Legal Niches

Discussion on Australian R18+ Rating Pushed to November

By james_fudge

The Australian government has delayed discussion once again on an R18+ rating. The Standing Committee of Attorneys-Generals were set to have a meeting this month to discuss implementing an R18+ ratings system, along with a host of other issues, but the meeting was cancelled due to the upcoming Federal Election. Those looking for a timely implementation of a rating system for mature games in Australia were disappointed by the delay.

The delay is frustrating to anyone that has participated in the process through public comments, because many politicians in the country say that they think the R18+ rating is a good idea. Liberal leader Tony Abbott said in May that the classification system for videogames is broken and former Queensland Premier Peter Beattie has said that a majority of SCAG is "pro R18+."

A new meeting date is the most frustrating news of all: The next meeting will take place in Canberra on November 4-5.

Source: Kotaku by way of Andrew Eisen.

Full post as published by GamePolitics.com on July 23, 2010 (boomark / email).