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PC Games

Atkinson's head firmly in sand on censorship

By David Hollingworth, The Inquirer
10:01 Jan 30, 2009 | 13 Comments
Tags: censorship | classification | r18+

South Australia's recalcitrant Attorney General continues to ignore people, common sense.

An attempt to impose R18+ censorship rating on relevant computer games in Australia is being sat on by the South Australian Attorney General Michael Atkinson.

Gamers and developers alike want the censorship rating so that games that would be otherwise banned in our country can go on sale. Attorney Generals from around the coutry agreed last March 'in principle' to canvass public opinion on the proposed introduction of an R18+ classification for games and to release a discussion paper on the issue.

However Atkinson is sitting on the paper and refusing to make it public unless changes to his liking are made.

Atkinson said that he knew that he was impinging on adult freedom but protecting children was more important than freedom.

Well, thank frack for that.

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13 Comments

Truckasauras Jan 30, 2009 11:03 AM	How much longer will this guy stay in his position? What an absolute joke.
majestic975 Jan 30, 2009 11:41 AM	Thats right kids, you'll still have to go to school to learn to swear and get porn.
Truckasauras Jan 30, 2009 11:43 AM	Between Conroy and this joker, the Labor party really aren't living up to their modern new wave thinking image they like to portray.
hectorbustnuts Jan 30, 2009 11:51 AM	"In sand" is clearly the journalistic way of getting around saying "wedged completely up his tax-payer funded fat arse".
deuce_23 Jan 30, 2009 12:51 PM	Question if im found with a game rated 18+ will they locked me up? How hard are they policing this issue? I want games with more blood and guts thats my right. This guy is a total cock smoker.
xtort Jan 30, 2009 1:10 PM	Hmmmmmmmmmm let me think i snuck in and saw my first R movie when i was 15 had my first smoke before i was 14 and had a sizable stash of porn by the time i was 17! I seem to have avoided killing, raping and been a shit of a person so far. Who dose this guy think he is when you can, once 18 go down to the local porn shop (yes minister they do exist!)and obtain LEAGALLY some very violent adult content indeed way mor than a computer game. simply put there is alot worse already out there and to tell me at 28, that i cant have a game because YOU think it is not good for the fabric of our society means you have missed the point of democracy and should stick it where the sun dont shine you narrow minded F@#! wit there i feel better time for lunch
t8y Jan 30, 2009 4:38 PM	lol, and it sounds like all that filthy content hasnt affected you one bit, xtort... :P but seriously tho, i read the "written interview" he gave recently, and this guy is a joke. he classes his 22yo son as a "child", well, anyone under 30 actually. i see no motivation for his opinion on this other than his own experience with his kids, and he sounds like a ned flanders dad anyways. id hate to have been one of his kids.. maybe he should look into the issue instead of just bluntly saying its harming children. theres plenty of research that says otherwise - and of course kids are still gonna get their hands on R18 games, the same way as i saw R18 movies as a kid, but at least give us the option of even being able to have them at all ffs and let us sort out the rest. im so sick of this nanny state..
MagnumXY Jan 30, 2009 5:06 PM	hey im a "child" and i dont care if i cant play some games for atleast five years. He also has obviously never heard of a little thing called steam.
-adicolor93- Jan 31, 2009 11:03 PM	im gonna sound like an @r53hole but tell the dude to wait 2 years till im 18 then do it
tictac2 Feb 4, 2009 5:44 PM	Funny how his version of morality is so obviously superior. Wonder how he'd react if I forced my morality on him? I'm torn between wishing I lived in SA so my vote could help remove him, and being glad I'm not.
Snotty-ASO- Feb 4, 2009 6:29 PM	He's talking about protecting children. Isnt that what the R rating is all about ! I think its a front ... a sly tactic to take more of our freedom and rights away just like the proposed internet filter will do eventually. Its an old trick actually and used quite recently with righteousness. After all the stuff he's probably seen and reviewed ... maybe he needs to see a psychiatrist.
Awatif Jun 10, 2010 11:15 PM	We fully agree to offer interest on the injured. Some online games played by adults become normalize played by children without supervision, sometimes when we think in this matter, we must work together to prevent children from viewing such games or play in it because it will destroy their future because it is original and is not suitable for their age and when we talk of freedom of adults do not mind games to keep the appropriate normalize them. But the most important in this subject is to protect children before think in adult’s freedom.
sheok Jun 11, 2010 9:20 AM	violent games do not mess kids up. shitty parenting does.

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