No Decision But Lots Of Statistics
As expected the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General has not yet made a decision on the introduction of an R18+ classification for computer games. They have instead released a report containing preliminary figures and information about the public consultation that closed at the end of February. The report is available on the Attorney-General’s Department website.
The report shows that 98.2% of the submissions were in favour of the R18+ rating for games but Minister for Home Affairs Brendan O’Connor said that ministers had to also consider “the strength of the arguments on each side.”
Yes or No
‘Grow up Australia’ is mentioned often in the report and a pie chart indicates the number of submissions that were received via our website compared to other means. You can also see the clear success of EB Games in store petition.
Submission Method
The government has also released some of the submissions made by organisations including those made by the iGEA, ACL, EFA and ACCM.
Facebook Page
R18+ Petition
Steam Community
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With 98.2% for the positive, the arguments against are going to have to be phenomenal.
That’s it.
The public cries for answers, so attempt to boggle them with your ever confusing statistics! However, unfortunately for the government, a 7-YEAR OLD could read this pie chart… so they’ve only served to dig themselves into a deeper hole – 98.2%! LOL.
This proves my theory that politicians have evolutionary resemblances with jellyfish; and all the spinal column that goes with it.
“The report shows that 28.2% of the submissions were in favour of the R18+ rating for games”
What? According to the first graph, it shows that “98.2%” say yes to an R rating. This better be a typo.
Yes that was a typo! Thanks for pick up on it.
I’ve been reading the submissions – mostly, the ones against have a similar theme. The arguments against all seem to say that an 18+ category will magically put violent and inappropriate video games straight into the hands of children.
This is different from any other media how? They state that the interactivity of the games is the issue, but the question wasn’t whether video games could contribute to an increase in aggressiveness in children, it was whether or not there should be an 18+ category.
Most of the submission against have a really disturbing tone to them – they seem to think that parents aren’t capable of responsibly applying the ratings. Am I the only one disturbed by that? It’s not the responsibility of the government to dictate what I allow my child to watch, and the OFLC is not there to police what Australians can or cannot watch.
A lot the negative responses are from religious groups, but worryingly, a lot are from groups that try to seem non-denominational, but give off the moralistic vibes of being a group that is, or at least heavily influenced by religious beliefs of the writers.
@Amanda there was one religious group that was for 18+ and that was a surprise was the Catholic Bishop Thingy group. But agree that the people against had the same monotone saying that we don’t want these games in the children’s hands. Honestly i believe parents are less interested in what the kids are playing cause they think there safe playing MA15+ games, when clearly there not with the list of games and the end of the paper, 5% of the games where RC, the rest where rated 18-17+ in other country’s and available as ma15+ in our country its wrong.