The Interactive Australia 2009 report on the state of gaming in Australian culture has been launched this morning, and the stats affirm what gamers already know — the stereotypes are complete rubbish. Here’s a quick sampler that busts some myths that tie closely into our ongoing effort to get Michael Atkinson to realise his position does not reflect the reality of the modern gaming landscape. We’ll try to drill a little deeper in coming days:
- Average age of gamers is now 30; average age of non-gamers is 40.
- 88% of households now have a game device, not including mobiles.
- 61% have MORE than one — consoles are now dominant.
- 54% male, 46% female. The gender gap is disappearing fast.
- Over half of all parents play games with their kids.
- 63% of Australians still don’t know there is no R18+ for games.
- 91% of ALL Australians are in favour of an R18+ classification.
- 92% of parents are aware of the games their kids are playing.
kramin
Monday, October 27, 2008 at 2:00 PMI feel better about myself now – 29 and gaming, 1 year below average age – sweeeeeet.
Brendan
Monday, October 27, 2008 at 2:05 PMI’ve got to say I am really impressed with those numbers.
91% of ALL Australians are in favour of an R18+ classification.
Especially that one.
David
Monday, October 27, 2008 at 2:29 PM63% of Australians still don’t know there is no R18+ for games.
Not so great about that one.
Mav
Monday, October 27, 2008 at 2:42 PMRead this in the Sunday Herald Sun. Was great to see the R18+ issue having some coverage especially in a time where our internet is trying to be censored also.
Bob
Monday, October 27, 2008 at 2:43 PM91% of Aussies favour an R Rating yet one man can stop it all from happening. Democracy is fun!
Nick
Friday, June 11, 2010 at 2:50 AMSounds a bit like totalitarianism dont you think?
Robert
Monday, October 27, 2008 at 2:45 PMI would certainly hope that some of these statistics find their way to Michael Atkinson’s office…
Marcus
Monday, October 27, 2008 at 2:49 PMMore and more people are playing video games! Just got to feel a sense of triumph.
Dan
Monday, October 27, 2008 at 2:55 PMLets hope these statistics can be used to get us closer to an R18+ rating.
Duncan
Monday, October 27, 2008 at 3:08 PMIs it just me, but do these statistics seem way too positive?
88% own a “game device” is a high percentage of respondents which I assume is including computers. However, would most people view their computers as a gaming device? I doubt it. Most I dare say would simply consider their PC’s simple internet, email and Word machines.
91% favour a R18+ classification for games also screams to me that the survey design is not particularly robust, and the question is probably leading. It would be interesting to see exactly how the survey questionnaire phrased this particular question. We should keep in mind that the group conducting this survey is in favour of an R18+ classification and thus seeks any meaningful data to support its case.
Furthermore, this study neglects to look in depth at gaming habits. How many hours do people game, what types of games do they play? This is important to give these stats any sort of relevance or context for without them, simple assumptions are being drawn rather than robust conclusions.
While I am not necessarily trying to argue that gamers are the stereotypes we all envision, lets just keep in mind a healthy does of cynicism when it comes to statistics like this. These stats just don’t look right and thus I think we should view them with a degree of scepticism.
Nick
Monday, October 27, 2008 at 3:27 PMI fail to understand what this fuckers problem is, Hes Jack Thompson with actual power! AHHHH! First off why the fuck is it required to be approved by ALL Attorney Generals, shouldn’t it be just the majority.
This man clearly thinks little off us, thinking that Australian mature gamers cant tell the difference between fantasy and reality. He also believes that agmes have a bigger impact then R rated movies and tv shows
AND THIS GUY IS AN ATTORNEY GENERAL
Fuck you Atkinson, you dont know shit. If its because of u ill probably wont be able to play MadWorld
So stop being a stubborn mule and shut the fuck up
Benjamin Djung
Monday, October 27, 2008 at 3:59 PMI think Michael Atkinson MP is just misled. He needs to get his facts right.
