Australia Still No Closer to an 18+ Rating

Posted by Lee Price on 11.18.2009

Thank God censorship isn't as rife in other countries.



South Australian Attorney General Michael Atkinson has once again denied gamers down under a chance to experience the more mature games around by coming down hard on the introduction of an 18+ rating. Australia is still one of very few countries where games such as the Grand Theft Auto series are unavailable in their original forms and Atkinson has sent an open letter to gamers in response to an irritated Kotaku reader.

Atkinson claims that people need to be protected from games with more mature content, specifically children and vulnerable adults, due to virtual violence and sex warping their minds.

Atkinson also display a disturbing tendency to take away a parent's right to choose how they raise their children saying, amongst other things, that "Access to electronic games, once in the home, cannot be policed and therefore the games are easily accessible to children. If adults think they can devise a lock-out system to defeat children, tell 'em they're dreaming."

The general tone of the letter is extremely patronizing in some respects and can be found here in .pdf form.

Source: Game Culture