R18+ Rating for Video Games in Australia is a done deal. We did it!
Good News Everyone! The R18+ Rating for video games in Australia is a done deal, complete, confirmed and its on the way. The legislation passed the senate in Federal Parliament tonight without amendment.
The new rating reforms bring the classification for video games into line with current categories used for films and makes it more consistent with the rest of the world. The new rating scheme will begin on January 1st 2013, this is the government after all, not everything can start right away. There is a lot of work to do behind the scenes.
Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Justice Jason Clare has said in a press release that “These are important reforms over 10 years in the making,”
“The R 18+ category will inform consumers, parents and retailers about which games are not suitable for minors to play, and will prevent minors from purchasing unsuitable material.
“The reforms also mean that adults are able to choose what games they play within the bounds of the law.”
The fight for R18+ Rating for video games in Australia has been a long and hard one, at times it looked like it wouldn’t happen. However, with time the Australian public, gamers and support groups have fought for the rating and its finally here.
We did it people. It’s done.
[quote]R18+ computer games legislation passes the Parliament – Monday, 18 June 2012 21:28
Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Justice Jason Clare today said that an R18+ category for computer games would now become a reality after it passed the Federal Parliament.
The legislation tonight passed the Senate without amendment.
The reforms bring the classification categories for computer games into line with existing categories used to classify films. It also makes the Australian classification regime more consistent with international standards.
“These are important reforms over 10 years in the making,” Mr Clare said.
“The R 18+ category will inform consumers, parents and retailers about which games are not suitable for minors to play, and will prevent minors from purchasing unsuitable material.
“The reforms also mean that adults are able to choose what games they play within the bounds of the law.”
The introduction of an R18+ category for computer games has been the subject of extensive public consultation over recent years.
The Attorney-General’s Department released a discussion paper on the introduction of an R 18+ classification category for computer games in 2009.
They received 58,437 submissions in response with 98 per cent of these supporting the introduction of an R 18+ category.
The Bill also has the support of State and Territory Attorneys-General, who agreed to this reform at the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General meeting in July 2011.
The States and Territories will pass their own complementary legislation to ensure that R 18+ computer games are appropriately regulated.
Subject to this occurring the national scheme will commence on 1 January next year.[/quote]
We've never had to write PlayStation so many times before.
Get in quick, they go fast.