A registered petition is being issued to the Queensland State Government, and they need your signature to bring attention to the R18+ classification issue.

Looking to step in where the Commonwealth Government has failed, a registered e-petition on the Queensland State Government website is allowing people concerned about the classification issue to have the matter discussed in parliament. If the petition gets enough signatures, there is a possibility that a bill will be drafted in State Parliament that may create a law that allows games to be classified R18+ in Queensland, overriding the federal law. Whatever happens, if the issue is brought to parliament, it will certainly bring the issue to the attention of the general public and stimulate discussion.

Here is the wording of the petition’s request:

“Queensland residents draws to the attention of the House that the Classification of Computer Games and Images Act 1995 is currently out of step with the wishes of the electorate.

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House that it be amended to permit computer games to receive the R18+ classification when they have been refused classification under the Commonwealth Act.”

The petition is sponsored by MP Kate Jones, the state member for Brisbane electorate Ashgrove and the youngest female minister in the Premier’s cabinet.

Most gamers already understand the arguments for an R18+, but if you’re still unsure, here’s two good reasons why you should care:

1) Adults should be able to play adult games. People who are old and mature enough to play games with explicit content should be able to do so without anyone telling them what they can and cannot play. Video games are constantly evolving as a medium of entertainment, and there are many different compelling ways in which a story can be told and how gamers can be immersed in a virtual experience. The average gamer is no longer of juvenile age, and many mature gamers can understand and appreciate a broad range of interactive experiences without negative psychological influence.

2) Protection of younger gamers. There are a lot of games with violence and other content inappropriate for youngsters that get shoe-horned into the MA15+ category that are probably more likely to be R18+ material. Game publishing is an expensive industry and there is usually pressure for them to be approved by the classification board. Wii games such as Resident Evil 4, House of the Dead: Overkill and Madworld are good examples of games that probably should have been branded with an R18+ classification.

An R18+ Classification lets adults play more mature games and limits children’s access to inappropriate material—it just makes sense.

So Queensland gamers, do your part by signing up on the registered petition here:

Queensland Government Petitions.

And if you have friends and family, even if they aren’t gamers, do your best to bring their attention to the issue and maybe even get them to sign the petition. But remember, this is for Queenslanders only. We understand that a lot of gamers interstate are quite passionate about the issue, but only people with a Queensland residency can sign.