Back in March, retailer GAME started a petition asking customers to support the introduction of an R18+ rating for games in Australia. That petition has proven to be a success, with the retailer collecting more than 70,000 responses from consumers supporting an R18+ classification.
According to a press statement, GAME now plans to present a selection of its findings at the next Standing Committee of Attorneys-General meeting on May 7, although it's uncertain if R18+ will be on the agenda. GAME also plans to present its findings to Federal Home Affairs Minister Brendon O'Connor. For an R18+ rating to be passed in this country, all of the nation's attorneys-general must agree on the change.
GAME is not the only retailer to have pushed the cause of R18+ in Australia. Earlier this year, EB Games teamed up with pro-R18+ group Grow Up Australia to help drum up submissions to the federal government's public consultation into the R18+ rating, with the partnership garnering more than 16,000 official submissions.
Earlier this week GameSpot AU got in contact with the office of John Rau, the new South Australian attorney-general, and found out that despite earlier reports, he currently has no opinion on R18+ and is awaiting the results of the discussion paper before taking a stance.
For all the news on R18+, be sure to check out GameSpot AU's comprehensive feature here.
Discussion
wohoo i signed this :)
Nicely done GAME and EB! I'l be sure to sign it right now! Finally, we can get some games such as L4D2 uncensored. Do you think they will re-release games such as L4D2 again for the new rating if we get it?
Well done Game! We certainly need this, that's for sure!
Imagine if 70 000 people were able to vote in the South Australian elections too, instead of 15 000. Then Atkinson would have been kicked out of the Croydon seat ,as well as officially lose the Attorney General spot rather than "heroicly" leave it.
already signed the eb games one
I don't like to be negtive but I really don't expect this to do much since both of those politicians are of course members of the Socialist party (labor). Plus O'Connor shouldn't have a say since he wasn't born in Australia.
I signed it, I'm glad to help us Aussies!
they would have to be really dumb or arrogant to ignore the feedback
This is good news. But its still a long way until all the submissions have been read and considered by May 7. So to me, it's down to whether all attorney general unanimously agree to an R18+ for games in Australia or we gamers will spend the rest of our lives be treated like teenagers, continue to censor materials and make it hard for parents to accept that all MA15+ games are either suitable or not for kids to play.