/2009/02/04/gaming-the-ratings-game/

Legally, nothing has actually changed. The regulations that are in force have been in place since at least 1995. All that has happened is that it has been *noticed* that the games are being sold in violation of the act. As yet, nobody has taken any action that we are aware of. Going to take a trip down to the local store and see what's up.

Here's the current word: http://www.massively.com/2009/02/06/australia-takes-no-action-on-unrated-computer-games/

Australian MMOs: Without classification, but still on store shelves

Reader Comments (21)

Posted: Jan 29th 2009 2:13AM WiredKnight said

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