Violent Video Game Debate Is On Again!

On the 10th of December we're ether going to have Australian gamers singing joyously down the street on their way to the local video game shop or they'll be picking up their assault rifles and war axes to go on a bloody murderous rampage. (or so some would seem to think we gamers would do.) So why singing or rampaging you might ask? Well the Committee of Attorneys-general meeting in Canberra will be taking place and having a big talkfest to decide if an R18+ rating for video games is to be introduced in this country or not, potentially putting the gaming industry on par with the movie industry and giving adult gamers the level of choice they should have.


Feed back the government has received from the public shows that the vast (I'm talking vast!) majority support an R18+ with 98.2% Vs those opposed at 1.8%  So it's obvious what the public wants. They wont the right to access entertainment that they are entitled to, and restrict those that are too young for that content. As it stands now some games that should be R18+ are MA15+ here in Australia and those that don't get squished into the MA15+ category are simply banned, forcing the more disgruntled gamers to pirate the banned game. None of that is any good for the industry or minors as it blocks out part of the Aussie market, gives incentive to pirate banned games and potentially gives minors access to what should have been a R18+ game.


Opposition to violent Video games mostly stems from people that have never been a gamer and don't understand the industry or the complete nature of the entertainment and only focus on what they personally don't like about video games. Or they are looking to find a scapegoat for societies bigger problems, and the gaming industry is an easy target because it's a young industry that just so happens to be expanding into a more mature market.


In my opinion you can't blame violence on video games, when there was worse violence before games. If someone commits a violent crime it's because there's something wrong with them or they had lousy parents that never showed them the meaning of respect and common decency, not because they played one or two video games. All the dedicated gamers I have ever known are non-violent people, and I for one never feel more violent after playing a video game, in fact I'm more relaxed. I do however support preventing graphic violent content to minors and think that a R18+ classification is a step in the right direction, that should be followed by better and more available information to parents from both government and the gaming industry.


On the 10th of December we'll see if people power is victorious, until then Aussie gamers will have to be content with restrictions imposed upon us.


Need a Link? http://www.ag.gov.au/gamesclassification