Week 10.2 Censorship
Since the
dawn of video games, a lot of video games have been produced with different
genres and theme all which deliver a new and different experience than the
other. But every game has different content that is appropriate for variety of
audiences which is why a rating system is needed. America has a system of
rating its games, called the ESRB while Australia has something called the
Australian Classification system. But they say Australia has the strictest rating
system in the world with its Refused Classification (RC) rating. Australia is
treating video games as if they are toys for kids when they are not. Not allowing
adults to purchase and play the games that they want contradicts with their
policy of being a free country with the allowance of free decisions. Older video
gamers should have the option to select whatever video game they wish play,
like of course some games that are banned it is understandable why they are
banned, but the RC rating is just plain ridiculous. Australia has the biggest
list of banned games in the whole world, but the thing is, if a lot of video
games are always being banned why not ban other media like film/television. Video
games is also a form of entertainment for everyone not just children so people shouldn’t
treat it as a toy for kids. Every single video game should be rated fairly not
matter how explicit the content is, the classification Refused Classification shouldn’t
even exist. Responsibility in steering children away from videos which contain
content that is not appropriate for their age should be put on the parents it
is their responsibility to be able to read the classification system and to
follow it appropriately, and their irresponsibility shouldn’t have to hinder
other appropriate aged players from being allowed to purchase these games. But
Australia’s classification system is really treating Australia’s gaming
community like children which is really isn’t fair for them as video games are
a medium for people of all ages to enjoy.
References
https://pirateparty.org.au/2015/01/16/classifications-board-continues-to-treat-adults-like-children/
https://www.alrc.gov.au/sites/default/files/pdfs/publications/10_refused_classification_category.pdf