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Post by borgieman on Feb 16, 2010 22:29:55 GMT 10
Oh yes, because we've been known to commit various felonies. Those bikers man, they are small fry. We are the real threat against modern society.
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Post by jezstyle on Feb 17, 2010 19:21:59 GMT 10
Well looks like someone in Australia really hates to have R18+ games around... >_> www.nor18games.com.au/Why do I get the impression that this is all planned by Atkinson? With his 11 imminent days left, he should take consideration and employ a spellchecker. (see: left sidebar) |
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Post by borgieman on Feb 17, 2010 20:40:02 GMT 10
Even though the above site is the work of some petty internet troll I am willing to bite...
*ahem*
"Although R18+ DVDs are already available, computer games involve the player in an interactive role where they become the character doing the killing, raping, beating or sexual activity. An example of a currently banned game that would be allowed into Australia is a Japanese creation where the player is encouraged to gang rape and beat young women. Other games involve “first person” playing where the player takes the role of torturing or mutilating people. "
Nice try. But even though the rating system would be reviewed it doesn't mean that the OFLC will lose standards on giving games the Refused Classification rating. If games like Rapelay were being reviewed I WOULD expect it to be RC. Even so, such a game is a Japan only thing. It wouldn't be distributed mainstream outside of Japan. Also if the R18+ rating would be introduced all it would do is to clarify the games ratings just to make it easier for the consumer. Not to higher limits and open ourselves to more extreme acts of violence and sex etc. in a videogame.
"Once allowed in Australia, the authorities will not be able to control who gets to watch them."
Of course not, the average Australian gamer age is 29 years old. I believe we should be able to make choices on what it is we choose to play. I also find it offensive that such a higher person would question our intelligence if he thinks playing such games is how we get our violent/sexual etc. kicks.
"However, just ask them "If you can graphically simulate murdering, raping, mutilating, torturing somebody, etc, in a video game, what aspect of your character will be enhanced by doing so?" Their response? There is not one single "benefit" of R-rated games that will enhance or improve character!"
That doesn't particularly justify why people aren't entitle to make a choice on what it is they play. Besides I have never heard of game which rewards "Torture, Raping, Mutilating etc." to improve aspects of a character of a game. Even in Modern Warfare 2s "No Russian" mission, you will not be awarded an achievement/trophy or any thing else contributed to the game. Infact, they will even allow you to skip it because Infinity Ward knows that the content of that section may be too much for people. Just because they can make it doesn't mean that developers do not take the feelings of some gamers in consideration. Gamers are human after all.
"In a media release, ACL Managing Director Jim Wallace said that any moves to introduce an R18+ classification for computer games would be harmful for children and should be strongly rejected. “The potential for violent interactive games to cause harm has only increased in recent years, as these games have become even more sophisticated and interactive,” he said."
Let's look at the DVD ratings for a moment hm? Sure if you show a kid a DVD with an R18+ he may feel uncomfortable. But remember if he's not the age, he can't actually acquire it from the shops. Further more this last statement questions the intelligence of the parents. He's basically saying that parents are just going to get a child ANY possible game he wants and the parent will just cave in. I think most parents would be a little bit more on the ball than that. If I were a parent, I know for damn sure what would be suitable for my child to play. Heck, I even make sure my sister plays suitable games on the DS/Wii/PS2. If my parents want to ask me about any game, I just give them advice and they follow.
"COMPUTER games such as BMX XXX and the ultra-violent Manhunt could be sold in Australia under possible changes to classification rules. "
This was taken from an article that was backed by the above site. Aside from the obvious bias shown in the article. I have to question are people really that smart to sell a game that is ONE GENERATION OLD. Doesn't make a lick of sense.
Anyway, that does it with my two cents on that site.
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Post by borgieman on Feb 27, 2010 20:46:55 GMT 10
I was reading through the paper today. I come across an article discussing on the following games...The Conduit, MadWorld and The House of the Dead: Overkill. The three games will become a value pack called Welcome to Violence. The newspaper goes on to label the games as violent, brutal, obscene (along those lines). See here's the funny thing, these games are at least 6+ months old. If these violent games were such an issue, why did they complain now? Why not bring it up before or during the release of the games? To my knowledge The Conduit is not violent. Not very graphic. Just an FPS. An average one at that. The House of the Dead: Overkill is a zombie lightgun shooter. Nothing too graphic or gory. Violent sure, but not in a graphic way. Madworld...I can see their concern because of it's graphic style of black, white and red coloring. But still I can't believe it's taken them more than six months to just realise? I accuse the Herald Sun of 'feeding the troll'. Giving negative media on games when they don't necessarily deserve it. It also goes to show for a game like MadWorld how illinformed and late the media can be. The writer has lost all credibility if any? Has anyone else read the article? Anyone know where to find an online copy?
