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Australian Classification Branch: R18+ not ready for 'another couple of years'

by Griffin McElroy on Oct 28th 2011 12:55PM

Though Australian minister for home affairs Brendan O'Connor told press that the R18+ games rating would be available for new titles "a couple of months" after its ratification by the nation's federal government, we might have to wait just a bit longer than that. According to Australian Classification Branch Manager of Applications David Emery, "it'll probably be another couple of years before we'll be able to accept an application for an R18 game."

"It's got to go to Parliament, then there's changes that have to be made subsequent to that," Emery explained -- changes that also need to be applied to the classification systems of each state and territory, as well. Try not to get too discouraged, Australian gamers: At least your children will be able to buy Resident Evil 11. Oh, wait, they'll need to be adults, first. Okay, Resident Evil 19.

Source: Games Industry

Tags: australia, microsoft, nintendo, pc, playstation, ps3, r18, ratings, wii, xbox

Reader Comments (33)

Pfft, at the rate Resident Evil games come out, my children might be able to play Resident Evil 6. If they're lucky.

This is just plain ridiculous.....

@ARKeDGE
liberal freedoms rock dont they?

this is why the world needs libertarians not government stooges

It would really bother me if someone else was deciding what I could and couldn't play in my country...

@Fugaku Nope, they only decide what can come into this country, which in this day and age is very, very easily worked around. It is annoying though that the leadership of this country is placed in the hands of backwards bogans who stick to tradition instead of common sense (as are many other countrys)

@Fugaku

I think the international term for those people is, "Publishers"

This would leave me to pirate shit if I couldn't buy it officially. Anyone know how the imports of Rated 18+ games go for them?

@BigBenn1

Its pretty much fine to import the game. I think i read somewhere perhaps certain states don't allow it but i really don't think it can be policed or enforced even at customs.

Besides that, there is very few games we don't get anyway. The only 2 examples i can think of where a decent game has either been banned completely or significantly censored is Mortal Kombat (banned) and L4D2 (severely censored).

2 games in the history of games that we really 'missed out on'. Like seriously? Yes i live in Australia and yes i want the R18+rating, but 2 decent games ever? Its really not that big of a deal. There is about 23 games total that have ever been totally banned and only 2 of them are any good. The other 21 games are doing Australia a favor by not taking up shelf space at EB Games.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_banned_video_games#Australia

@BigBenn1

Looks like i wasn't quite right about the customs thing as anything refused classification can't be imported legally. Sooo we miss out on the new Mortal Kombat (since L4D2 is on Steam). A great game i would love to own but it's not the end of the world.

@Foetoid

It's not illegal to own something which has been refused classification, but it is to import it.

That being said, importing it is easy as all hell which is emphasised by the plethora of online sellers advertising games such as Mortal Kombat 9 as for sale with shipping to Australia.

just order from NZ

@eat it

...or just about anywhere else that isn't AU.

Cheaper too.

@eat it

It's a lot cheaper to order from the UK.

Ah, bureaucracy

Doest austrailia use americas version of games? with wat they charge over ther ($100+) wouldnt it be cheaper to import mature games from us anyway?

@bleiss No, Australia gets the European version of games, just like New Zealand, the UL and err... Europe.

But wow, this feels like a slap in the face to all those Australian gamers. Not that I'm gonna get slapped because I'm in New Zealand, although it would still be cheaper to import games from another country because NZ prices are horrible for games (maybe not quite as bad as Japan's DVD/Blu-Ray madness, although those ARE uncompressed videos).

And the game industry in Australia continues to be ridiculous and out of place compared to the rest of the world.

@Yongousen Can the ACB censor Steam? Because maybe you don't need to give up R18+ games.

And yes, cheap Japanese imports and Aussie V8 muscle cars would be great.

If I was an Australian gamer I would skip buying consoles entirely and just get a PC+Torrent.

ST

@Dickhole Pasta
Sounds like the sort of thing Saxton Hale would approve of, yes.

