Government says R18+ = more Aussie jobs

The Federal Government sees an R18+ category as a game changer for creating more IT jobs according to a release issued today by Minister for Justice Brendan O’Connor. O'Connor emphasised the Government’s strong support for the Australian game design industry while meeting students at the University of Ballarat.

In addition to offering better guidance for parents and remove unsuitable material from children and teenagers and R18+ category “create further opportunities for Australian computer game developers, distributors and retailers,” he said

“Australia’s local game design industry boasts more than 50 companies and over 200 game titles and it is growing strongly along with the international demand for new games,” he said.

“We want to create opportunities for our young people in diverse parts of the economy. The games industry is an increasingly important part of our creative economy that we should support.”

With the introduction of an R18+ classification, Australian game developers would be able to create computer games for both the local and international markets without having to change the content.

He cited figures from the Game Developers’ Association of Australia that the computer games industry is now double the size of the movie box office, and more than 40% larger than the movie disc industry in Australia.

The novel benefit of the R18+ category was also pointedly aligned with the delays in getting an agreement about an R18+ classification between States and Territories Attorney-Generals.

Minister O’Connor has made it clear that he expects a final decision on the introduction of the new classification at the next Standing Committee of Attorneys-General meeting in July.

“When making their decision, I urge State and Territory governments to consider the value of the computer gaming industry to Australia’s economy, as well as the need to provide better guidance for parents and greater protection for young game players,” Mr O’Connor said.