The petition
This Petition is to bring the attention of the State, Territory and Federal Attorney-General of Australia, the support of Australian Citizens for a R18+ Classification for Games Ratings.
In 2007 The Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia, through Bond University, researched Australian gamers, and found that the average age is 28, with more than half being over 18(I). As these age groups are getting older the demand for more mature and adult content in interactive entertainment is starting to grow also.
In 2005 The Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia, through Bond University, researched Australian gamers, and found that 88% of Australians, regardless of whether they play or have a game device say Australia should have an R(18+) classifications for computer and video games(II).
With just these 2 facts alone it shows that the games rating standards in Australia are out-dated and need to be revised, to cater for the community of people that these standards are in place to protect. Opening the standard up to include R (18+) will not see a flood of excessively violent and explicit sexual games come into the market, as the R (18+) category will still have standards that these games will have to abide by to get classifications, it will just open the interactive entertainment industry up to be able to provide the mature and adult media that people are developing interest in playing, as they get older.
Other research also finds that Australia is the only developed democracy in the world that does not have an adult rating for video games, leaving us behind the rest of the developing nations, leaving us censored to content that adults in other parts of the world are allowed to view and interact with.
It is important as we see the divergence of media that we bring the standards for video games in line with the standards for other types of media in Australia, as well as the rest of the world, will make the whole classification system in Australia a lot more consistent, fairer and cater for the people it is intended to protect.
(I)Interactive Australia 2007 - http://www.ieaa.com.au/5.resea...
(II)Game Play Australia 2005 - http://www.ieaa.com.au/5.resea...
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