The period of public consultation on the issue of whether Australia should have an R18+ rating for videogames is drawing to a close. You have until February 28 to make a submission. Many Kotaku readers already have, and we’re going to share them with you.
Last week we asked you to send us your submission to encourage your fellow Kotaku readers to have their say as well. We said we’d publish your closing 250-word comments. So for the rest of the week we’ll be highlighting some of the best in individual posts.
This submission comes from Greg Davies, who writes:
I am a parent and a gamer, in the last ten years I have seen the transformation of the gaming industry and the type of games it produces change dramatically, The problem in Australia is that the classification system here has not adapted in step with the type of games the industry makes.
The reason there is a need for a R18 classification in Australia is because at the moment there is a misconception in this country that people that play games are still children or teenagers. This is not the case anymore.
The introduction of a R18 classification in Australia is a big step in the right direction to help police who has access to games while maintaining the Australian gaming industry’s competitive edge on a world stage.
With the introduction of lock out systems on gaming consoles it is easy to control what content your children have access too and for what amount of time is spent on the console.
In my honest opinion it is time to give parents the respect they are due. We are able to parent our children in a ever changing world and adapt to its demands. Making sure our children are exposed to appropriate material is just one of those duties, I don’t expect or want the government to do this for me.
In case you’re yet to state your case, here’s how to do it.
The call for public consultation (AG.gov.au)
The Bond University Interactive Australia report (for helpful research insights)
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