[LINK] Victoria balks at R+18 games rating, classification swamped

[Jan Whitaker]

[what happens when the pendulum swings back]

"LONG-AWAITED reforms of Australia's censorship of computer games 
look set to fail after Victoria declared its strong concern that the 
move will legalise games with ''high levels of graphic, frequent and 
gratuitous violence''.

Backed by a groundswell of support from the gaming community, the 
Gillard government is determined to fix the classification system for 
computer games, which allows unsuitable games to be rated for 
15-year-olds, yet bans popular games for adults.

But the Baillieu government's Attorney-General, Robert Clark, has 
echoed the concerns of the Australian Christian Lobby, putting him on 
a collision course with Canberra, which requires the backing of all 
states and territories to change classification laws."

http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/games/video-games-reform-rebuffed-over-violence-fears-20110402-1csmm.html

  [more at the link]


"With censors swamped, Canberra signals it's time for self-regulation
Melissa Fyfe
April 3, 2011

Illustration: Matt Golding.

IN A significant change to the way Australia censors and classifies 
information and entertainment, the Gillard government has conceded 
that some industries will have to self-regulate and classify their 
own products.

In an interview with The Sunday Age, Home Affairs Minister Brendan 
O'Connor said Australia cannot create an ''army of classifiers'' to 
assess the huge amount of new material available to people - 
particularly mobile phone games, video and applications."

http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/games/with-censors-swamped-canberra-signals-its-time-for-selfregulation-20110402-1cslg.html

  [more behind the link -- go there, just to see Golding's cartoon]


Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
jwhit at janwhitaker.com
blog: http://janwhitaker.com/jansblog/
business: http://www.janwhitaker.com

Our truest response to the irrationality of the world is to paint or 
sing or write, for only in such response do we find truth.
~Madeline L'Engle, writer

_ __________________ _