Gamers attack Christian lobby over R18+ 'lies'

James Riley
Friday, 05 March 2010 16:50

IT Policy - Regulation

Under the full glare of a Federal parliamentary inquiry, the newly-created political party Gamers4Croydon have accused the Australian Christian Lobby of lying, using selective research, and "unfounded emotional arguments," in its campaign against the introduction of an R18+ games classification.

And the group attacked the conservative Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) for trying to "re-write history" in its media campaign to link adult video games with violent behaviour.

Gamers4Croydon, which will run a field of candidates in the South Australian election in two weeks for both the upper and lower houses, was founded late last year to press for the introduction of an R18+ games classification.

The Australian Christian Lobby earlier this week compared the games sector to the denialism of 'Big Tobacco' in the 1950 - effectively saying the games sector was selling a dangerous product.

Gamers4Croydon secretary David Doe issued a statement today refuting the research being shopped around the media by the ACL and ACCM and challenging the groups to debate the issue openly "to let the public decide."

"The comparison (of the video games industry) to big tobacco is tenuous," Doe said.

"A more appropriate comparison would be to the proponents of every new form of media in recorded history - television, pop music, jazz, film and the printing press have all been decried as the harbingers of society's downfall," he said.