Australia bans 2 video games in 24 hours

[mindx2]

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/06/26/australia-bans-second-video-game-in-24-hours/

Both Saint's Row IV AND State of Decay can't be sold Down-under...

I'm pretty conservative but this is just stupid. How about the parents, you know, actually parent and not rely on government to be your kids nanny....? Is this indicative of the trend, socially, where Australia is heading?

 

[sea]

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/06/26/australia-bans-second-video-game-in-24-hours/

Both Saint's Row IV AND State of Decay can't be sold Down-under...

I'm pretty conservative but this is just stupid. How about the parents, you know, actually parent and not rely on government to be your kids nanny....? Is this indicative of the trend, socially, where Australia is heading?

It mostly boils down to a select few people in their political system who keep vetoing the sale of violent games. The population has voted overwhelmingly for any and all games to be sold, it's just that those who have power happen to ban entertainment unopposed and there is very little the public is able to do to influence their decisions.

For a long time, Michael Atkinson, their Attorney General, outright refused to allow the introduction of an 18+ rating for videogames, which basically meant that anything M-rated would be refused classification because it did not meet the standards of any other existing ratings. This was overhauled a few years ago but obviously they still have some stricter standards, despite the fact that they now have an 18+ rating. Apparently, discussion of drugs and sex is not appropriate for adults in Australia.

 

[mindx2]

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/06/26/australia-bans-second-video-game-in-24-hours/

Both Saint's Row IV AND State of Decay can't be sold Down-under...

I'm pretty conservative but this is just stupid. How about the parents, you know, actually parent and not rely on government to be your kids nanny....? Is this indicative of the trend, socially, where Australia is heading?

It mostly boils down to a select few people in their political system who keep vetoing the sale of violent games. The population has voted overwhelmingly for any and all games to be sold, it's just that those who have power happen to ban entertainment unopposed.

If they have voted why do the bans continue? It's still a (quote) democracy (unqoute)... correct?

 

[sea]

Sorry, when said "voted" I was referring to opinion polls done.

 

[Cowboy Moment]

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/06/26/australia-bans-second-video-game-in-24-hours/

Both Saint's Row IV AND State of Decay can't be sold Down-under...

I'm pretty conservative but this is just stupid. How about the parents, you know, actually parent and not rely on government to be your kids nanny....? Is this indicative of the trend, socially, where Australia is heading?

It mostly boils down to a select few people in their political system who keep vetoing the sale of violent games. The population has voted overwhelmingly for any and all games to be sold, it's just that those who have power happen to ban entertainment unopposed.

If they have voted why do the bans continue? It's still a (quote) democracy (unqoute)... correct?

I guess this illustrates the importance of explicitly writing freedom of speech into your constitution. Any major breaches of the aforementioned can still be thwarted by popular outrage, but nobody's really going to care about a bunch of games being banned. And thus the members of that classification board can continue in their arbitrary dickery

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

Disgusting subhuman aliens. Someone should bring them freedom and democracy.

 

[deuxhero]

I can't wait for Meruru Plus to be rated in Australia, given that Totori Plus was rated more violent than Hitman or Gears of War. It's bound to be hilarious.

 

[evdk]

Disgusting subhuman aliens. Someone should bring them freedom and democracy.

Well, IIRC, the Land Down Under has big deposits of precious uranium that could bear liberating, plus them Abbos seem to be getting persecuted mightily. High time for the shock and awe tour to come to town, methinks.

 

[Data4]

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/06/26/australia-bans-second-video-game-in-24-hours/

Both Saint's Row IV AND State of Decay can't be sold Down-under...

I'm pretty conservative but this is just stupid. How about the parents, you know, actually parent and not rely on government to be your kids nanny....? Is this indicative of the trend, socially, where Australia is heading?

It's not really conservatism. It's more of a reactionary thing, at least from my perspective in the States. I'm not familiar enough with Australian politics to comment too much on it, but I see more censorship coming from the left here than I ever did from the right. All it takes is a couple of highly publicized shootings before the left start screaming "OMG! Think of the children! BAN EVERYTHING!" Hell, censorship in the arts in America rose to prominence back in the 80's thanks to Tipper Gore, who was married to the inventor of the internet and Mr. Global Warming himself, Al Gore. You'll also find some of the worst "sin laws" in the most librul places.

As for banning video games for content at the state level, well... nanny-statism at work here, nothing else to see, citizen.

EDIT - Okay, well played. I tried to get around the filter by retardifying the spelling of the L word, and the filter retardified itself.

 

[DalekFlay]

Banning or wanting to control media is not a conservative thing. In fact it reeks of nanny state liberalism. The biggest censor-happy politicians here in the States were Tipper Gore, Joseph Lieberman and that California senator of Asian decent. Two of those three were liberals.

As for the overall topic I am fine with some actual legal involvement in the age ratings, but refusing to classify something even for adults is insanity. Unless it's a snuff film or something.

 

[Spectacle]

The video game censorship advocates are an unholy alliance of nanny-state Liberals and moralist conservatives, which is why it's so bloody hard to combat. No matter who is in power these fuckers have the same influence. The best we can do is to lean back and wait for the old farts to die off.