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Post by jezstyle on Feb 27, 2010 20:59:46 GMT 10
I was reading through the paper today. I come across an article discussing on the following games...The Conduit, MadWorld and The House of the Dead: Overkill. The three games will become a value pack called Welcome to Violence. The newspaper goes on to label the games as violent, brutal, obscene (along those lines). See here's the funny thing, these games are at least 6+ months old. If these violent games were such an issue, why did they complain now? Why not bring it up before or during the release of the games? To my knowledge The Conduit is not violent. Not very graphic. Just an FPS. An average one at that. The House of the Dead: Overkill is a zombie lightgun shooter. Nothing too graphic or gory. Violent sure, but not in a graphic way. Madworld...I can see their concern because of it's graphic style of black, white and red coloring. But still I can't believe it's taken them more than six months to just realise? I accuse the Herald Sun of 'feeding the troll'. Giving negative media on games when they don't necessarily deserve it. It also goes to show for a game like MadWorld how illinformed and late the media can be. The writer has lost all credibility if any? Has anyone else read the article? Anyone know where to find an online copy? Looking around for the online version, but I can't find it on the Herald Sun website. Maybe it'll pop up in the next few days.. |
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Post by borgieman on Mar 4, 2010 18:56:11 GMT 10
So I was reading the Herald Sun again today...they asked a question to five people. Are video games getting to violent? Does it affect your behavior? Somewhere among those lines, I don't think this would be online since it would be something you find on print. Anyway I noticed something about the 5 people. They were boys, below the age of 15. I think this is leading me to believe that Herald Sun is feeding the trolls some more by showing the majority as a under 15 year old boy demographic. They didn't ask adults, not male gamers, not female gamers, not parents. Nope just young boys. I read what they had to say. To say the least it is some what convincing. One of the boys said he only spent one hour a day playing racing games claiming violent games are boring. Another one says that he and his younger brother play Call of Duty and Modern Warfare (yeah THEY SAID THAT) and that violence had no impact whatsoever. One boy said that he rarely plays games and even then its just Call of Duty (seriously?) and FIFA '10. If your lucky enough to find Todays Herald Sun lying around, I encourage you to read it and give us your two cents.
Also, should I quit being a student of IT and get into Politics? Someone needs to stand up for gamers like us (of course sticking to other issues like crime, immigration etc.), I feel I can be that person. But then fifty comparisons of Hitler/Stalin later I would be hated so much, like most other politicians.
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Post by rainsongphoenix on Mar 5, 2010 7:58:43 GMT 10
hhhmmm..... I resent articles such as those above, because they only seem to ask a select group of people - often the people who know nothing of, or very little, of video games in general. Or if they do ask gamers, again, it's mainly boys - and being a female gamer, I feel my opinion should count too. Well, saying that, in regards to the censorship issues of violent/sexually explicit games - I don't play them. But, being female, I do find it somewhat offensive that developers do make games that involve raping woman and torture etc - I'm no femenist, but come on - games like those (even if they are japan release only) are not needed: if a guy has issues with woman, he shoudn't feel the need to dream up games that involve that sort of violent behaviour towards them - what good does it do? To me, it just tells male gamers (who do play those sorts of games) that it's ok to abuse/rape women etc..
Well, that was my opinion on the matter...
As for the politition issue - I hate 99% of them - they're useless money grubbers, but - if we were to get a politition who actually knows what he/she is talking about, and who actually gives a damn - I welcome them...
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Post by borgieman on Mar 5, 2010 9:15:58 GMT 10
Actually most politicians do support an R18+, in fact Atkinson himself is the only Attorney-General who keeps vetoing this decision. Even when the topic isn't about games (ie. Movies, Bikers, Political Madness etc.) a lot of other politicians and government critics do criticize him for his lack of judgment.
