Aussie R18+ Rating Rally Roundup

December 7, 2009

A previously mentioned rally planned to show the support of gamers for an R18+ rating in Australia drew about 50 people.

The event, promoted by the website Treat Us Like Adults, took place on Saturday, December 5 in Brisbane. Speeches were given by Ethan Watson from Treat Us Like Adults and Nicolas Suzor, CEO of Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA).

Suzor documented the proceedings on the EFA website, and four YouTube videos (1, 2, 3, 4) have been uploaded, capturing the two speakers.

The next step in pressuring the government, according to Suzor, is to pressure the Commonwealth Minister for Home Affairs, Brendan O’Connor, to release the long-awaited R18+ discussion paper. A form letter and directions are now featured on the EFA wiki.


Thanks Ryan!

Comments

Re: Aussie R18+ Rating Rally Roundup

Submitted by sharpshooterbabe on Thu, 12/10/2009 - 00:59.

I would hate to be in Australia right now.

 

 

 

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Re: Aussie R18+ Rating Rally Roundup

Submitted by asmodai on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 17:44.

This isn't about awareness, it's about Australian apathy when it comes to political rallies.

We're politically lazy.  Unless something is at doomsday, we talk a lot but don't act.  Any wonder politicians think they can get away with what ever they want over here..

Re: Aussie R18+ Rating Rally Roundup

Submitted by Sigvatr_ on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 18:31.

I've lived about 50/50 in America/Australia and I completely agree with you. Australian's don't care about anything as long as they can go to the pub and watch footie after work.

Honestly, we probably aren't going to get an R18+ rating here until Atkinson dies, which I hope is soon. More people want him dead than Hitler.

Re: Aussie R18+ Rating Rally Roundup

Submitted by Monte on Tue, 12/08/2009 - 09:41.

 Well y'know, except for the 60-something percent that keep voting for him...

Re: Aussie R18+ Rating Rally Roundup

Submitted by Madcat on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 17:27.

Population of Germany = 82 million, density = 230/km2
Population of Australia = 22 million, density = 2.8/km2

You gotta understand guys that Australia is a very small population spread out over a very large area, 50 people attending is quite good.

Re: Aussie R18+ Rating Rally Roundup

Submitted by hellfire7885 on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 16:28.

If any thing this likely emboldened Atkinson to try to get the 18 rating for films revoked, as in his mind this likely confirms that he is right.

Re: Aussie R18+ Rating Rally Roundup

Submitted by Monte on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 13:59.

Bah, i knew this would happen. some poeple can be so hard to gather together in large groups for rally's. You want to get a lot of gamers together you are gonna need some good networking to get the word out. Really, they should have made certain they would have a good number of dedicated people to show up before they even announced a date.... really all they managed to do was embarass themselves and hurt their own cause; an unsuccessful rally gives the impression that people don't care.

Re: Aussie R18+ Rating Rally Roundup

Submitted by killatia on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 12:25.

I hope the aussies do a better job next time a rally is around. It would be upsetting to hear that no one fought for a R18+ raiting.

http://www.magicinkgaming.com/

http://www.magicinkgaming.com/

Re: Aussie R18+ Rating Rally Roundup

Submitted by Zerodash on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 11:55.

...and that about does it for chances of an adult rating for Aussies.  At least there weren't any cosplayers.

Atkinson is certainly having a good little chuckle.

Re: Aussie R18+ Rating Rally Roundup

Submitted by nighstalker160 on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 11:44.

I said this in another comment a couple of weeks ago but I think it bears repeating.

The strategy should be to stop making it about the R18+ rating and start making it about how Atkinson thinks HE is the arbiter of content in Australia.

Atkinson is, to an extent, correct, I seriously doubt a significant chunk of Australians are going to cast their vote based on his ratings position.

What they MIGHT be more interested in is the fact that Atkinson clearly has no intention to stop at games. He all but admits he'd like to pursue a similar policy for films.

Drive THAT point home. "Hey, this guy doesn't want to censor GAMES, he wants to censor EVERYTHING." 

Make THAT the campaign. Not "Atkinson wants to censor games," but rather "Atkinson thinks he has the power and the right to decide what content YOU get to see period. He doesn't think you're smart enough to make your own decisions, he thinks its HIS call what movies you should see, what games you should play, what books you should read."

Make this about Atkinson's clear preference of an autocratic state where content and media is controlled by a government bureaucrat.

Turn Atkinson into an Orwellian nightmare come to life and people WILL start to pay attention

Re: Aussie R18+ Rating Rally Roundup

Submitted by Rodrigo Ybáñez ... on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 11:33.

50 people... Atkinson surely got a good laugh this weekend.

This kind of events should be sponsored by game companies and retailers, but I´m afraid they are the less concerned crowd about the R18 rating.

My DeviantArt Page (aka DeviantCensorship): http://www.darkknightstrikes.deviantart.com

Re: Aussie R18+ Rating Rally Roundup

Submitted by DarkSaber on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 11:17.

50 people? Jesus this is nearly as big a flop (numerically speaking) as that "Throw Away Violent Games" event in Germany.

--------------------------------------------------

I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

-------------------------------------------------- I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: Aussie R18+ Rating Rally Roundup

Submitted by Soldat_Louis on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 10:57.

400 to 500 people in Germany to protest against LAN bans. Now 50 people in Australia for a R18+ rating... It's way too little. And this is why I don't like the idea of planning such "gamer rallies" : most of them fail to gather enough people.

Re: Aussie R18+ Rating Rally Roundup

Submitted by Talouin on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 10:57.

 Going to need many, many more people than 50 to convince people that the ratings issue is an important one, let alone sway Atkinson on the subject.

 
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