R18+. It happened, finally. Back when I was editing Kotaku Australia full-time, I penned a number of pieces on the subject. In 2008, it seemed like such as uphill battle, so to see it become reality four years later is actually amazing to me. Now that it’s here, the Australian Christian Lobby, one of R18+’s main opponents, reckons that the restrictions on sex and violence for R18+ should be the same as the current MA15+.
Speaking with The Age, ACL managing director Jim Wallace stated that for R18+ “to work”, its limits on sex and violence would have to match that of the lower rating:
“I expect the new [R18+] classification to be described no differently to MA15+,” said the managing director of the Australian Christian Lobby, Jim Wallace.
“If [R18+] is described in looser terms, or is less demanding than the existing MA15+ — which is already letting [in] things that shouldn’t have been there — then it’s not going to work. We already know that some of the games that are sold in Australia are unacceptable and should never have slipped in under the old rating.”
Personally, I don’t have an issue with a broader look at the ratings now that we have (well, will soon have) R18+. Heck, one of my arguments back in 2008 was that the inadequacies of MA15+ worked both ways. But the idea that the limits on sex and violence in R18+ should be the same as MA15+ defeats the purpose of the new rating.
Take for instance Left 4 Dead 2 and Soldier of Fortune: Payback, both of which were refused classification due to decapitaton and dismemberment. If the restrictions on violence stayed the same, even with R18+ these games would have been RC’d.
Fortunately, Ron Curry, head of the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association, does not share Wallace’s opinion:
“We clearly wouldn’t agree with that,” he said. “There’s no evidence to suggest … that the content that currently sits there [at MA15+] should only be suitable for adults.”
R18+ still has a little way to go and even when it is adopted by the states, I doubt it’s an issue that will magically vanish. Games will still be able to be refused classification, though I can’t imagine what would now land in that category…
Game on over sex and violence [The Age]
At its simplest this just allows an extra layer of granularity to rating games. As long as the rating/description gives enough information about the content then gaming adults can make their own decision and parents can actually take ALL the responsibility for what games they let their kids play.
Rating systems are primarily there to enable people to make informed decisions and not about restricting those decisions based on an arbitrarily imposed definition on what one group perceives as being moral. As most christians have commented above, they like and play some kinds of games the ACL want banned but don't want to play games with certain content. This rating, and the additional info that would appear on the label (eg contains simulated sex scenes etc) would enable them to make up their own minds as to whether they want to play the game or not.
it's about time that these people PAY TAXES!!!!!!! U scared Bro?
Jim and his ACL will probably get their way.
The politicians gave us the new rating system to shut us up but will give the ACL the changes they want to keep them happy - and voting for them.
I can't wait til next ANZAC game when Jim will use Twitter to say that Gays, Lesbians, Muslims and Gamers are "Un Australian"
Who is the ACL actually lobbying for. They obviously have backers with money but who are they and what do they have to gain from this stance of 'Thick of the children' and 'Only a man and a woman can be a family'?
Any Australian with even a modicum of intelligence can rebut and refute every argument they put forward. Yet somehow there they are in the media with the biggotted views getting more airtime and more facetime in the media every day.
I think the gormless media need to stop giving them their 15 seconds of fame and simple let them fade into insignificance.
The ACL is lobbying for the church and themselves.
It's power play. It's the same reason they harp on about gay marriage despite the fact it doesn't affect them, nor should they have any say in it: they want SOME semblance of power within politics to prove that the church as an institution still has a place in society.
i wonder if these people know their religion is based on astrology.
it's easy to understand why people oppose violent video games when you see the marketing for them. violence is an overused tool to get the general populous excited for video games. a recent example would be e3 which has just passed. there was a definite trend of characters getting neck stabbed. also listening to people cheer at the end of the last of us demo at the sony press conference when someone is shot in the face with a shotgun who is begging for their life. i know gaming is not all about that and there is often context for the violence we see. but you could understand concerns from an outsiders perspective.
' i know gaming is not all about that and there is often context for the violence we see'
^Exactly this.
'but you could understand concerns from an outsiders perspective.'
Then they need to stop looking at it from an outsider's perspective.
I don't care if you believe in God, Jesus, miracles, creationism, the Garden of Eden, angels, demons, Heaven, Hell, or any religious fallacy.
What makes me find religion unbearable, is the arrogance of trying to impose your beliefs of how people should live their own lives on others who don't believe the same fairytale.
Now now my children. Settle yourselves.
None of this word bashing is going to push the R18+ rating through any quicker. But I wish it would so I can beat up some midgets cut of the head of a prostitute and get freaky with her dead body.
Hey, even I have some over 18 thoughts sometimes.
Why do almost all these anti-religion guys sound like dickheads? Is it really impossible to write a comment expressing your distaste for a an overbearing religious organisation attempting to have an influence of politics without insulting the entire theist community?
Try something like:
"As I don't follow any religious beliefs I must say that I can't agree or approve of the ACL's views and desire to use their own religious agenda to influence government policy, of which religion should no longer play a part of. Their views are outdated and I don't believe anyone should be able to force their values onto others."
Can we get a FPS where the ACL are the antagonists for the 1st R-18 game?
Please keep Religion out of politics, this isnt the dark ages anymore
Sorry about not reading the other comments but having the same classification level as ma15 is lame as it pretty much means having a duplicate which i see no point i having r18. they should really loosen up the r18 restrictions.
Anyone know exactly how many 'actually' members of ACL?