Following several months of unexplained delays, the long promised R18 Public Discussion paper was released on 14 December 2009. We would have expected that gamers frustrated by the inconsistencies and lack of progression within Australia’s video game classification system would have been dying for a chance to have their voices heard. Made you submission yet? No? Then why not! It always seems like 28 February is far away but it is getting closer each day. And if it closes without you having made a submission, you’ll only have yourself to blame.
However, at PALGN, we accept that not everyone is Shakespeare. Not everyone has the ability, the time or the practice to sit down and right a succinct paragraph detailing a well argued summary of their beliefs. Well, neither do we, but we’re here to give you a helping hand. The aim of this article is to be a one-stop-shop for some basic information, as well as pointers and tips for making your submission.
Making a submission is just the beginning
Whether you have made your submission or not, you’d be naïve to believe that this is the end of the process. The public consultation is just the beginning of what could be a fairly long process because in many cases, it takes time for legislation to change. It can take even more time for government representatives to change their views on any given issue.
By making a submission now, you are taking your first steps in the journey towards the potential introduction of an R18 rating for video games in Australia. It’s only the beginning, not the end.
What’s the deal?
Since the classification system is applied nationally, all the States need to agree on any changes made to it. Upon the release of the first graphically violent games in the early 1990s, such as Mortal Kombat and Night Trap, ‘computer games’ were brought under the same classification system as publications and films – to be applied with the Commonwealth Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995, the National Classification Code and the classification guidelines. However, upon establishment, an R18 rating was not introduced.
Without an R18 rating, any game that is deemed unsuitable for a mature rating of MA15+, is banned from sale in Australia. This goes against just about every classification system in the rest of the developed world. And as many of you have seen, leads to a system rife with ambiguity. Especially as games become more artistically complicated and more are aimed at mature audiences. According to the Games Classification website, the States have discussed the issue of the R18 rating several times, but until now, have yet to have a public consultation.
It’s not always the case that you get a chance to have a democratic voice in something that is of interest to you. So, if you want to have your say on the R18 issue, now is your chance. That’s unless you want a bunch of stuffy old politicians to make a choice for you.
Consultations, reforms and reviews
Clicking on the link above will take you to a world that until now has been unseen to many of you. Hopefully it’s clear though, that there are a number of pertinent social issues being examined at any given time. Furthermore, hopefully it will show you that you can have a say on things that are important to you when the time comes for it. And believe it or not, sometimes the suits will listen!
Frustratingly, it has taken over a year for the Attorney-General’s R18 public consultation to be released. However, now that it’s out, you don’t want this opportunity to have your say slip through your hands. The thing to remember though is that this isn’t going to guarantee that the rating will get through. What it will do, is help show the Attorney Generals that there is a genuine public interest in the issue.
What do you need?
If you’re reading this, chances are that you already have everything you need. All you need is a keyboard, Internet access and a few spare minutes. Also, you really should be at least 18 years old.
Where to go?
You probably don’t have to leave your computer to get all this done.
So, if you want to have your say on the R18 rating, the first place for you to go would be the Games Classification website, which gives you a basic run down of what’s happening. The who, what, when, where and how.
From here, you’ll have access to a summary of the main arguments, both for and against, the R18 rating. It’s definitely worth a read. Also, you’ll have the main article of concern, the ‘submission template’.
The summary of arguments can be viewed both as a PDF file, or a word document.
The PDF document can be accessed: here
The MS word document can be accessed through a link: here
The PDF document for the submission template can be accessed: here.
The MS word submission template can be accessed through a link: here
There are a lot of articles of interest at iGEA’s site, viewed here. In particular, you could check out is this open letter from iGEAs CEO, Ron Curry, which can be viewed: here.
And there is a whole heap of other articles and clusters of information out there as well. One article to check out is the Byron Review by child behaviour expert, Dr Tanya Byron, from the UK. The executive summary can be viewed: here, and you can see the entire site: here. The suits have got a lot of their information from here, so you’ll be able to see where some of them are coming from with some of their arguments. Oh, and we point to the executive summary, because the full report is a tad long…
To arms, fellow gamers and non-gamers! Show them that the pen (or keyboard) is mightier than the sword... Or petty annonymous Internet slang insults.
How does it work?
Once you’re happy that you’ve read through the arguments and you’ve made up your mind on the issue, you’re set to go. It’s simply a matter of filling in the prompts. Remember to make sure that you fill in all of the necessary fields, because if you don’t, your submission may be disregarded. And keep to the 250 recommended limit, because if it’s too long, it may be glossed over.
Probably the best way go about this, is to fill everything in word, make sure that the spelling and grammar checks are done and get someone with a good grasp of the English language to re-read your comments if you have any to make. Bureaucrats can be a little particular, so it’s important to get your comments to read as well as possible. A good tip would be to write it up tonight, and then proof read it tomorrow. That way, you’re more likely to pick up any mistakes. Also, you can use the ‘highlight’ feature to choose whether you agree or disagree with the given statements.
Once this is all done, you have three methods of delivery:
Email: classificationreview@ag.gov.au
Fax: 02 6141 3488
Mail:
Classification Review
Attorney-General’s Department
3 -5 National Circuit
BARTON ACT 2600
If you get a chance, we’d recommend that you send a copy through mail. We’re not sure who has access to fax machines these days, but as we mentioned, bureaucrats can be a bit particular, so sticking to ‘what they know’ can be a good thing. Still, if you were to email and mail your submissions, you’re just being diligent in making sure that they’re getting to their desired destination, right?
