Tue, Jan 27, 2009 | 06:49 GMT
Restriction of “adult liberty” is “small sacrifice,” says Australian’s Atkinson
South Australian Attorney General Mike Atkinson, the Australian politician usually blamed for the fact the country doesn’t have an 18 rating for games, has told Gamespot AU that his stance is necessary to protect children and vulnerable adults from explicit, interactive content.
“Some of your readers may believe that the present system restricts adult liberty,” he told the site. “It certainly does restrict choice to a small degree, but that is the price of keeping this material from children and vulnerable adults.
“In my view, the small sacrifice is worth it. Classification exists for advertising, films and books for the same reason – to protect children and vulnerable people.”
Atkinson, in a lengthy comment to Gamespot, explains his stance in detail, claiming violent games are more affecting to children and impressionable adults than film.
“The interactive nature of electronic games means that they have a much greater influence than viewing a movie does,” he added.
“People are participating and ‘acting-out’ violence and criminal behaviour when they are playing a video game. They are essentially rehearsing harmful behaviour. Children and vulnerable adults (such as those with a mental illness) can be harmed by playing video games with violence, sex and criminal activity.”
Australia’s maximum game rating is 15+, meaning many more “adult” titles must be either edited of banned to make sale in Australia.
21 
Posted in: Australia, Hot, Politics, Violence in games
Tags: Michael Atkinson
21 comments
#1
Morrius
27/01/09, 7:23 am
Great logic there. Sigh.
#2
Blerk
27/01/09, 8:32 am
Would you trust a man with “Austin Powers” teeth?
#3
El_MUERkO
27/01/09, 9:16 am
what a tool!
#4
wz
27/01/09, 9:36 am
What Ben Franklin said about liberty, security and idiots like this guy.
#5
Panipal2005
27/01/09, 10:13 am
No no, the small amount of gratification he gets from cheap fascist moves like this probably IS worth it – to him.
#6
gorman
27/01/09, 10:31 am
“The interactive nature of electronic games means that they have a much greater influence than viewing a movie does”
No it doesn’t. It’s been proved in multiple studies that kids are still more than capable to distinguish between reality and fiction. That assumes responsible parenting happening and that is probably the problem.
Parents not making the slightest effort to understand what their kids are watching, reading, playing. And then blame whatever media is convenient to blame.
#7
sennasnit
27/01/09, 11:07 am
“Parents not making the slightest effort to understand what their parents are watching, reading, playing. And then blame whatever media is convenient to blame.”
My parents watch Murder she Wrote, and Diagnosis Murder, do I win a prize!
#8
Spiral
27/01/09, 11:18 am
A trip to Cabot Cove, where you will be brutally murdered.
#9
DaMan
27/01/09, 11:54 am
I wonder, do some people actually believe he thinks that..
#10
gorman
27/01/09, 12:04 pm
sennasnit, I corrected the obvious mistake :p
#11
elronathon
27/01/09, 12:29 pm
I’m really tired of people saying off-the-cuff remarks about games being able to more significantly influence behaviour than films. It has not been proven so why on Earth do people who consider themselves to be intelligent and rational think that the more they say it, the more valid it will become.
violence + videogames must be one of the single most enduring myths of the modern age.
#12
sennasnit
27/01/09, 12:52 pm
lmao
#13
sennasnit
27/01/09, 12:53 pm
his teeth look like a row of gravestones.
#14
Michael O'Connor
27/01/09, 1:06 pm
“My parents watch Murder she Wrote, and Diagnosis Murder, do I win a prize!”
My parents were freaks with morbid obsessions, which in turn led to me growing into a pale-skinned, long hair eccentric weirdo with an obsessive compulsive disorder and a liking for the goth scene of early 1980s England.
Give me that damn prize. *snatches it out of your hand*
#15
Robo_1
27/01/09, 1:07 pm
A sad state of affairs indeed. Still, region free gaming FTW aye
#16
sennasnit
27/01/09, 1:55 pm
My parents were freaks with morbid obsessions, which in turn led to me growing into a pale-skinned, long hair eccentric weirdo with an obsessive compulsive disorder and a liking for the goth scene of early 1980s England.
Give me that damn prize. *snatches it out of your hand*
*Gladly gives up the prize* and slowly steps away feeling quite afraid
#17
Michael O'Connor
27/01/09, 1:57 pm
“*Gladly gives up the prize* and slowly steps away feeling quite afraid
”
Hahahaha!
AND they watch Murder She Wrote. Aaaaaah, classic television at its best. Lovely woman too. Bought a house here in Ireland just five minutes from where I live many years ago.
#18
fearmonkey
27/01/09, 2:33 pm
Good thing we have people out there to save us from Ourseleves, after all, we wouldn’t want “Parents” to actually have to be the ones not purchasing the “18″ titles.
“Parents” need all the help the can get, they shouldnt have to actually “parent”….Wink wink Nudge nudge
#19
SticKboy
27/01/09, 6:22 pm
Since when did they start classifying fucking BOOKS???
#20
theevilaires
28/01/09, 2:32 am
Australian? this guy looks british.
#21
Retroid
28/01/09, 2:57 am
I wonder why, eh?