R18+ Video Game Public Consultation

[Harlequin Forest]

The Government is now asking for public opinion on the lack of an R rating for video games (leading to games such as Left for Dead 2 or Fallout 3 to be heavily modified, or in the case of Manhunt, banned). Just go here http://www.ag.gov.au/gamesclassification and follow the instructions to fire off an email. The bad news is that it still needs support from all the attorney generals, one of which has stated how he is heavily opposed to it.

[cyanide_christ]

The Government is now asking for public opinion on the lack of an R rating for video games (leading to games such as Left for Dead 2 or Fallout 3 to be heavily modified, or in the case of Manhunt, banned). Just go here http://www.ag.gov.au/gamesclassification and follow the instructions to fire off an email. The bad news is that it still needs support from all the attorney generals, one of which has stated how he is heavily opposed to it.

Fire off a shot?

[WarNick]

Fire one out in the john?

[erecshyrinol]

All for this. The new AvP game is going to get banned because of graphic trophy kills, L4D 2 is a fucking abomination with zombies actually on fire, not really on fire, and vanishing before grenades even explode. It really takes the fun out of the game...

[ironguardian]

An R18+ rating would make game buying so much more easier. At the moment, I rarely buy anything that's not got an MA15+ rating, and even then, someone them don't warrant that rating :/

I play violent video games knowing that they are not real, that it's virtual. I don't want my gaming experience to be controlled just because some people can't differentiate between reality and a game. While, I'm normally a fan of a government having a say in our lives (especially health care), this is not one of those cases.

[Teeman]

Yep I've sent off my email the other day. I don't see how regulation of violent games to ensure they're directed at adults can adversely affect children.

[nihilist]

I didn't know Fallout 3 had been modified? Plenty of gore in the VATS kills in my version!

As for L4D2, aren't they "sneakily" releasing a patch to bring the gore back?

[Teeman]

I didn't know Fallout 3 had been modified? Plenty of gore in the VATS kills in my version!

As for L4D2, aren't they "sneakily" releasing a patch to bring the gore back?

Fallout 3 was modified world-wide because of the changes that needed to be made to make it available for sale in Australia. Can't remember exactly what was changed, but a bit of a google should answer your question. Might have just been the child killer thing.

As for L4D2, just get a mate from the US to gift it to you over Steam, problem sorted

[Ingasm]

All that was changed in F3 was the drug morphine was renamed med-x. And the word 'drug' was replaced with 'chem'.

Thinking of the children.

[nihilist]

Not many games let you kill kids, doubt it was ever in any incarnation of Fallout 3, development or release. Though I sure did want to kill some of those little cunts in that Little Lamplight place.

I did read about the changes to drug names though a while ago, but that's so minor it really doesn't matter.

I'm more interested in what they're doing to fix the lack fo gore in the 360 version of L4D2, not the PC version. My PC sucks and I don't use it enough to warrant buying a decent one.

[macgyver]

well AVP2 has just been reclassified as MA15+ now with no modifications at all. Hows that for a win?

http://www.kotaku.com.au/2009/12/aliens-vs-predator-appeal-successful-now-rated-ma15/

Now as for the comment above stating that "I rarely buy anything above MA15+", I hope you have fun missing out on shit loads of good games that arent "cool" enough for you. The rating in no way makes the game, there is heaps of awesome games that contain 0 blood.

Little big planet? Forza? Need for Speed? All Mario Bros? Zelda?

Do I need to go on with anymore than what popped in to my head in 5 seconds?

[nihilist]

Peggle!!!

[macgyver]

Peggle!!!

BAM!

[Damo]

Cant the unmodified version be purchased from places like Steam without the censorship anyway?
Way to throw money out of the country...

[macgyver]

Cant the unmodified version be purchased from places like Steam without the censorship anyway?
Way to throw money out of the country...

not without some mucking around as your payment info is verified from Australia and as such you get the AU version if its been censored (although there are workarounds I have read about)

Also that doesnt help console gamers (although importing for console isnt hard from playasia or similar)

In the end its just ridiculous when a game that SHOULD be R18+ is now MA15+ just because we dont have the relevant classifications. WONT SOMEONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN!

[ironguardian]

Now as for the comment above stating that "I rarely buy anything under MA15+", I hope you have fun missing out on shit loads of good games that arent "cool" enough for you. The rating in no way makes the game, there is heaps of awesome games that contain 0 blood.

No, it doesn't make the game, but they're often indicative of the style of game. There aren't many decent FPS that are rated G. Likewise, most racing and sports games are given lower ratings. I've got plenty of games that aren't blood soaked but as a general guide, the higher the rating, the higher the odds it will be a game that appeals to me.

Not many games let you kill kids, doubt it was ever in any incarnation of Fallout 3, development or release. Though I sure did want to kill some of those little cunts in that Little Lamplight place.

That "Mayor" needed a good beating...

[erecshyrinol]

In Dragon Age: Origins there's a situation where you can kill a kid posessed by a demon, his mother or go somewhere else and find a cure. The gore in DA is quite explicit as well, which makes the game quite funny to watch if it ever got into a cutscene or conversation with you and your characters covered in blood splatters.

[macgyver]

In Dragon Age: Origins there's a situation where you can kill a kid posessed by a demon, his mother or go somewhere else and find a cure. The gore in DA is quite explicit as well, which makes the game quite funny to watch if it ever got into a cutscene or conversation with you and your characters covered in blood splatters.

da origins is awesome, its chewing up a bit of my time at the moment. along with multiplayer mw2. I can see my holidays being eaten by these 2 games and the cricket. awesome.

[nihilist]

I'm determined to finish the games I have before buying Dragon Age, Assassin's Creed II, Borderlands or a bunch of the other games I want right now.

It'd probably help if I wasn't so obsessed with getting 100% achievements.