Also vote Borg for Prime Minister *insert catchy slogan here* :E
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Post by borgieman on Mar 5, 2010 21:43:20 GMT 10
www.news.com.au/technology/video-game-cancer-group-funded-by-atkinson/story-e6frfro0-1225837330811Where do I begin with this article. "A GROUP that says video games and violence are like smoking and lung cancer has received tens of thousands of dollars in funding from politician and outspoken R18+ game critic Michael Atkinson. " I wonder where that kind of money came from? Atkinson himself wouldn't have 'tens of thousands of dollars'. I suspect he's wasting more tax money of the state of SA to fund this. If I were an SA tax payer I would be pissed. "An expert from the Australian Council on Children and the Media this week told a TV news program the link between violent games and youth violence was stronger than tobacco and cancer." Your comparing a debatable issue like video games and youth violence to a confirmed issue like smoking and lung cancer? How does that make sense. If so, how? Did you just pull it out of thin hoping we would buy your crap? Where is the evidence to this 'link'? Besides there are other factors to youth violence like inner hatred (racial, sexual, age etc.), alcohol, domestic influences, drugs, at least we can confirm a link with those. "“It’s much greater than the effect of smoking on lung cancer,” psychologist Dr Wayne Warburton said." If that's the case, I should of died ages ago! Possibly dead over and over. "A spokesman for Mr Atkinson told news.com.au his department provided an annual grant to the council under its trading name Young Media Australia." Your tax money at 'work', South Australia. "Mr Atkinson is one of the most vocal opponents of introducing an adult rating for video games and last month said his family was more at risk from gamers than outlaw motorcycle gangs." Did I mention we are still insulted and offended by this claim. That goes for bikers too, by Atkinsons logic, they are wimps compared to us. "Another of the council's projects, "Choosing Fright-Free Fight-Free Viewing: An intervention for parents of under sevens", warns parents to approach the show Bananas in Pyjamas with caution because it contains slapstick comedy." It also contains lessons about solving problems, friendship, working together and other lessons that a child should learn. I also suppose Teletubbies is guilty of Nazism and Homosexuality? "CEO Barbara Biggins said the funding from Mr Atkinson's department had nothing to do with the council's view on video games." Atkinson thinks we are murderous, raping, no gooders who put bikers to shame. It is clearly evident that he stuck his nose in this project. After all if you hand over a huge amount of money 'for nothing', you would expect something in return. ""It's the only project that's funded by him and it's been funded for years now. And I think good on him for helping parents to understand the classification system better," she said." And the current rating system doesn't spell out content of the games? Oh wait, this is Australia silly me...  ""We're concerned that the G and PG ratings don't give parents enough information to judge whether movies are suitable for their four-year-old or eight-year-old or 11-year-old and that's what parents want," she said."  Is this not clear enough?  Or this?  If you can't tell this game has any moral problems, you are officially an idiot and a bad parent. "The comparison between video games and smoking seems to have first been made by the Australian Christian Lobby." I may be Catholic but I can say this with all due respect, what goes on in the church should STAY in the church. Not everyone in this country thinks like you, accept it. And that is that, I'm going to watch some telly and have a snack.
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Post by borgieman on Mar 9, 2010 11:50:39 GMT 10
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Post by borgieman on Mar 10, 2010 18:32:41 GMT 10
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Post by rainsongphoenix on Mar 11, 2010 8:00:43 GMT 10
First off - in my opinion, on the issue of cencorship, it's a case of 'don't blame the video games, but blame the parents' - people who let their kids watch tv show and play games that are PG, M or watever, and then bitch about how violent they are are the idiots. Here's a tip: don't let your 6yr old play video games - kids 8yrs and under shouldn't really play video games at all - go outside and play dammit! And on the issue of the kid shooting herself with a gun mistaken for a wii mote - all I can say is this: Americans.... seriously - who leaves a loaded gun on the table? A wii mote! possibly the most un-gun like controller out there! And as for that Atkinson guy - what can I say - all politicians are idiots - especially that guy... He needs to get over it...
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Post by Machine Man on Mar 11, 2010 8:03:16 GMT 10
The best thing for everyone to do is to stop looking for something other then themselves to blame and then work out the appropriate measures to prevent it from happening again
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Post by jezstyle on Mar 21, 2010 14:36:18 GMT 10
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Post by borgieman on Mar 22, 2010 10:33:18 GMT 10
*final fantasy victory fanfare plays*
Australia has leveled up!
Australia has learned R18+ rating!
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