Michael Atkinson explains his stance on a R rating for games

PALGN News | He hasn't changed his mind.

South Australia attorney general Michael Atkinson has elaborated on his stance against a R18+ rating for videogames, believing that such a rating would put 'children and vulnerable adults' at risk.

"I don’t support the introduction of an R18+ rating for electronic games, chiefly because it will greatly increase the risk of children and vulnerable adults being exposed to damaging images and messages," said Atkinson in an email statement sent to GameSpot.

"The interactive nature of electronic games means that they have a much greater influence than viewing a movie does. People are participating and 'acting-out' violence and criminal behaviour when they are playing a video game. They are essentially rehearsing harmful behaviour. Children and vulnerable adults (such as those with a mental illness) can be harmed by playing video games with violence, sex, and criminal activity."

Apparently, Atkinson has witnesses the adverse effects that games can have on minors first hand.

"I have three sons who regularly play computer games at home - the eldest is now 22," noted Atkinson. "I see my children become physically and emotionally obsessed with games, and it is difficult to drag them away from the gaming console. The repeated act of killing a computer-generated person or creature desensitises children to violence."

The attorney general also pointed that that, compared to the number of games classified, only a tiny number were actually refused classification.

"Critics sometimes claim that I am ruining the game-development industry. There are very few computer games that are refused classification each year. In 2007/8 just three computer games were refused classification (Soldier of Fortune: Payback, Dark Sector, and Shellshock 2: Blood Trails). This represents a very small proportion of the 961 decisions made last financial year. In fact, only 55 were classified at the top existing rating of MA15+.

"Last year the makers of Grand Theft Auto IV altered the game before submitting it for an MA15+ classification, and Silent Hill: Homecoming is under revision by its makers after being knocked back by the Classification Board. The lack of an R18+ classification is not preventing very many adult-themed video games reaching the shop shelves - but it is ensuring that scenes that don't comply with a MA15+ rating are removed.

Atkinson admits that his stance on a R18+ rating does compromise a person's liberty - but believes it's worth it.

"[Some] may believe that the present system restricts adult liberty. It certainly does restrict choice to a small degree, but that is the price of keeping this material from children and vulnerable adults. In my view, the small sacrifice is worth it. "

You can read the full statement here.

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92 Comments

ObsoletE

3 years ago

Spanca wrote

South Australia: what the ****? Why do you guys keep voting for this idiot?

makes me wonder who his opponents are.
who are the people who make this guy look good?
/boggle

it does also make me wonder what kind of democratic definition is being applied when a minority defeats a majority.

Black Wolf

3 years ago

Dear Mr. Atkinson,

You want to stop games specifically designed for adults to ever entering Australia? Fine. The Classification Board may ban said games if they exceed MA15+, but aid gamers will just go ahead and download them illegally via P2P. If you say that you are protecting "children and vulnerable adults", then why aren't you doing something about sending an application for review for games such as F.E.A.R. 2, Silent Hill: Homecoming, and Fallout 3 so that they eventually get banned as well, eventually stopping your children from owning the game? Speaking of children, you say that you have a 22-year-old son and you find it difficult to drag him away from the game that he is playing. What? You are saying that that son of yours is incompetent when it comes to decide what he can and cannot play. See, even your own sons are turning against you. Gamers are sick and tired of your pathetic attitude towards games, and, like me, can't wait for the day that you are finally removed from office.

Itachi

3 years ago

ittekimasu wrote

1. Old People love voting
2. Gather Old People
3. Tell old people games are corrupting youth
4.???
5. win.

Thats exactly whagt it is Ittekimasu to many old people who have NFI.

Benc82

3 years ago

JP2daMC wrote

I think a lot of people here also forget that Attorney generals do more than worry about video games and ratings. I doubt video game violence is the number 1 reason people want him in the job or not.

Seems like there are more important issues in the world...

My thoughts exactly, to us (gaming community) this is a big deal, but unfortunatly to 90-95% (or whatever) of the voting public, they couldn't give a rats arse about video games. Who knows, this guy might have some great views on other subjects that I agree on (I don't care enough to look into him further).

