Gametech 2011: Govt needs to 'evolve' on game ratings

Who was there: Jane Fitzgerald, assistant secretary, classification operations branch, Attorney-General's Department.

What they said: While the Gametech industry conference in Sydney has focussed mainly on game industry developments, there was one session that looked at an issue which has vexed local gamers for many years--the lack of an R18+ rating in Australia.

Fitzgerald used her Gametech speech to outline how classification for games works in Australia. When it came to current policy issues, however, Fitzgerald acknowledged that the government's classification response needs to evolve in line with the market's own evolution.

She cited an example of films appearing within games and how it stretches the current legislative framework given its blending of two mediums. "As a regulator this creates difficulties for us--but when the product changes, we have to work out how our instruments of classification fits the product. So we have to ask fundamental questions of: Is this a computer game? When does it become a film? What if the film part of the content of the game has R18+ content in it? These are the type of issues we have to navigate, hopefully in consultation with the games industry," she said.

Fitzgerald said one area the government is focussing on now is the thousands of mobile and online games currently without a rating. "What the exponential growth has done is made the ALRC review of the classification scheme a bigger priority for government. It's also meant in the short term that our branch has been asked to come up with solutions. From our conversations the industry wants to do its best to comply with regulations, so the onus is on us to come up with an interim solution while we wait for the review," she said.

Finally, Fitzgerald addressed the upcoming Standing Committee of Attorneys-General meeting in July, where Australia's classification ministers are set to discuss the possible introduction of an R18+ rating in Australia. Fitzgerald said that if the ministers do decide to introduce R18+, the effect would not be immediate. "If it does pass in July, it will take some time thanks to legislative changes that need to happen," she said.

Takeaway: According to Fitzgerald, the government is fully aware that the current classification system works better for some forms of media than others. Games are one of the sectors where it doesn't work effectively.