Long have we suffered and waited for the coveted R18+ rating for games. With a single man opposing it and his ""Think of the children!"" attitude, adult gamers had all but given up hope. Like a shining beacon of hope in a dark ocean of uncertainty regarding upcoming titles that are likely to be - or older titles that already have been - banned or censored, due to the lack of an R rating, Victorian Attorney-General Rob Hulls has taken the lead in drafting the discussion paper for a public consultation process. More inside.
Spokesperson for Mr. Hulls, Meaghan Shaw, said ""censorship ministers at SCAG agreed that the discussion paper will be finalised by the end of the year, with the view to Australia-wide distribution."" A draft titled simply ""R18+ for computer games"" was sent to ministers in September, detailing pros and cons of introducing the adults-only rating. When finalised, the paper will be available to the public on the internet, as well as provided to interested parties to seek their views. Over 90% of Australian adults believe Ausralia should have an R18+ rating for games, according to a report released last week by Bond University and the Interactive Association of Australia. We are the only developed country that currently lacks an 18+ rating for games, meaning a title that features strong content, such as violence or sexual themes, will either be deemed as MA15+ material, censored until it fits such a rating, or banned entirely. We're hoping Michael Atkinson's reign of terror comes to a close just in time for MadWorld. Source: Screenplay