Two steps forward, one step back.

@Korbie

You should see their stance on fiber-optic broadband internet.........

@ShadowXIII

Why? What's it like?

Damn, I REALLY want the R18+ for Australia.

And I'm from the US!

Any fellow Aussies reading this just import from the UK seriously. In fact any other Aussies should be importing from the UK for every game they buy... http://www.ozgameshop.com/ on average 50% off, free postage etc.
Unless of course you feel like supporting humble Harvey Norman...

@Colorfuljosh btw the whole "Games being banned in Australia " thing is mostly over-exaggerated . It sucks that we are being treated like kids, but it's for only 2-3 games a year max and is easily worked around with imports.

@Colorfuljosh

It's not even 2 - 3 a year. In the whole history of the ratings system there's

@Colorfuljosh
that and when they do bring in games that were supposed to be 18+ they have to be altered so they arent the original content.

Ah, Australia. I want to live there so bad......but really?

@IAmTheBabyJeezus
I assume for the bountiful supply of Kangaroo and Crocodile meat.

"Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure Originally released with a MA15+, Federal Attorney-General Philip Ruddock used his power to later appeal the decision to get it banned for the glorification of graffiti." they banned it in Australia? I used to love that game! It's a pretty rubbish reason too...

@GuitarHero666

Steam offers the same versions of games available at retail (where applicable), so yes they're censored.

I honestly feel sorry for Australians gamers. I really do. And movie goers.

Breaking News

Australian Classification Branch: R18+ not ready for 'another couple of years'

Reader Comments (33)

Posted: Oct 28th 2011 1:02PM Rollins said

Posted: Oct 28th 2011 1:07PM ARKeDGE said

Posted: Oct 28th 2011 2:29PM ChaseHammerJ said

Posted: Oct 28th 2011 1:10PM Fugaku said

Posted: Oct 28th 2011 5:46PM Colorfuljosh said

Posted: Jan 24th 2012 5:36PM Author X said

Posted: Oct 28th 2011 1:22PM BigBenn1 said

Posted: Oct 28th 2011 7:21PM Foetoid said

Posted: Oct 28th 2011 7:29PM Foetoid said

Posted: Oct 29th 2011 6:58AM This Little Man Says His Name Is said

Posted: Oct 28th 2011 1:25PM eat it said

Posted: Oct 28th 2011 3:26PM ShadowXIII said

Posted: Oct 29th 2011 7:03AM This Little Man Says His Name Is said

Posted: Oct 28th 2011 1:29PM RockSauron said

Posted: Oct 28th 2011 1:29PM bleiss said

Posted: Oct 30th 2011 7:19AM TCJJ said

Posted: Oct 28th 2011 1:33PM ColorblindMonk said

Posted: Oct 28th 2011 2:36PM GuitarHero666 said

Posted: Oct 28th 2011 3:12PM Steel Toad said

Posted: Oct 28th 2011 3:13PM Shadow Hog said

Posted: Oct 28th 2011 3:16PM Korbie said

Posted: Oct 28th 2011 3:26PM ShadowXIII said

Posted: Oct 28th 2011 4:23PM Korbie said

Posted: Oct 28th 2011 3:48PM Dhexodus said

Posted: Oct 28th 2011 5:39PM Colorfuljosh said

Posted: Oct 28th 2011 5:43PM Colorfuljosh said

Posted: Oct 28th 2011 7:21PM This Little Man Says His Name Is said

Posted: Oct 29th 2011 8:58PM monkeyontherun4 said

Posted: Oct 28th 2011 6:32PM IAmTheBabyJeezus said

Posted: Jan 24th 2012 5:42PM Author X said

Posted: Oct 28th 2011 7:57PM Rubbishy Me said

Posted: Oct 29th 2011 7:04AM This Little Man Says His Name Is said

Posted: Oct 30th 2011 10:11PM YanDaMan said

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