Australian gamers can finally celebrate as the Australian Ratings Board has finally voted to include a new Mature rating, the R18+. While NSW Attorney-General Greg Smith abstained from the vote, Home Affairs Minister, Brendan O’Connor, promised the federal government would over-ride NSW and implement the R18+ rating regardless of its decision, though expressing a desire to get their vote as well before that happened.
Smith may bow to pressure. Greens MP David Shoebridge attacked Smith, pointing out “Greg Smith should stop moralising and start looking into having sensible rules to reflect the material that is out there and at the same time ensure that consumers are properly informed. Public submissions were overwhelmingly in favour of the introduction of the R18+ category. To abstain from the vote despite knowing months in advance that it would occur is politically culpable.”
O’Connor stated at the press conference, “We’ve now struck an historic agreement and we can move forward to having an adult classification in this country as is the case in New Zealand, the US, Europe and many other parts of the world.”
Jonah Falcon is a blogger for TMRzoo and GameStooge.com and covers all gaming consoles and platforms including Sony Playstation 3, Microsoft XBOX 360, Nintendo Wii, Sony PSP and computer games designed for Mac OS, Microsoft Windows and Linux operating systems. Jonah provides his readers with reviews, previews, release dates and up to date gaming industry news, trailers and rumors.
