Australia Finally Has “M”-Equivalent Rating
It’s a common Australian gamer nightmare: an awesome game like Left 4 Dead is released worldwide, but because Australia has no “M” equivalent game rating, and because of the games mature themes, that game is refused classification by the board and thus can not be sold in the country. Well, I’m happy to report that that nightmare is now just a nightmare and no longer a reality! That’s right, after many months of debate, Australia’s Parliament finally got around to passing the R18+ rating!
This new legislation will put games in line with the classification system for films and other media in the country. Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare said that “These are important reforms over 10 years in the making. The R18+ category will inform consumers, parents and retailers about which games are not suitable for minors to play and will prevent minors from purchasing unsuitable material.
However, though this law has been passed, it has yet to go into effect. The new classifications will go into effect on January 1st, 2013, which means that for another half a year gamers there will have to endure the nightmare. At this point, however, the time they’ll spend waiting will be just a drop in the bucket compared to what they’ve had to endure up until now!
