Australia is officialy fucked

[EnigmaXtreme]

An R18+ rating for videogames and the Internet filtering proposal are the two biggest topics we've seen in a long time in the digital world down under. Australia is the only developed country not to have an adults only rating for videogames, and it doesn't seem like that is going to change any time soon. The next episode, in the never ending saga, comes today as the Australian Federal Government added R18+ videogames to their proposed ISP filtering plan.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that should the proposal from Stephen Conroy, Minister for Communications, come into effect any website that sells or hosts a game that is not suitable for a 15-year-old would be blocked.

Sites that could potentially be blocked include

* A website, local or international, this sells games that have been refused an MA15+ or below classification. This would include online stores such as Play-Asia and eBay.
* Any site that allows downloads, or hosts games that contain content that is deemed inappropriate for 15-year-olds. This includes services such as Steam, and could potentially cripple the future of digital distribution in Australia.
* MMOs that contain content that falls outside of the MA15+ rating. That will be hard to police given the nature of online play. Up until this point MMOs have generally been exempt from classification.

"Computer games such as web-based flash games and downloadable games, if a complaint is received and the content is determined by ACMA to be Refused Classification," said a spokesperson from the Minister for Communications' office.

Essentially this means that if an adult wants a game above the MA15+ bracket they will be unable to access it through online means. This will no doubt raise some eyebrows as data indicates that they average age of a gamer in Australia is 30, double that of the current highest age classification.

"This is confirmation that the scope of the mandatory censorship scheme will keep on creeping," said Colin Jacobs, spokesman for the online users' lobby group Electronic Frontiers Australia. "Far from being the ultimate weapon against child abuse, it now will officially censor content deemed too controversial for a 15-year-old. In a free country like ours, do we really need the government to step in and save us from racy web games?"

Games that are distributed and played completely online, such as MMOs, are generally exempt from classification. Mark Newton, an ISP engineer and internet filtering critic, explains "that exemption is the only reason why multiplayer games with user-generated environments are possible in this country; without it, it'd only take one game user anywhere in the world to produce objectionable content in the game environment to make the Australian Government ban the game for everyone."

What will game publishers have to say about this? If anything this is going to force people to pirate games.

Source: http://www.mywii.com.au/NewsDetail.aspx?id=3662

 

[Cermage]

remember that website filtering telstra was pushing around? this is probably go the same way.

 

[Vidboy10]

This is seriously bullshit for Aussies....
I feel really sorry for them not getting good games that are over the age limit.

 

[shanefromoz]

Would not stress as there will always be a work around.

 

[Frozen_Fish]

This shit is getting ridiculous, if this goes through we're going to end up like China.

 

[Vidboy10]

Would not stress as there will always be a work around.

I think as soon as the Government of Aussie-land knows about the work around they're just going to block it in a way.

Oh yeah BTW EnigmaXtreme, you need to add your source.

 

[Chanser]

Nice...

 

[Schizoanalysis]

what about using hidemyass or something similar?

 

[Maz7006]

That just sucks. I wonder whats next.

/me wonders

 

[Gman 101]

This is seriously bullshit for Aussies....
I feel really sorry for them not getting good games that are over the age limit.

Nice to know that people in Hong Kong are feeling our pain >

 

[Sstew]

Oh man that sounds a little extreme. I mean Ebay?!. Poor Aussie's

 

[Hop2089]

If this keeps up then no gaming in Australia. Their censorship is worse than 4kids and won't even allow an R-18 game to ever hit the shores from anywhere even though that's what the purpose of the rating was to get them released but heavily restricted so that minors can't buy them. The worse thing is that not even the MMOs which were safe for decades aren't safe anymore and every site that sells games that aren't MA15+ or lower will be blocked. The Australian Government has reached a new low in world history and needs to stop this before a part of the economy is destroyed indefinitely.

 

[Ishidori]

Are you sure Australia is not under a Taliban goverment? I'm so glad i'm not living there, it's so annoying that you can't play anything you want. Politician are so lame.

 

[Vitamilk]

man that just not ...right

 

[fgghjjkll]

yes.
message to Kevin Rudd:
You ban our games and we will leave australia.
then you would have no one to rule over you fucked up whore.

 

[Law]

Looks like it's time to "liberate" Australia from these "terrorists".

Godspeed, America. Godspeed.

 

[kjean]

then... be the torrentist.

 

[DrHectic]

I just find it funny how during the Beijing Olympics the Australian media/politicians had all this attention on the injustices of the Chinese censorship, and now this. Maybe politicians should go toot their own horn for once.

 

[Zidapi]

*dances*

hahaha at least I didn't vote thes c*nts into power.
Eat a dick youngins!
The only way you fuckers are going to learn that a vote for a Labor Government is a one way ticket to fucking up our country is to let them do exactly that.

You won't vote for Krudd again next time will you?

*dances*

 

[PettingZoo]

*dances*

hahaha at least I didn't vote thes c*nts into power.
Eat a dick youngins!
The only way you fuckers are going to learn that a vote for a Labor Government is a one way ticket to fucking up our country is to let them do exactly that.

You won't vote for Krudd again next time will you?

*dances*

I can not vote, and did not vote for Ruddkips, dude why don't you go eat a dick.

Anyway, back to the OP.

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