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Second Life banned in Australia

June 27, 2009 in News comments 28

If you thought that Australia's censorship was ridiculous, it just got worse. Not only are 18+ rated games currently banned, but any "adult" online games will also soon to be banned. Second Life is one of them...

Australia's censorship crusade continues! Yesterday, we talked about how the Australian government was about to start censoring the Internet, and today we find out that Second Life is also about to be blocked. I think the country is only one step away from burning people at the stake for crimes of witchcraft.

Minister Stephen Conroy has confirmed that online adult games, including Second Life, will be barred under the ministry's sinister "filtering plan." The censorship will extend beyond mainstream titles and into the realm of flash-based Web games, as well as the previously discussed sites selling physical copies of games of games that exceed the country's MA15+ rating.
Miss Razz via destructoid.com »
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Most recently commented on by on Jun 29, 2009

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  • 3
    chautemoc Jun 27, 09
    God forid they should have an IMAGINATION.
    Man, *bleep* Australia. Why does anyone live there?
    • 4
      Gamesta100* Jun 27, 09
      quote chautemoc
      God forid they should have an IMAGINATION.
      Man, *bleep* Australia. Why does anyone live there?

      Sometimes I ask myself why I still live in Aus.
      • 2
        Aussie Legend Jun 27, 09
        Cause Australia has the best climate, beaches and sports anywhere in the world, and its awesome
        • 0
          Murray3 Jun 29, 09
          To a gamer? No.

          Why would a gamer worry about climate or sports? And the beach is horrible no matter what sub-culture you associate yourself with.
        • 2
          HisServant77 Jun 29, 09
          Haha, perhaps because a gamer is a real person living in a real world and should not completely submerse his/her entire life in gaming. Because if that happens it hints at moving from being a gamer, to a video-game addict.
  • 2
    RabidChinaGirl* Jun 27, 09
    I had a really nerdy nightmare once, in which I moved to Australia with my family. New place was nice, people were awesome, really mundane dream. Then I remembered that I write for a game website and started flipping out because of the government's video game policy.

    Woke up right after. No lie, dude, and I'll probably have a similar nightmare tonight after reading this.
    • 2
      tallteen86* Jun 27, 09
      LMAO

      I mean, it was a pleasant dream that became a gaming nerd's nightmare XD That says it all about your video game craziness right there.

      You're wonderful <3

      Now, hopefully you'll have pleasant dreams instead....DREAM ABOUT THE BAN ON MATURE GAMES BEING LIFTED IN AUSTRALIA INSTEAD!

      Course, if you wake up after that, reality would hit you....But at least you don't live in Australia, neh?
  • 4
    Play ISDF Jun 27, 09
    Bloody Stephen Conroy. They've got no right to censor the internet nor "adult games". NO RIGHT AT ALL! Oh *bleep* Kevin Rudd and Stephen Conroy and whoever else. This is just bullshit. For once I'm actually angry to be an Aussie. Ugh.

    Piracy... soon you're going to be my greatest friend = ).

    I wonder how everyone else will react when this all takes effect though. I can understand this not really being widely known at the moment, but when it happens, you have to wonder how the public will react.
  • 3
    Bale Fire* Jun 27, 09
    Flash based website games now? No *bleep*ing way!

    Someone start a petition or I will. No joke!
  • 0
    Twin_Master Jun 27, 09
    HOORAY! Never really liked that stupid thing anyway.
    • 3
      tallteen86* Jun 27, 09
      Think about the far reaching consequences eh?

      Unless something is done, it's just going to get worse over there ~_~
      • 2
        Gamesta100* Jun 27, 09
        quote tallteen86
        Think about the far reaching consequences eh?

        Unless something is done, it's just going to get worse over there ~_~
        It's a lot easier said than done.We are trying to change things but the higher ups just won't listen.


        There are people here that are trying and I hope one day we can change things and dig ourselves out of this stone age hole we are currently in.
  • 0
    Aussie Legend Jun 27, 09
    God Bless Australia.

    I'm not going to be able to play hentai games now, drats [/sarcasm]
  • 0
    HisServant77 Jun 27, 09
    It's all because of the whole Satan-created thing called Anonymity!

    I promise you, if there were a way for SL for go by a person's real name and all that, I bet the government wouldn't be against it! (I say this seriously too, If SL had a way to store the person's actual name and all that, and put it somewhere in game that lets other gamers know it while still letting people create their characters and all that, then I promise they would most likely be okay with it!)
    • 1
      TheFogIsRising Jun 27, 09
      quote HisServant77
      It's all because of the whole Satan-created thing called Anonymity!

