Mike Bantick
Wednesday, 30 July 2008 10:29
Opinion and Analysis
Page 2 of 3
With the average age of Australian gamers now pushing 30 years old, there could be votes in getting on side with an overhaul of the interactive entertainment ratings system.
Currently games that don’t meet the rather obscure MA15+ classification cannot be given a rating. Thus the game becomes ‘refused classification’ and therefore banned from Australian shelves.
This more often than not prompts game fans to go overseas to import their chosen poison.
In steps Greg Tannahill as a possible flag waver for the pro overhaul team.
Tannahill is a Democrat’s (no they are apparently not dead!) candidate for Molonglo in the Australian Capital Territory.
"Politicians don't understand videogaming and aren't interested in learning", says Greg. "There's good reason for people to be angry about the way games are treated by our parliaments, our media, and our classification board. I think gamers want to see leaders who have real respect for what they are passionate about, both as a pastime engaged in by millions of Australians from all walks of life, and as a multi-billion dollar industry which our governments should be attracting and nurturing".
Perhaps, as part of the public consultation that the Australian Attorney’s General called for recent on this subject, Tannahill could be the gamer’s ace in the hole, in parliament during the next phase of action on this debate.
There are
many sound reasons to introduce a R18+ classification to the interactive entertainment media, the industry in the country can use all the high profile fire-power it can find.
Tannahill’s full press release follows on page 3
