For years now we have been walking backwards on the escalator of life when compared to the rest of the developed world; 'we' being those of us in society who like to indulge our senses in what can be termed as video games.
I can bet a year's salary that the moment the words 'video games' popped up, roughly 80% of you instantly surfed away from this blog as if it were the black plague but understand that this is far more than the right to blow someone's head off with one swift movement of your controller as Michael Atkinson has pointed out, albeit poorly, in his many arguments against the R18+ Rating for games. This blog entry today, ladies and gentlemen, is to provide my view on why the R18+ rating needs to be incorporated into our censorship system.
Firstly, why incorporate it in the first place? Wouldn't the current highest rating (MA15+) protect our children against violence in entertainment mediums such as video games? Mr. Atkinson proclaims that he is protecting the children by keeping the MA15+ rating as the highest current rating, thus anything that does not fit the profile instantly get rejected from our shores. Let's list some games that have made it past the MA15+ security desk:
- Grand Theft Auto
- Saints Row
- Left 4 Dead
- Call of Duty
- Madworld
- Leisure Suit Larry
- etc
Now, I don't play the above said games often. In fact, I've only played GTA IV for a maximum total of 30 minutes. However, after playing the game I do know that GTA IV is an adult's game. In what other game (besides Saints Row) can you have sex with a paid prostitute only to shoot her dead after the deed is done to get your money back?
This is the kind of game that is slipping through and being bought to 'children' by ignorant parents. I am not saying that we should tighten the leash by banning these games altogether as it would put a heavy dent into Australia's ailing gaming industry and economy; gamers would go through other channels to get the games they want to play either by ordering over the internet legitimately from overseas stores or illegitimately though dodgy means, and the many talented and gifted members of the Australian Video Entertainment industry would be made to work overseas for lack of artistic expression in their home country.
And all for the sake of partially and ineffectively protecting our young.
Instead of damaging the economy, inhibit an industry that reaps billions of dollars every year and continue to allow parents to purchase adult orientated games for their children, why not establish an R18+ rating?
One of Mr. Atkinson's arguments (i.e. video games are a cause of violence as seen in America and the MA15+ rating is to prevent this from happening in our country) is akin to suggesting that we cut the nicotine levels in our cigarettes and sell them to fifteen year olds or older; because they have a lower nicotine level than the cigarettes in the other developed countries, they will be less likely to develop lung cancer. Or akin to censoring certain parts of pornography and selling it to fifteen year olds or older, although I must say that this is happening already (see 'Knocked Up' - MA15+).
By having an R18+ rating, parents would be instantly informed of what kind of material they are purchasing for their young ones and can make an informative decision on whether or not it is appropriate for them. An MA15+ rating will most likely not deter a parent from purchasing it for their ten year old or fourteen year old, although an R18+ definitely would. To purchase an R18+ rated game you would need to provide ID before being able to purchase it, unlike the MA15+ rating where most turn a blind eye.
R18+ ratings would ensure that adult only games will remain exclusively to adults only and not to children, much like alcohol and other items indented for adult use only. Games that were meant for adults to play will only be played by adults such as the games mentioned above. Adults, i.e. those over the age of 18, would already have enough life experience and common sense to know that what they are experiencing in the game isn't real and the violence expressed in the game is an outlet for the frustration and anxiety that builds up in the hectic and fast paced world which we live in today, much like painting, writing or exercise.
If one were to express their inner most frustrations and anxieties, wouldn't it be safer or better even to express it in a virtual world? Would you rather people express their road rage out on the street or in the safety of their own home? Or would you rather everyone suppress all their emotions only to let it eventually explode when the dam bursts?
Mr. Atkinson, I ask you this - what is wrong with establishing an R18+ rating in Australia? You say that you want to protect the children but from what I can see, the children aren't even being protected at the moment at all. They are still being abused by their parents. They are still being influenced by the bad things they see around them. They are still getting depressed and killing themselves.
Stop using the children as a basis for your argument. Their troubles and personal issues have nothing whatsoever to do with this matter. Please come up with a better reason as to why an R18+ rating should not be established in our country and I will acquiesce with a sense of contentment.
To show your support for an R18+ rating for Games, please go to http://www.gamers4croydon.org/ and express your concerns. I know I have and I hope you do as well.