      I promise you, if there were a way for SL for go by a person's real name and all that, I bet the government wouldn't be against it! (I say this seriously too, If SL had a way to store the person's actual name and all that, and put it somewhere in game that lets other gamers know it while still letting people create their characters and all that, then I promise they would most likely be okay with it!)
      Are you actually serious?!?! That's the worst kind of slippery slope. Let's just say, for arguments sake, that you're right and they start taking the names of people for the service. Then, what's to say the government won't start wanting to know what books you read, where you go everyday (read: forced GPS tracking) and your genetic makeup to decide whether you can breed. I hate to sound like that, but that first small step is leading down a road where you have no expectation for privacy of any kind. The internet and world wide web were based on principles of privacy and free access. Not being an Australian, I can't experience all of your plight; but as an American, I do have the parallel known as the PATRIOT Act. Liberty and privacy are universal rights and any curtailing of those rights (especially for adults) is tantamount to oppression. Seems like a lot of people have forgotten the "good old days" when monarchies had absolute power over their citizens.

      Be not intimidated... nor suffer yourselves to be wheedled out of your liberties by any pretense of politeness, delicacy, or decency. These, as they are often used, are but three different names for hypocrisy, chicanery and cowardice. - John Adams
      • 0
        HisServant77 Jun 27, 09
        Lol, well first let me say that I'm not saying I'd be for SL having such a thing. I just said that if they did, I'm almost certain those against SL would no longer be against it.

        Next, I completely get what you're saying. I'm with you on all that and saying I believe privacy is important. However, SL is NOT the government and is NOT a required service. If SL had something that revealed your real gender and age to other SLers (yet still letting you create your avatar your way), that is NOT a step in the government going all futuristic dictatorship-ness. It's nothing more than what most can tell just by seeing you in person. No personal/private information at all really. But it would settle the fear of pedophiles and other such things that many government agencies have with the anonymity of the internet. Old, fat, bald men could no longer seduce you by saying they were a goddess.

        But Second Life is not a required service. Now if they made such a thing mandatory for any online interactivity, THEN it'd start to infringe (yet still not a requirement for living, just using entertainment services). It's no different from other adult services that require your CC and even some, your SS# (which you can get TONS of info on a person with that!!)

        Last of all though, I believe the Internet was not based on the principals of privacy . . . free access and information, yes, but not really privacy.
  • 8
    Shuyu Jun 27, 09
    I love a sunburnt country,
    A land of sweeping plains,
    Of widespread free porn,
    Of gritty online games,
    I love her untouched Internet,
    I love her R18+s,
    Her sexual intercourse and digital gore -
    The free democratic land for me.

    ... But OHWAIT. I live in Australia. I want to live in the country depicted in the above poem.
    • 0
      HisServant77 Jun 27, 09
      I'd take all of those things except for lines 3 and 7. . .
      • 4
        chautemoc Jun 28, 09
        But those are the best parts.
  • 1
    Dine_Agoti Jun 27, 09
    I can't honestly understand how gamers from Australia can stand it. You guys have it bad. What's with your government? Are they trying to rival China and Iran?
    • 0
      Play ISDF Jun 28, 09
      No they're just plain ignorant and stupid. Although China is like our biggest trading partner so I wonder...
  • 0
    Fallen Royalty Jun 27, 09
    It's not the fact that now people can't have digital sex that they're complaining about - it's the principle of it. For the Australian government to have such censorship policies isn't right.
  • 0
    Aussie Legend Jun 28, 09
    I'm probably the only one who isn't fazed by this.

    As long as they don't ban games like Fallout and Silent Hill I couldn't care less.
  • 1
    conel3 Jun 28, 09
    Australlia has giant spider's that will eat my face, which is why I won't go there.

    And that's rediculous, how can they even ban it if you download it and pay for it all over the internet?
  • 0
    simomatic Jun 28, 09
    Horaay once again for communism.*Faceplam*
    • 2
      Cruxis Mana Jun 28, 09
      Isn't this more fascist?
      • 1
        Shuyu Jun 29, 09
        Mm, but one can't help but think of China when this comes up.

        We wanna be just like our fwendz.

        America just can't satisfy us anymore. Hooray China!
      • 0
        simomatic Jun 29, 09
        That's a very good question my good sir and I am gald you asked.

        The "banishment" of a particular game seems like a good piece of commuism. Dictaorship and etc.*Claps*

        ZING!

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