Good arguments to use
Here are some of the things that you can say that will help reinforce your argument (mind you, if everyone copies them word for word, it will look a little fishy):
- The Classification Code sets out the following principle that the Classification Board must give effect to, as far as possible, in making classification decisions: “adults should be able to read, hear and see what they want”.
The current gaming classification system doesn’t allow this without the R18 rating. As adults, we should be able to make our own entertainment choices without being dictated to by the government.
- And according to the same principles, the R18 rating would still not allow classification for games that have “depictions that condone or incite violence, particularly sexual violence; and the portrayal of persons in a demeaning manner”.
- Currently, there are a number of inconsistencies that are rampant in the classification decisions. As consumers, we are unable to discern what is acceptable and what is not, as one game will allow some things while another will not allow similar content. This affects our ability to make an informed decision. For example, Fallout 3 was banned due to detrimental use of known drugs, while Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars allowed the buying and selling of known drugs and Velvet Assassin allowed players to explicitly benefit from one of the drugs that made Fallout 3 unacceptable. Having an R18 rating will allow for these ambiguities and inconsistencies to be cleared up, while providing everyone with more accurate information.
- There is no conclusive scientific proof that video games have any more a negative behavioural impact on those who play as opposed to those who don’t or are more likely to have a negative behavioural effect due to their interactivity. As stated in the open letter from iGEA CEO, Ron Curry, the often citied study by Professor Craig Anderson linking games and violent behaviour is not widely accepted by his colleagues in the field of Social Psychology and Aggression, as they could not see enough evidence to link his behaviour model with the experimental evidence and that the study lacks “external validity”. Conversely, there are a number of studies that link playing games to improved reflexes, cognitive thinking and problem solving skills.
- Enforcing R18 rated games for parents is easier then it ever has been before, as all modern consoles have security arrangements and ‘locks’ that can be set up by parents. This makes any games that are classified too high unplayable without parental permission.
- Minors are just as likely to be exposed to inappropriate materials through television, film, literature and the Internet. This is not exclusive to games.
- Indigenous communities and non-English speaking people are likely to have much larger concerns than whether a game is classified MA15+ or R18. Also, it would be much more difficult for them to directly access the illicit content in a game, especially if there is a language barrier.
- The R18 classification category sends a clear, unambiguous message to parents that the game and its material are unsuitable for minors. Furthermore, this will help o the wider community and consumer base to understand that video games are no longer an entertainment medium solely dedicated to children, which is reinforced by the fact that the average age of gamers in Australia is 30 years old (iGEA) and especially as games become more complicated and artistically demanding.
- Introducing an R18 rating will bring all the classification systems in Australia into line. This will help avoid confusion amongst consumers.
- Introducing an R18 rating will likely minimise the number of people importing banned games. While this only applies to a small amount of games currently available, as the industry gets more mature and complicated, this could have a significant effect on Australian retailers in the future if consumers were to solely resort to importing form overseas rather than buying at home.
- Australia is the only developed country in the world not to have an adult classification for video games. Furthermore, several media outlet polls and a Bond University study show that over 90% of respondents, including both ‘gamers’ and ‘non-gamers’, support the introduction of an R18 rating, as reported by iGEA.
What not to do?
There are a couple of things that will not help this cause:
- Do not provide false personal information, as it will discredit your submission. If you don't want your details to be explicitly used, choose 'yes' under 'confidentiality requested'.
- Even though we can’t all be literary geniuses, make sure that you read through your comments several times before submitting them. It may sound silly, but you wouldn’t believe how much we miss in everyday life simply because none of us reads things thoroughly enough.
- Don’t get angry and emotional. Avoid the use of caps (IT LOOKS LIKE YOU’RE SHOUTING) and emotive language that refers to things such as your rights, your personal preferences and anyone else’s mother. And above all, keep the language clean. Abusive and coarse language never got anyone anywhere.
- Never use ‘Internet speak’. Even if the bureaucrats do managed to decipher “OMG, wr not n00bz”, they’re much less likely to take your argument seriously. Avoid abbreviations, whether they be connective like ‘btw’ or abusive like ‘gtfo!’.
- Don’t write too much. It’s likely that they’ll have a lot of submissions to process. So keep to the point and be concise, otherwise it’s not likely to be read.
- And above all, do not procrastinate. If you have not made your submission yet, do it as soon as possible!
Confidentiality
If you would like to be kept anonymous, this is directly off the Games Classification site:
| Quote: |
| Unless confidentiality is requested, submissions are public documents and may be accessed by any member of the public, published on the Commonwealth Attorney General’s Department’s website and quoted in further review papers. If you do not want your submission to be published, or you would like to request anonymity, you must clearly request this in your submission. |
The rest is up to you!
That covers just about everything. All that’s left for you to do is make your submission. I know that I’ve made mine. Make sure that you don’t let this rare opportunity for you to have your say slip through your finger tips. And while you're at it, make sure to tell your friends as well and get them to make a submission as well. If you have anything else that you would like to add or have already made your submission, please post in our forums. Just remember, that this is the first step on the journey and we have a long way to go.
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