Should Australia allow R18+ Video Games? Let's ask Australians ...

Gothic Girl | September 27, 2008 | Video | Playstation 3 Wii

With the recent controversy surrounding Silent Hill: Homecoming's banning in Australia, the lack of an R18+ rating for video games in Australia has become a hot topic in the media.

The one man who stands between Australia and an R-Rating has even been voted Australia's 6th Most Hated Person.

OpinionateHereToo hit the streets to ask the general public of Australia what they thought about allowing video games to have an R-Rating ...

All video games rated over MA are banned in Australia. We asked a bunch of people for their 10 cents on the subject.

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96	Man who banned R18+ Video Games is Australia's 6th Most-Hated person! (3) September 21, 2008
51	91% of ALL Australians support an R18+ rating for games! (3) October 27, 2008
54	Introduction of Australia's R18+ Rating ... Has Been "Delayed Indefinitely"! (6) November 1, 2008
82	Australia FINALLY getting an R18+ Rating? (9) October 26, 2008
98	Why don't we take Video Games more seriously? (15) September 24, 2008

Comments

2 thumbs!
Twisted | September 28, 2008

Any Australian gamer is probably going to want to have them allowed there.
3 thumbs!
Salvador_Dog | September 28, 2008

i love it how the older couple was more ok with it then the younger interviewees.

I honestly don't see why Australians have that rule, but then again im not Australian so i can't really say anything on this topic... but i just did
- 0 thumbs!
  Play ISDF | September 28, 2008
  
  Well, there's no rule saying we CAN'T have those games, it's just that since we don't have an R rating, they can't be classified and have to be banned, or toned down. Also we can't import them because apparently the games can be legally stopped by customs.
  - 0 thumbs!
    Salvador_Dog | September 28, 2008
    
    yea that's what confuses me, why can't they just pass a ESRB type thing? i never really understood that.
  - 0 thumbs!
    Hellfire29 | September 28, 2008
    
    Customs can stop it?
    I just imported the un-censored GTAIV which is rated 18+ and it got here ok. I've also previously imported the original San Andreas (the hot coffee one) after it was rated R and Postal 2.
    - 0 thumbs!
      Play ISDF | September 28, 2008
      
      They COULD pass an ESRB type thing Salvador Dog but there's one man stopping it, as linked above.
      
      Apparently customs CAN stop it...but typically they don't. It just depends on the person looking at it and how they are and what they know I think. But regardless, they are within the law to stop it.
1 thumbs!
Play ISDF | September 28, 2008

Pretty varied opinions, it still sounds like people are far more concerned about the kiddies which is stupid since some M rated games are just as bad as the R rated games. Also if the parents are so concerned, they should be doing a better job of watching their kids and watching what their playing instead of just saying "Well I don't want the kids playing them, so lets stop everyone playing them". At the very least, put the rating lock thing on if it's that important to them.
1 thumbs!
Dark Arcanine | September 28, 2008

I'm an Australian gamer!

I don't see any reason not to let people have higher rated games, it's up to parents to stop children getting hold of them.
1 thumbs!
Aussie Legend | September 28, 2008

This is common sense is it not?

Why the *bleep* don't we have a R rating?

Just have them 'police' it more.

I went into stores when I was like, 10 and buy MA games and they didn't give a rats.
- 2 thumbs!
  BlackLabel | September 28, 2008
  
  And now you are the reason why there is no R rated games, you were the reason they are now worried about R rated games, they are worried if they have R rated games in their unedited glory children will buy them, so congratulations for admitting that you proved the government right.
  - 0 thumbs!
    Final Blade | September 30, 2008
    
    _{Its not people like him, its the idiots working at the stores who don't do a *bleep*ing good job making sure who gets games. In fact if they gave a universal rating system worldwide with intelligent people working at stores then perhaps we wouldn't be having these sort of problems today.}
1 thumbs!
Big A2 | September 28, 2008

This video reminds us why we should never ask Australians.

But I agree that we should allow R rated games. It's the parent's fault if a child gets possession of one.
1 thumbs!
Gothic Girl | September 28, 2008

I don't think half of the people being interviewed understood what an R-Rating would entail. A few of them didn't want an R-Rating because it might be influential to kids ... well kids shouldn't be playing them in the first place! It's up to parents and game stores to make sure these games don't fall into underage persons' hands.
0 thumbs!
GTA_Fanatic | September 28, 2008

GTA_Fanatic <3's the first girl.
I still don't much care for ratings at all, but that's my opinion...
- 0 thumbs!
  Gothic Girl | September 28, 2008
  
  An ironic thing to say from someone named GTA_Fanatic, considering the Grand Theft Auto games are some of the games that have to be censored due to the lack of an R-Rating
  - 0 thumbs!
    GTA_Fanatic | September 28, 2008
    
    No, I mean that they should do away with ratings all together.
    - 3 thumbs!
      Ameer | September 28, 2008
      
      Yeah, so we can positively influence the youth of today and soak them into even more gun culture and crime.
      
      That was a stupid comment.
2 thumbs!
KneeNAR | September 28, 2008

Mang I wish I was interviewed.... Bring on the 18+ games!! So that 4 months from now I can actually buy them (woohoo!)
But seriously, R rated everything else (book, movies, seriously :\) why not games??!
BAH!
1 thumbs!
BlackLabel | September 28, 2008

With that attitude as seen in the video i know that was only a cross section of Australian gamers/none gamers, but when even the gamers say no to R rated games there is no surprise why the government isn't listening. Yes there are lots of hardcore gamers online from Australia that want it to happen, but the casual crowd always has the largest voice and if they don't want it no one will get it, so if anything people that want R rated games need to do what that guy did and try and convince people of how good it could be.
- 1 thumbs!
  Gothic Girl | September 28, 2008
  
  quote
  but when even the gamers say no to R rated games there is no surprise why the government isn't listening.
  Actually the government (bar one man) is in support of an R-Rating for video games. Unfortunately, they need a unanimous vote to pass the R-Rating, and that one man ain't budging with his opinion. >_>
1 thumbs!
Aussie Legend | September 28, 2008

@BlackLabel-I was just pointing out that they don't keep tabs on who is bying what rating game.

And if they did bring an 'R rating' you would have to show some ID or drivers liscence or something of that sort.

That's all I was saying.
0 thumbs!
jackbergin | September 28, 2008

Why should the Australians alone get the privilege of being shielded from the world? Why can't I be?
0 thumbs!
Heretic | September 28, 2008

They should be able to. That is just wrong imo. But i dont run that the land down unda so i cant say anything.
1 thumbs!
Shadow net583x s | September 28, 2008

I'm going to move to Australia and start a black market of 18+ video games. I'll be rich!
0 thumbs!
GTA_Fanatic | September 28, 2008

quote Ameer
Yeah, so we can positively influence the youth of today and soak them into even more gun culture and crime.

That was a stupid comment.
That's not what I meant, but I have trouble explaining it, and I don't feel like getting into it.
- 2 thumbs!
  Big A2 | September 30, 2008
  
  If we got rid of ratings then we'll have to go back to the day where game companies were super strict about what goes on their consoles (The Contra boys were changed to robots when the game was brought to PAL regions).