 

[CorpseZeb]

It's not really conservatism. It's more of a reactionary thing, at least from my perspective in the States. I'm not familiar enough with Australian politics to comment too much on it, but I see more censorship coming from the left here than I ever did from the right.

Yeah, none of political currents, are immune to the perverted joys of "censorship" (read: joys of power). As a Cowboy Moment rightly said, if you don't have an explicitly writing freedom of speech built (very) firmly somewhere into your constitution, you are in the trouble...

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." C. S. Lewis

 

[evdk]

Yeah, none of political currents, are immune to the perverted joys of "censorship" (read: joys of power). As a Cowboy Moment rightly said, if you don't have an explicitly writing freedom of speech built (very) firmly somewhere into your constitution, you are in the trouble...

It doesn't help when the judiciary won't apply the constitution. I'll have you know that communist Czechoslovakia did have freedom of speech guaranteed by a constitutional document and you can probably guess how well that was implemented.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

Gotta justify the existence of their jobs once in a while, after all.

 

[Hirato]

It mostly boils down to a select few people in their political system who keep vetoing the sale of violent games. The population has voted overwhelmingly for any and all games to be sold, it's just that those who have power happen to ban entertainment unopposed and there is very little the public is able to do to influence their decisions.

For a long time, Michael Atkinson, their Attorney General, outright refused to allow the introduction of an 18+ rating for videogames, which basically meant that anything M-rated would be refused classification because it did not meet the standards of any other existing ratings. This was overhauled a few years ago but obviously they still have some stricter standards, despite the fact that they now have an 18+ rating. Apparently, discussion of drugs and sex is not appropriate for adults in Australia.

I remember responding to one of these years ago, in regards to a preliminary R18 rating.

I believe I said that I thought the restrictions on drugs were far too strict.
I'm not sure how much they've changed in the interim, but you should've seen them; if these guidelines were adhered to by the letter, lots of RPGs would've been refused classification for simply having something as innocuous as a health potion

 

[CorpseZeb]

It doesn't help when the judiciary won't apply the constitution. I'll have you know that communist Czechoslovakia did have freedom of speech guaranteed by a constitutional document and you can probably guess how well that was implemented.

Of course, Polish communist constitution was full of citizen rights as well... but in the normal democracy, freedom of speech mounted in the constitution is a very good (and necessary) foundation for the future practice of courts. The country judiciary will follow... eventually. It takes a time, sure, but it is inevitable.

 

[Stinger]

As if I give a shit about Popamole Row 4. Not having to deal with Weaponised Dubstep and other "oh so hilarious" top lel worthy elements like being in the matrix in 2013 improves the purity of our race.

Country sucks but at least I'm not losing anything of value.

 

[Jashiin]

Fuck these politicians man, better cooldown by starting a rampage in SR IV and let my rage flow in a non harming adult manner. Ow I can't buy it ? Better shoot up parliament.

 

[evdk]

Fuck these politicians man, better cooldown by starting a rampage in SR IV and let my rage flow in a non harming adult manner. Ow I can't buy it ? Better shoot up parliament.

They let you have guns? Afraid of a kangaroo uprising?

 

[Jashiin]

You gotta wonder what kind of a douche these guys are deciding they have to "protect" an adult audience from this stuff. Are roadrunner cartoons banned for excessive violence? Books? Comics? Every hollywood movie?

Smells like typical political reasoning. I stop this shit. that will net me some conservative or game violence hating votes next round.. look at me having true values. All politicians are liars.

 

[Jashiin]

The video game censorship advocates are an unholy alliance of nanny-state Liberals and moralist conservatives, which is why it's so bloody hard to combat. No matter who is in power these fuckers have the same influence. The best we can do is to lean back and wait for the old farts to die off.

Once people have kids watch them become old farts in a fucking hurry because the state, and not them, have to protect little Johnny from all the evil in the world.

 

[Spectacle]

The video game censorship advocates are an unholy alliance of nanny-state Liberals and moralist conservatives, which is why it's so bloody hard to combat. No matter who is in power these fuckers have the same influence. The best we can do is to lean back and wait for the old farts to die off.

Once people have kids watch them become old farts in a fucking hurry because the state, and not them, have to protect little Johnny from all the evil in the world.

But unlike the previous generation they also want to play games themselves, so they'll support a system where violent games are available to adults but restricted for kids, like other media.

 

[Brayko]

Fucking politicians man. I mean some laws are beneficial but when it comes down to chronic nanny nagging that's when shit gets all :uprising:

Fact: Most people who love games and get off playing shooters with their buddies aren't violent.

 

[Haba]

The funny thing is, I used Australian proxy for an early Saints Row 3 unlock on Steam...

 

[J_C]

As if I give a shit about Popamole Row 4. Not having to deal with Weaponised Dubstep and other "oh so hilarious" top lel worthy elements like being in the matrix in 2013 improves the purity of our race.

Country sucks but at least I'm not losing anything of value.

First, Saints Row is a fun popamole series, with over the top gameplay. Second, you don't care now, but if next time they ban an actual good game, which you like, you will care more.