AUSTRALIA'S attorneys-general are divided on whether or not we should allow R18+ rated games.Authorities split on R18+ rating for gamesAUSTRALIAN authorities are split over the introduction of an R18+ rating for video games after a popular title was refused classification.Left 4 Dead 2, a first-person shooter game in which players shoot, behead and dismember zombies, was this month refused classification by the Australian Office of Film and Literature Classification Board because of its &frequent and intense depictions of violence& and &graphic depictions of blood and gore&.The game can no longer be sold, imported or advertised in the country. The decision has reignited debate over a lack of an R18+ rating for video games in Australia.Despite an R18+ rating existing for films and other media, the highest classification for video games is MA15+, covering content for mature audiences 15 years and older, meaning that adult games with a high level of violence, sex or drug use cannot be approved for sale.Bringing in an R18+ rating would require all of Australia&s attorneys-general to agree, but South Australian Attorney-General Michael Atkinson is holding out.&It certainly does restrict choice to a small degree, but that is the price of keeping this material from children and vulnerable adults. In my view, the small sacrifice is worth it,& Mr Atkinson said.He said the interactive nature of video games meant they had a much greater influence than viewing a film or reading a book.
&People are participating and &acting-out& violence and criminal behaviour when they are playing a video game,& he said.But Victorian Attorney-General Rob Hulls says he believes Australia is now &out of step& with the world.&It seems inconsistent that in Australia adults are allowed to view adult-only films which have been classified R18+ by the Classification Board, but not computer games with equivalent high-level content,& he said.Dozens of unclassifiable video games have been banned in recent years.Originally published as
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Déjà vu: New bill would give ESRB video game ratings the force of law
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R18+ game rating comes into effect
An R18+ video game rating has come into effect across Australia after a deal between the states and the Commonwealth last year.The change means some games that were previously unavailable to adults can go on sale, whereas others that could be accessed by children will become restricted.The issue had divided interest groups, with some claiming the new classification would protect children but others feared it would expose them to more violent games.Legislation to approve the rating was passed by the Senate in June.Under the previous classification regime, the highest rating for computer games was MA15+, meaning overseas adults-only games were either banned in Australia or given a lower classification, allowing children to obtain them.South Australia's Attorney-General, John Rau, was among those who pushed for the changes. He says the new ratings bring video game classification into line with the system applied to films."We've actually achieved a good balance where in effect MA15+ has become more restrictive and games that previously would have been in MA15+ are now going to be sitting in R18+," he said."It's a win for the gamers who wanted to have the opportunity as adults to purchase these games, but it's also a win for parents because they can be more confident that games that are age-inappropriate will not be available to people under 18."Mr Rau says the rating does not mean obscenely violent or sexually explicit games, or games that depict drug use, will become available."The regime still contemplates that some games will be so unsatisfactory that they will be refused classification altogether. Now, that will continue," he said.
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