News Australian attorney blocks new rating system

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/gaming/2009/10/01/australian-attorney-blocks-new-rating-syste/1

An Australian attorney is blocking potential changes to the rating systems over fears about the impact of violent games.

 

Over here for us to get the new rating system approved each state Attorney-General must agree, but he has been the one holding back the 18+ rating for a long time now every other minister would approve it

It's fair to say he is the most hated man in Australia by gamers

 

This is the problem with democracy. Someone will always get into power somehow and then not fulfil their obligations to the people that put them there.

 

Personal opinions, like religion should have no place in politics

 

Meaning "No, don't listen to your voters, listen to ME - I'M RIGHT, NOT THE GENERAL POPULATION!"

people like that (as in Jack Thompson for example) should not be in politics!

 

why cant the public just vote him out, one man should not be able to stop an vote as well, as its making voting for options pointless with him may had just give it to him and he say yes or no

 

Not quite, should read "People are controlling digital models of fictional people who are participating and 'acting-out' violence and criminal behaviour in a virtual and consequence-free environment when they are playing a video game."
Normal, well-adjusted people can differentiate from wasting hundreds of zombies in all kinds of interesting ways within a game and going out in public with weapons and the intention to kill.

The point is, things shouldn't be (effectively) banned when they're only 'bad' for a certain minority of the populace. Alcohol, tobacco etc have nothing good about them other than the enjoyment they bring to some but plenty of negatives yet they're still allowed but controlled. Games should, at least, be treated the same since they're not linked with lung cancer etc and there's no conclusive proof that they do actually affect children negatively.

The word Zealot springs to mind...

 

I hear people whinging about "Nu-Labour" and whatnot all the time. Why don't you vote them out? Sadly, in a democracy, you get asshats voted in by other asshats.

@ All.
We've already had this conversation with the banning of Fallout 3 in AU.
See here about situation in AU and why it is difficult changing game classification laws.
http://forums.bit-tech.net/showpost.php?p=1773756&postcount=35
http://forums.bit-tech.net/showpost.php?p=1776932&postcount=42

 

G'Day,
ummmmm... this isnt quite right....

Quote:

The most adult rating that the Australian government can give out is a MA15+ rating, meaning that if a game or movie is considered unsuitable for 15 year olds then it is often refused classification and effectively banned. This happened to Left 4 Dead 2 recently, sparking a nationwide debate about whether the rating system in Oz should be changed.

UnQuote:

We have: E, G, PG, M, MA+15, 18+, and XXX* ratings in australia,,,,, for TV, Films and other media, the problem is their isnt for games..
G, PG, M, MA15+ and thats it... for games

So you can watch the most violent Zombie Horror movie (with chainsaws) but you cant play a game that has the same level of violence as it....

That isnt realy a "fair go" now is it? and we Aussie's are all about a "fair go".
Nor is it consistent. Hell Doom1/2/3 ("oh lookit it has chainsaws and zombies and demons") is legal and L4D:1 got rated MA15+, L4D:2 may up the Gore and violence a little bit, but not enough to Jack it all the way up to 18+

Oh and W.O.W. maybe consided a illegal game (its not rated), publishers say there is a legal loophole saying its a online only game (true but its sold at retail).

Oh wait... that sounds like L4d:2 so maybe its legal if i purchase from steam?

Hey and if they want to pull the "protect the children" line, Inact laws to make it illegal to sell 18+/violent/adult games to persons under 18 (oh wait.... they have for other media).

What ever happend to the locked topshelf of your room, or password protected Personal computers... or ratings lockouts on consoles like the xbox360, PS3, etc its not hard to protect children form "unwanted materal". its just hard to get the polly's to understand technology.

Dont want your kids to view a violent movie or play a violent game.. dont buy it or lock it away.

Its only difficult because 1 Attorney-General is playing the "church card"
1 Attorney-General saying no... and 7 others saying yes... that dont sound very democratic does it?

Its sounds easier to change the Australian Constitution by Referendum.

and I cant vote him out... I'm in the wrong state.
And my Attorney-General has no problem with it
But he is still labour

*In the Northern Territory & Australian Capital Territory it is legal to purchase "xxx Adult media(no games)"

 

"and vulnerable adults", he calls them that, I call them girlfriends!

LOL. Morons telling other people how to live their lives, get a grip.

S*D

 

I think a problem we're facing is that the older generation, the one controlling laws etc now, never had computer games as kids and they see them strictly as entertainment for children.
They don't seem to understand that the first generation of gamers like myself are now all grown up and still enjoy games as a form of entertainment, just like a movie or book.

I think with time that the laws will be changed, hopefully before I move to Oz...