Australian Government now supports R18+ rating for games

But the final decision is still in the hands of the Attorneys-General

In a shock move last weekend, the Australian Government confirmed that they are in full support of the introduction of the R18+ rating for video games. In a statement released today, Minister for Home Affairs Brendan O’ Connor has said that the government wants “to provide better guidance for parents and remove unsuitable material from children and teenagers. The introduction of an R18+ classification will help achieve that.”

“We believe that this is the right decision for Australian families and the right decision for parents who want to be able to make informed choices about the games their children play.

“Children and teenagers shouldn’t be exposed to the gratuitous sex, violence and adult themes that are contained in some computer games,” Mr O’Connor has said.

O’Connor has also said that “if the new category is introduced, it could result in computer games that are currently classified MA15+ being reclassified R18+, providing a new level of protection for children.” However previously banned games will not be automatically added to the R18+ level of classification.

While this is an excellent step forward towards the R18+ rating, the final decision still relies on the agreement of all the Attorneys-General this Friday. This week will be important, if not the most important week, in the R18+ rating for video games saga.

Source: Kotaku