Will Australia soon have R-rated games on sale?

By Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Monday, 25 February 2008 07:13

Opinion and Analysis

While movies have long been able to be sold under an R rating classification should they have deserved it, games that would have gained such a classification have either had to be toned down, or not sold thanks to being banned – but this could soon change.

An article at the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) has brought forth news that Australia’s classification system for gaming could see the ratings system for movies match that for games.

The current classifications are G (general) for content that is very mild, PG (parental guidance recommended) for content that is mild and M (recommended for mature audiences) where the content is moderate in impact.

Then there are the restricted classifications, two of which do not pertain to games. The first is MA 15+ restricted, which is content denoted as not suitable for people under 15 followed by a notice that under 15s must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian.

The next category, which is the one up for debate amongst the attorneys-general of the Australian states and territories to be introduced as a classification standard for games, is the R 18+ restricted category, which is content restricted to 18s and over, while the final category X 18+ restricted, also restricted to 18s and over, will only remain in place for movies and isn’t being considered for games.

The SMH article notes that the moves to discuss changes to the ratings and classification regime will be the first that have taken place since 2005, with the previous government not at all keen to discuss the issue.

A survey conducted in Australia by the local games association noted that 88% of adult respondents wanted to see an R-rating category for games, with the gaming industry itself keen to see R 18+ established, allowing them to sell the same games sold overseas without needing to tone them down to gain an MA15+ rating.

Whether or not the attorneys-general from around Australia will have the courage to extend the R 18+ classification to games officially on sale here is yet to be seen, but with the change in government it may well happen.