An R rating would protect children

[JP2daMC]

An R rating would protect children by Jason

PALGN Feature: Michael Atkinson is right to want to protect children, he's just going about it the wrong way.

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[mattstep]

Awesome. I was wondering when the "everyone plays" initiative was going to kick off.

I'll sure as hell be doing my bit!
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ALL THINGS PILKINGTON

[Windburn]

Excellent arguments, Jason. Your reasoning is very well thought out and clearly expressed- essentially it's a bulletproof editorial that should be brought to the attention of everyone concerned with this issue.

If more people take heed of Jason's example in the way they express their arguments, then we'll have a much more respected and valid position from which to challenge the archaic stereotypes that these ministers rely upon. Essentially, as gamers, our biggest challenge is being taken seriously.

We need to band together and take affirmative action to draw our local representatives' attentions to this topic if we really give a damn about effecting change in our ratings system.
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[Darius]

Thanks for the post, Jason Could you link us to all of Atkinson's statements on the issue? I see quite a few responses but not much of Atkinson's opinion.

I may have some opportunities to discuss the issue with Atkinson over the next few months - I met him recently.

If I can put the R18+ Games Classification case to him in person, it'd be good to know what I'm talking about At the very least I hope to find out what makes the anti-R18+ force strong enough to warrant SA standing out of line with every other state on the issue, when it seems like the public is broadly supportive of an R18+ rating for games.

[waz79]

If Madworld gets banned it will sell a lot of copies.

[renegadesx]

Great article, and your heart is in the right place, unfortunately you are giving Atkinson too much credit.

His heart is not in the right place, I for one do not believe for a single second that Atkinson cares about the children. He personally doesn't like these games so he will keep them banned if possible, the "if I don't like it you cant have it" mentality of the social conservative.

Do not forget for a second that Atkinson is a politician and this move hives him power and puts his name in the papers... no publicity is bad publicity. His arguments have been openly refuted time and time again and he keeps on making the same ones dismissing any refutations as propaganda from the publishers (despite it comes more from the consumers) and accusing Bond University of being bought off when it conducted its survey, when it went over Atkinson's head and asked the public what it thinks.

He uses strawmen and tautologies and has no interest in rational arguments.
Atkinson: The new Jack Thompson
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[Fetidchimp]

Have to agree with that, he tells massive exaggerations for political gain, he has even admitted that his own kids play these games, so if he can't control his own household, then why the fuck does he think he can control the rest of us.
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kill, kill, kill.....the white man. Kill the white man, kill

[Mr Waffle]

Agree completely. A woman at my work bought GTA4 for her 12 year old son last christmas; when we asked her why she thought it'd be ok for him to play such a violent game, she said "he's mature for his age" (so a game for 15 year olds is fine).

My bet is all the Little Timmys of the world with MA15+ games sitting next to their consoles fall into the same category. Every parent thinks their child is grown up enough to handle an MA15+ title. But maybe some would think twice about an R18+ title...

(Though frankly I doubt Atkinson will ever change his mind; he seems hell-bent on standing his ground, with his only real response being 'if you don't like it, fight me for my job '...)

[lapzod]

Good read.

Though I have to disagree with you completely renegadesx, and I will type something up later in reply.

[Dani]

Very well written, Jason... the most mature article or letter I've read so far besides the 55 year old grandpa gamer. We need more respectable opinions like this coming from younger gamers in the community, to set a better example for each other, and leave a better impression on parents and non-gaming communities. Assuming you are under 55...

[Kaiden]

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25205567-2682,00.html

From the above link :
"Ms Nelson also lashed out at laws governing mentally ill offenders subject to supervision orders, saying she had warned Attorney-General Michael Atkinson of a looming "disaster".

Wyatt, 24, killed his son, 2, and stabbed his partner, 21, and baby daughter before fatally stabbing himself in the family's Charlson St home at Davoren Park at 2am on Monday.

"I was just horrified because I think they are two deaths that needn't have happened and one of them is a child and I think that is appalling," Ms Nelson said."

All I can say is that by wasting time refusing to get the classification system reworked, you could have concentrated on more important things which could have prevented this.

My point is that once the R18+ was approved and done with, your time and energy could be used on more imporant matters. I think that death would negate any exposure to inappropriate material wouldn't it?
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Buy Left 4 Dead 2 (Uncut X360) at Play-Asia.com

[Nietzsche]

An R rating would protect children: "Well duh"

[The Genius]

More and more gamers are already tired of the R18 issue. And as long as games like AAA titles like RE5 , MadWorld are being classified, many more won't care.

I mean, kids are becoming more and more smarter and techservy these days. So by the time they are 13 or 14 they know how and where to get porn and violent stuff.

Infact there are more harmful things on TV than violent games.

12 year old girls are already throwing up and becoming bulimic because they want the kind of bodies they see on America's Next Top Model.

You have so much sex, drugs violence in shows like Underbelly that come in the evening, so even without games kids have access to so much filth that violent games are mild stuff to what they see on a daily basis on the net and TV.

By the time kids are 13 they know that stuff in games is fake. So many will not act out that stuff.

Toy guns are some of the most popular toys. So kids are already being fed violent stuff from other means besides games.

I would like an R18 yes, but violent games are only a drop in the ocean in terms of filth kids see everyday.

[rufati]

I just wish he'd stop holding up the public consultation on the matter. It's sad that the minority can slow things down like this in a democracy =/
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[choinkees]

Brilliant article, and the EveryonePlays site is good too.

Here's hoping we can get an R18 classification by the time Heavy Rain comes out. I don't even know if even the preview tech demo would be allowed here - being chased and potentially gruesomly killed by a disturbing taxidermist who keeps stuffed dead women in his house for amusement.. might be a bit too much for an MA15?
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-- stuff I've made -- games, music, short film and animation -- www.rickyvuckovic.com -- enjoy!

[Benza]

[lennex15]

You can only exercise choice by knowing all the facts.
Without R18 we are consistently misinformed and make enforced ingnorant decisions.
This is the case of the OFLC as well as the public.
Let's hope that constructed argument and evidence prevails and conservative misinformed opinions are changed through education.
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Döppel+Sig+Avatar=Kyser Soze+Respect

[The Genius]

[Benza]

[LabMouse]

[renegadesx]

[Fetidchimp]

I issue a challenge to Atkinson - Provide me with proof that censorship ever curtailed one of societies ills or stopped even one person from going out and committing a crime.
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kill, kill, kill.....the white man. Kill the white man, kill

[izzzbo]

Nice article. Though I believe gamers in Australia have made plenty of noise about banning our favourite games due to material not fit for our rating systems.

If politicians did go out there and talked to genuine gamers instead of parents who have no idea about gaming, they would have come up with a solution a long time ago.

It's like asking a beer drinker to test try wine.

Violence was around way before video games. But now they have something to blame it on.

[Karai Pantsu]

[Adeptus]