There’s been an interesting development in the R18+ games classification crusade today, with South Australian Attorney-General John Rau admitting he supports the introduction of an adult classification on the proviso that the MA15+ rating gets taken out the back and run over by a hummer travelling at speed.
From Kotaku:
“At the moment, children can access a range of MA15+ games that are regarded as inappropriate for children,” said John Rau, “while adult gamers are prevented from access to many games available in other countries.
“By abolishing the MA15+ classification, we will create a clear distinction between games that may be suitable for children and those that are suitable only for adults.”
While the argument that an adult classification should come at the expense of the MA15+ restriction is not exactly a new one, it’s one that both makes sense and offers its own set of problems, the biggest being that removing the rating for games could create a similar confusion given the rating still exists for other mediums.
What’s really needed is a proper overhaul of the entire classification system. Fortunately, there’s a review of the system already underway, so there is hope that we’ll see a single, common sense ratings system introduced sometime in the future. Maybe.
[Kotaku]