Australia’s largest videogame retailer has joined the movement to add an R18+ rating category for interactive entertainment Down Under.
EBGames is promoting its pro R18+ stance in all 350 of its Australian storefronts, where it will display signage (picture at Kotaku) and offer shoppers the ability to sign a petition. The retailer is also promoting the cause on its website and linking to a virtual petition for those in favor of adding the adult rating category to sign online.
Kotaku reports that EBGames did its due diligence in advance of publically supporting the issue; the company polled its customers on the issue and found that 84% were in favor of the addition of an R18+ rating category.
EB Managing Director Steve Wilson offered:
With the release of the Government’s discussion paper, we knew as a company that we needed to act on this issue as it continues to cripple our industry and cost local jobs. We did however want to be sure that our customers were as passionate about the matter as we are.
He continued:
This is not a call for violent video games, but rather a call for a better classification system that brings Australia in line with the rest of the world and other Australian entertainment industries, such as films.
Thanks Andrew!
Comments
Re: EBGames Joins Pro R18+ Rating Fight
I like this for the Australian's better than the Australian's rules for all of Australia. :)
"It's better to be hated for who you are, then be loved for who you are not." - Montgomery Gentry
Re: EBGames Joins Pro R18+ Rating Fight
It's a nice gesture, but unfortunately online petitions are about as effective as pissing up a rope. They make people feel like they're actually doing something, but in reality, that's all they do. It's too easy to fake signatures. Scripts can be written to add thousands of names, and so they're generally ignored.
It would be better if they encouraged people to write actual letters or sign petitions in stores. Those can't be faked as easily.
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/petition/internet.asp
Re: EBGames Joins Pro R18+ Rating Fight
I just did that today, and in the comments section this is what I put.
"We need to focus on a state by state issue on this considering that there is no chance that everyone will agree on this. We need to allow the state and territory AG's who want to have an R18+ rating for their state and territory to be able to do so, and we also need to allow the AG's who don't want an R18+ rating for their state and territory to also be able to do so without screwing the other side up. All the other states and territory attorney generals who have not come to a conclusion yet will need their own time to make their decision in their parliaments themselves. To ask for all of us to come to a 100% agreement is impossible because everyone has opinions and nobody is ever going to back down. The system needs to change to better relect Australia's values of democracy."
While it is not all that I had written down due to the small space of the comment box, the simple fact of every state and territory needs to make their decision on a state by state basis is something I strongly focused on what I was writing on.
Hope that my comment had helped both in the pettition and also with the same/similar comment I posted in for the discussion paper that also went allong those same lines.
Re: EBGames Joins Pro R18+ Rating Fight
I'm going over to EB games right now and give those people a hug.
The best thing we all need is for more businesses to make an 'informed' issue about this and let people know about how games are treated differently compared to films all because of 1 or a few pricks in power.
Re: EBGames Joins Pro R18+ Rating Fight
Atkinson is way, way more dangerous then JT ever was (Hi Jack, how's it going having no job anymore? McD's workin out for ya?). Atkinson has actual real power, and he demonstrated that he'll use it to silence his critics whenever he can.
Earlier this week he put into place a law that prevented anyone from SA anonymously commenting online about the upcoming election or anyone whose a part of it. Only when he realized that it was actually unenforcable did he revoke it.
but the key point is, Thompson was a kook, Atkinson is dangerous. If anything JT should throw HIS book out and take some tips from a pro on how to really screw policy and freedoms over.
Re: EBGames Joins Pro R18+ Rating Fight
Good on EBGames. Hopefully more retailers take this stand. This just gets word of this more out into the open.
The more the public hears about this, the more Atkinson can no longer hide behind lies and denying his people basic freedoms they should be entitled to.
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James Fletcher, member of ECA Canada
Re: EBGames Joins Pro R18+ Rating Fight
For every game not refused classification EB can always charge nothing short of full RRP and remain the most expensive place to buy games in Australia short of Harvey Norman.
Okay, my little snide remark aside, I'm happy to see EB get in on this and kudos to them. It'd be good to see more game retailers Australia-wide, big or small, add some weight to the argument.
Re: EBGames Joins Pro R18+ Rating Fight
I wonder how many of those 16% who were against R18 are really just under 18 year olds who want to keep playing the violent stuff that gets classified as 15+ because of a lack of R18.
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Debates are like merry go rounds. Two people take their positions then they go through the same points over and over and over again. Then when it's over they have the same positions they started in.
Re: EBGames Joins Pro R18+ Rating Fight
the more support for an R18 the better
http://www.magicinkgaming.com/
Re: EBGames Joins Pro R18+ Rating Fight
Can't wait to see the vitrol spewd by Atkinson against them. Probably go something like "They are an illegal organization out to fill your children with violent pornography and I'm going to have to retroactively pull their legally obtain licenses because, after all, they are an illegal den of sociopaths who are out to harm all right-thinking (ie, those who accept my thinking FOR them) Australians!".
Nightwng2000
NW2K Software
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Nightwng2000 is now admin to the group "Parents For Education, Not Legislation" on MySpace as http://groups.myspace.com/pfenl
Re: EBGames Joins Pro R18+ Rating Fight
I'm not too sure Atkinson is THAT far into the Jack Thompson playbook, but I agree he will probably throw some insults and hyperbole at EBGames. I wouldn't be suprised if some "suprise" legal investigation by authorities happens to the company soon. It's not too much of a stretch for a country that censors the internet.
Re: EBGames Joins Pro R18+ Rating Fight
Remember what happen in Germany after a certain school shooting. The police sent SWAT and probably GSG-9 (Germany's counter-terror forces) at Crytek like they were behind the school shooting, not the school shooter.
So it won't be a surprise if Atkinson just suddenly sent police with a search warrant to find anything questionable. For heck sake, he can probably have some of the people that work at EB game arrested with bogus charges (conspiracy to commit terrorism, fruad, or something like that). Atkinson is a District Attorney, he has power and he can somehow abuse it. If he does it, we can get Atkinson on corruption, and ethical misconduct. He'll mess it up, I know he will.
Re: EBGames Joins Pro R18+ Rating Fight
Giving what happened to that oen display here stateside, where as the display was being put up there was suddenly something wrong with the building, no, it's no stretch at all that Atkinson will be looking for something wrong they did.
Re: EBGames Joins Pro R18+ Rating Fight
I think he really have a copy of Out of the Harm Way in his office. Until now, he taking it step by step. He just have to start to insult judges and colleagues and he will be officially "The Jack Thompson of Australia".
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Re: EBGames Joins Pro R18+ Rating Fight
I managed an EB games store in canada a number of years ago. it's nice to see the company is still on the frontlines of ratings enforcement.
Re: EBGames Joins Pro R18+ Rating Fight
This is not a call for violent video games, but rather a call for a better classification system that brings Australia in line with the rest of the world and other Australian entertainment industries, such as films.
Brilliant. An excellent and concise summary for the Pro R18+ people.
Re: EBGames Joins Pro R18+ Rating Fight
And the ears of those who canchange it are closed.