But I agree, when it comes to this subject - twat. I think "wishing he would drop dead" is a pretty childish comment btw.

The Genius

3 years ago

Dear Artinkson, why are you in the Labor Party?

Fetidchimp

3 years ago

There may be other things in the world that matter more but this is a gaming site last i checked and beyond that, this is where it starts, they test the waters with this sort of crap and it snowballs from there. First it is films, then it will be games, then the print media and next thing you know they'll be trying to censor the internet, as if that would happen...

x7h3CUREx

3 years ago

i think we've uncovered the real driver behind his insane stance against the R18+ rating.

1. son hates his guts.
2. son plays video games.
3. father uses bizarro world logic to conclude that video games have driven his son to hate his guts when in actual fact his son hates his guts purely because he's a twat who was never there for his son during his formitive years.

he probably didn't even get to the baseball game to see his son hit that winning homerun.

that's low atkinson... just low!
you need to quit your job and put your family first.

(now everyone just play along and hope he takes the bait)

nemalive

3 years ago

Except for my disdane to lesure suits larry style or sexual content being over censored (not talking about mixing sex and violence sicko stuff) I have no quams about what gets banned in Australia and should be banned regardless of the 18+ ratting....My problem is about the 15+ games that really should be 18+....for example If deep space was a movie it would be 18+ but as a game its 15+....go figure???

Benc82

3 years ago

Fetidchimp wrote

There may be other things in the world that matter more but this is a gaming site last i checked

Yes, thats what I said in my post, which was in response to "why do people keep voting for him" ...... simply pointing out the most voters couldn't care less about video games hence they are voting on other issues not this one.

Fetidchimp

3 years ago

i wasn't replying to you but to the quote, i should have quoted it too i guess

Shorty

3 years ago

What was most annoying about his "statement" was that there was literally nothing new in it except maybe mentioning his kids. It was just a rehash of the same old arguments he's been making since day one.

rufati

3 years ago

A bit hypocritical of him to want to try and protect/control children of the nation when he can't even control his own. I don't have children of my own but I've played a big part (alongside my mum) in raising my brother's children. I just can't help but think it's fairly pathetic to have no control over your kids.

This isn't surprising though, it's just annoying to hear him talk about the same rubbish. Hopefully he'll begin to lose traction since he's publicly admitted that he can't parent.

ObsoletE

3 years ago

the problem is that some others here might be right, his stance on other issue might be commendable, or rather, they represent the majority of his electorate.

unfortunately on the issue of ratings even if he is the minority at the time of the vote (and i believe that last vote he was the only opposition) he still holds the entire vote to his will, because for some reason that aspect of the law requires a unanimous vote, rather than a majority rule vote.

i don't understand how this is fair, or democratic, especially when it happens time and time again for the same reason.

Silverbird

3 years ago

I feel like sticking a knife in this guys mouth and saying "Why...so...serious?" but I digress, that would be stupid and I would only be seen as imitating the Joker from a movie called The Dark Knight...

Oh well, back to bondage porn for me....weeeeeee

ObsoletE

3 years ago

Silverbird wrote

how else is it meant to be seen?

Itachi

3 years ago

That reminds me way back when they banned chucky because of the port arthur massacre. Didn't he have posters of chucky or something.

IMO i think this will never happen with this old generation still in power. Its a pity really but yeah what can ya do.

ObsoletE

3 years ago

i believe Child's Play 3 was inspiration for some of the torture inflicted on Jamie Bulger in the UK. afaik, aside from becoming notorious here, it was never banned here.

i'm not ever sure that it was banned in the UK either.

3mt

3 years ago

In my opinion, I think that there are plenty of MA15+ material out there that shouldn't be rated MA15+. Making a R18+ rating would allow the more questionable games to be upgraded to the new restriction.

But then again, the children could just as easily download overseas R18+ games online, thus bypassing Atkinson's plan in a click.

Michael Atkinson wrote

"[Some] may believe that the present system restricts adult liberty. It certainly does restrict choice to a small degree, but that is the price of keeping this material from children and vulnerable adults. In my view, the small sacrifice is worth it. "

The very children who are willing to play as underage gamers are the ones who would not think twice downloading a R18+ game online illegally. So Atkinson's stance will just encourage illegal downloading and bring publicity to underage playing.

fatpizza

3 years ago

I'd be an angry pissed off kid if he was my dad too.