Hieronimus
Monday, October 27, 2008 at 5:19 PMHaha, my English Extension teacher told us the average age is 34.
I guess he’s 33, then xD
StrangeAttractor
Monday, October 27, 2008 at 5:28 PMMichael Atkinson MP, is not misled, at least not by people, only by his faith, and we know how faith covers up facts when it needs to.
Wardo
Monday, October 27, 2008 at 6:20 PMApparently Australians aren’t mature enough to handle an M18 rating, as an avid Canadian gamer living here for 4+ years now I find the rating systems here a joke.. , wake the fuck up atkinson you goofy shit teethed face bastard. thank god for imports and region free ps3′s!
Arbitation- 'Podtacular.com'
Monday, October 27, 2008 at 9:02 PMAtkinson is going on about how kids will play R rated games during unsupervised *free time* and get bad habits, but they could be watching pornos and movies like chainsaw masacre on the internet anyways!!!
He saying that parents have no control over what their kids are playing and if there are adult gamers in the house who purchase R18+ games, the kids will play them without their parents knowing. I guess he doesn’t read Kotaku:
- 92% of parents are aware of the games their kids are playing.
If R18+ games are purchased by parents, they could take them away from where all other games are stored and put them somewhere the kids can’t get to them and/or have strict rules as to which games they can/can’t play and make sure the kids abide by the rules.
ARGH this guy is annoying me I wish he would just give in already!!!!!!!!!!!
—Arby—
feral
Tuesday, October 28, 2008 at 9:23 AM34 yo gamer here ;)
Now lets also hope that ‘internet filter’ idea gets canned too..
DrWadsy
Tuesday, October 28, 2008 at 10:15 AMStrangeAttractor – Don’t make this about Michael Atkinson’s faith – that’s just the excuse he uses (same as JT). I happen to be a Christian as well, and am completely in favour of an R18+ rating in this country. While I may not like some of the content in these games, I’d rather they get an appropriate rating so that people can make educated decisions, rather than Michael Atkinsons ‘You can’t decide properly, let me decide for you’ approach.
Greg Tannahill
Tuesday, October 28, 2008 at 10:18 AMDuncan – your criticism of the blanket inclusion of PCs as gaming devices may well be valid. I note they specifically excluded mobile phones and PDAs from the definition. However, the study DOES actually look at gaming hours, gaming genres, and gaming habits; Kotaku’s summary is only… well, a summary. Check out the full report, which can be found here:
http://www.ieaa.com.au/research/IA9%20-%20Interactive%20Australia%202009%20Full%20Report.pdf
Cork
Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 1:14 AMUm… when a game like GTASA gets given an MA15+ rating in Australia while everywhere else in the world it had an M17+ and R18+ in the UK, I wander who the real losers are… Aussie parents and there kids. Nice one Atkinson ya tosspot.
The OFLC can’t rate games for SH!T. They left “Drug Use” and “Sexual References” off the rating spec for San Andreas cos they are sh!t at rating games. Atkinson is a failure like Philip Ruddock before him.
Ryan
Monday, July 26, 2010 at 10:32 AMWait, if only 63% don’t know if there’s an r18 rating, how can 91% want to change it?
Peter Joyce
Friday, May 13, 2011 at 6:19 PM28 in June and i’m a massive gamer and i have no plans of quiting what i love anytime soon.
Sean
Monday, May 16, 2011 at 2:26 PMseriously the games that they are banning are aimed at 18 and over who are the majority of gamers, all in order to protect the minority of gamers, so we suffer not getting what we have a right to cause the government is to lazzy and stubborn to give a s an R18+ where are our rights. this is supposed to be a free country yet we live under censorship, what the hell!?
Person
Thursday, September 8, 2011 at 3:22 PMI am doing this as my topic for a SOSE thing. It is stressful.
Eric Gardiner
Tuesday, February 28, 2012 at 3:30 PMHEY GUYS!