Govt Releases R18+ Discussion Paper For Public Consultation

Oh and can we argue to have all of their research that stands against the introduction of an R18+ rating for games completely and utterly stricken from the discussion. On the grounds that the cited research and counter points deal only with the impact of violent media on minors.

The dicussion is of an R18+ rating for games. If they want to argue against that with research cases those research cases need to have used ADULTS; people 18 years or older; as the study sample. Not minors. The research that deals with only minors is entirely irrelevant from the discussion as we can go on the assumption that R18+ material IS RESTRICTED from minors. What the naysayers should be looking at is what kind of effects R18+ material of an interactive form has on well adjusted adults. As far as I can tell: very little, except perhaps a touch of irretability – irretability caused from stay up faaaar too late unlocking a few more perks in MW2.

Dont they say that curiousity killed the cat, When a game given the RC then the interest in that game goes up, then kids or adults will illegally download or import that game to see why it was given the RC.

So you can say that Michael Atkinson is an advocate of software piracy and supporting other countries economies.

Face it, simple arguement, it is the death of democracy in Australia when our vote, voices and opinions no longer matter to the fat cats we elect. I used to be proud of being on the electoral role thinking my vote makes a difference even in the smallest way. But if tyranical chritians like Mr Atkinson think they can take away my right to choose which is effectively what he is doing then what is the point? I promise you Mr Atkinson, keep going the way you are and you seriously underestimate how much of the gaming community can actually vote and will vote to kick your sorry arse out of office next election. It’s not an IF its a WILL happen. Also does anyone else think it’s questionable that Mr Atkinson has served on parliamentary committees that have investigated issues like Gambling and if you go to Mr Atkinson’s site you see he lists an interest as “going to the races”. Bit biased there and yet he still remains in office with such conflicts. Just a thought. ..

•Computer games should be treated differently from films given the specific, negative effects of interactivity on players, particularly their participation in violent and aggressive content.

This is nothing but a theory. It has NEVER been proven that videogames have a direct correlation to increased violence in children or adults, and it wont be proven until the proper studies are done. Basing a key point against the rating on nothing but unsubstantiated claims is ignorant and unfair. Equal claims could be made to say that videogames decrease violence, and the validity of the studies provided would be just as relevent.

•It would be difficult for parents to enforce age restrictions for computer games.

This is just outright misinformation. Consoles and PCs have password protected age restriction capabilities! This is something that even the most expensive DVD players do not have; video game consoles are actually easier to enforce age restrictions with than any other piece of hardware. The problem is, as is abundantly clear by even our own governments ignorance, is that nobody seems to know that they are there.

Their argument is that some parents may not “be in a position to enforce restrictions on a console”. Which is pretty much “people are dumb so we are now their surrogate parents”. If parents do not follow the instructions that come with the console, this is not a fault of the system, but a fault in the parents. It is NOT the governments job to ban media because parents fail to adhere to responsible parenting techniques, like knowing what your child is doing and how you can be a part of that.

•Minors would be more likely to be exposed to computer games that are unsuitable for them.

Once again, this is the responsibility of the parent. There are more than adequate means of disabling adult content from displaying on video game consoles. No minor will be sold R18+ games, nor will they be able to play them if parents are properly informed on how to use their consoles.

It is not only a gross injustice to the freedoms of all citizens to ban content based on nothing but speculation and hearsay, but to assume that publishers would start making deplorable and increasingly disgusting games simply because Australia, the last nation in the world to get an R18+ rating, allowed the change is just outright ludicrous.

They seem to be forgetting the world has been functioning just fine with an R18+ rating for videogames without us for a long time now, and society hasn’t collapsed yet.

•An R 18+ for computer games would exacerbate problems associated with access to high level material in Indigenous communities and by other non English speaking people

Their arguments here are that people who don’t speak English as a first language, or at all, might not know how the rating system works, and for some reason bring up events from over the last few years pertaining to the indigenousness community in rural areas involving pornography, incest and child prostitution.

This is an obvious ploy to use the history of these events to scare people in to relating the two issues. The very idea that they would use this as an argument is not only despicable, but completely unrelated to the case of having an R18+ rating for videogames. The “people don’t understand so we shouldn’t do it” argument has been repeated over and over in this document, and it’s just lazy. Simply censoring something because people don’t understand it is the worst reason to ban something.

•There is no demonstrated need to change existing restrictions.

I think the very fact that there is a discussion paper debating this issue and that there is a political group formed over the matter, with thousands of supporters, means there is a very good reason this needs to change. The average gamer in Australia is 30 years old, and we want to be able to play games directed at us. As adults. It is not an unreasonable request, and all of the arguments against the rating consist of straw man hearsay and misinformation.

submitted. faxed mine

everyone should do it or forever be damned, you forfeit your right to complain. yaye, i can complain all i want now.

I sent my submission 5 mins ago. I encourage you to all do the same.

Info here: http://www.ag.gov.au/gamesclassification