Benza

3 years ago

Silverbird wrote

Yeah way to convince him that gamers arn't violent wackjobs... ya violent wackjob...

Quote

While I don't agree with the lack of an R rating, I do agree that very few games are getting knocked back in Australia because of it, with most of those getting passed with minor changes - Silent Hill and Dark Sector for example.

This is a bad thing for his argument wich he doesn't seem to realise. Games that should be rated R are being rated MA to get through our rating system. This is only leading to more violence with less controll.

Honestly I don't even have the energy to rage at this guy anymore, it's just him peddling the same old ****.

JP2daMC

3 years ago

I agree Benza. People on this forum are defending violent games, and then talking about stabbing and killing people. I know it's a joke, but it's the sort of thing they use against the gaming community.

To everyone on this post, instead of wishing him dead, you'd be better off writing to him and appealing to his logic.

As Benza suggests, a lack of an R rating actually has another consequence - that borderline games are being rated MA and not R. For example, if Australia had an R rating, they wouldn't have had to ban FEAR 2 originally, and the makers of the game wouldn't have had to appeal the ban. It would have been given an R rating, and there would be restrictions on it.

Right now, because there is no R rating, this game will be MA because the original decision was over-turned.

Fetidchimp

3 years ago

Quote

To everyone on this post, instead of wishing him dead, you'd be better off writing to him and appealing to his logic.

I think a lot of us did write to him previously, all got auto responses that we would get a further reply, anyone who is not in SA counts for jack to him, and probably a lot of people in SA as i believe he has a safe seat.

pedantics

3 years ago

Snowtown leading the charge against violence in Australia. Irony.

Anybody got a spare Attourney General sized steel drum and a couple of dozen litres of acid handy? Or the skills to code such a wonderful fantasy into joyous videogame form?

Fly

3 years ago

Fetidchimp wrote

"The attorney general is an extremely busy man but thanks you for your effort at contacting him, if you would deign to give us a postal address we can send correspondence with yourself in regards."

Ie give us postal address so we can multi copy stock standard reply about how we fake giving a damn. I could probably pull the exact email, but that involves effort.

Anyway, only so many times I can see "I'm a pathetic parent when it comes to gaming, damn you all" rehashed before it just gets old.

As such, damn you Mr Atkinson for procreating!

Dropbear

3 years ago

Know thy enemy:

Quote

From Wikipedia: Croydon is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia.

Croydon was created in the 1998 electoral distribution as a safe seat for the Australian Labor Party, replacing the abolished Spence. It was first contested at the 2002 state election, where it was won by ALP frontbencher Michael Atkinson, the previous member for Spence since 1989 and current Attorney General.

First preference
Party %
Australian Labor Party 67.1%
Liberal Party of Australia 19.3%
SA Greens 9.6%
Australian Democrats 4.0%
Two Party Preferred
Australian Labor Party 76.0%
Liberal Party of Australia 24.0%
Swing from 2002
Australian Labor Party +6.9%

Quote

...In June 2005, Atkinson faced a call for his resignation as Attorney-General from bosses of the Right faction Australian Workers Union and National Union of Workers and the Left faction Maritime Union of Australia and Australian Manufacturing Workers Union.

The Liberal candidate is Briony Whitehouse (left), a 23-year-old staffer to federal Sturt MP Christopher Pyne.

Despite Michael Atkinson's troubles, Croydon has retained its status as Labor's third safest seat after a 6.8 per cent lift on the primary vote and a 6.9 per cent two-party swing. The Greens also did well in a seat they did not contest in 2002, polling 9.6 per cent. This was one of only two contests which Family First chose to sit out, perhaps concluding that Atkinson had the religious vote sewn up.

http://www.pollbludger.com/sa2006/croydon.htm

He's used to the death threats, people. Sorry.
And for my part, I'm not in that district. Plus, I can't vote.

It's also interesting to see how many times he has been asked to resign as well. Maybe we could all team up?

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