This Was Supposed To Be The Day Australian Gaming Grew Up

But it’s not, after a lengthy meeting between government officials earlier today wound up without, as was expected, an adults-only video game rating being introduced. Bummer!

Ever since video games were first certified for classification in Australia, there has been a maximum rating of MA15+ available for titles, because in the 1980s it was believed that games would never need anything sterner. This meant that any game in later years which was deemed “too much” for such a rating — and which in other nations would have been classified as an adults-only game — was “refused classification” in Australia, effectively banning it from sale.

Recent attempts to introduce an adults-only rating hit a stumbling block because of the way Australian classification law is structured. For changes to be made, all six of Australia’s state government Attorneys-General had to agree to them, and for a long time the representative for South Australia, Michael Atkinson, refused such a move.

His departure earlier this year paved the way for change, however, change many thought would come about at a meeting of the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General (a meeting between all six As-G) held earlier today.

https://lastchance.cc/adult-rated-video-games-bound-for-australia-5498362%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E

Some waffling on the part of one representative, combined with the fact another had only just entered the job days earlier and wasn’t in a position to make a definitive decision, have scuppered expected plans to introduce an R18+ (or, adults-only) video game ratings.

Australian gamers will now have to wait until 2011 for the next meeting, when hopefully everyone will come a little better-prepared.