Australian Video Game R18+ Rating

G'day to you all.

As a twist, I have decided to take upon the lively debate that has plagued Australia for many years. Whether or not my country should have an R18+ rating for video games.

Firstly, what I should point out is that the majority of the world has an R18+ rating and most parents ignore or simply do not know that the gaming industry here has no rating system higher than MA15+ with this leading to games being censored and reduced. The average age of Australian Gamers is 28 and most are uncomfortable playing with children who freely play games that should definately be above their reach.

Games that have been given an R18 rating across the seas are such titles as F.E.A.R, Doom 3, Dead Space and a recent remake of a classic, Mortal Kombat 9. However, if the game is too violent or has too much nudity/sex scenes/gore ect, the game has to be reconsidered, have the content lowered or the game banned entirely, such like the new Mortal Kombat being illegal in Australia. Sadly, this does not solve the problem. For starters, children have access to the internet, if not at home (as over 80% do), at their local library or even at a friends house. Here they may illegally download the game or even purchase it from America off eBay.

This upsets many of the parents, evendentally getting the console banned from them and eventually being unable to play their other games at all. This does seem like a just cause to what they've done, but they are only children, after all, and most cannot take "no" for an answer. However, older gamers above the legal age suffer as well. The government is restricting what we see, what we here, and most of us just like to relax at the end of a day with a nice game and escape into another world.
For many years, a man named Michael Atkinson, the General Attorney of South Australia, has voiced his opinion on an R18+ rating on video games, claiming that it will, quote, "open up the floodgates" and also, quote, "Show the general public and our children unecessary and vulgar images."

Unfortunately, the internet beat him to that when I was a child.

For those who do not know, in order for an R18+ rating to pass, ALL the General Attorney's must agree for the change, and for the past 5 years, Mr Atkinson has held back this decision, being the only G-A to dissagree with the change. Thankfully, he has retired last year, and his successor, Mr John Rau, has a complete different opinion than him, agreeing that an R18+ rating would be the best solution for us all.

Gamers, such as myself, just simply hope that the games we enjoy and come to love can be played forevermore. Games such as Dead Space and the original Mortal Kombat changed the face of gaming and their genres, yet some parents don't even realise the small notices to how dangerous some games can be.

Take the "No Russian" level in Modern Warfare 2. This game in Australia is rated R18+ and, while this game has a skip mission option, the level consists of breaking into a working airport in Russia and gunning down screaming, fleeing innocent people. Would this be appropriate for your 11YO who loves the game?

Also, some games have small hints at how the game is dangerous for the youths. Take Red Dead Redemption for example. On the outside, the cover art only suggests an MA15+ rating.
But there are sex scenes. There is the gutting and skinning of animals ect.

What surprised me most was not the content, but the disc cover art itself. To those who have noticed, the disc itself SHOWS the original R18 Rating right on it. If parents actually cared for what their children played, they might notice this small piece of evidence that proves that the game is innapropriate for their kids.




The point I am trying to push is its not the government's fault completely, nor is it the parent's fault completely. It is both combined. With the slack and ignorance of some (or maybe most, seeing as most kids do play MA15+ games) and the indeciveness and willing of change of the G-A meetings, both of these together are upsetting Australian gamers, showing the future generations content they should not even know for many years.

Parents, I beg you, be more involved with your kid's development and what they do on their console and online. When I was a child, I wanted to catch all Pokemon and dreamed of being just like Goku from Dragon Ball Z. These days, children swear like sailors, talk about doing sexual acts with my family members and say and know things they shouldn't until they're at least 15.

Gamers, I encourage you, please voice your opinion. It may agree to my own. It may disagree but voice it. Ghandi once said "It is not the voice of one to change a nation, it is many" and if you do not want to be treated like a child and wish to have the same content as our fellows overseas, make your voice heard, as I have done now.

Soon, very soon, the G-A of my nation will vote again on this issue, and I pray that the R18+ rating shall come through and that we, as the public, may finally be treated equally.