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Sales of Unrated games* in AUS Illegal Now


Wizard

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full article - http://uk.games.ign.com/articles/950/950795p1.html

 

"Australia, February 3, 2009 - In a shocking move this morning, the Sydney Morning Herald has reported that Australian retailers will no longer be allowed to sell any online game that has not been classified by the Australian Classification Board.

 

This move directly affects games such as World of Warcraft, Warhammer Online, Age of Conan and Pirates of the Burning Seas - titles that don't contain a single-player experience, and therefore did not apply for classification. The previous understanding was that online games, by their nature, fell outside of traditional national classifications - a loophole that the Classifications Board want stitched up.

 

According to the report, a spokesperson for NSW Attorney-General John Hatzistergos said the NSW Classification Enforcement Act prohibited publishers and retailers from selling unclassified computer games. The spokesperson also encouraged individuals to report any retailer or individual found operating outside of the Classification Act of 1995.

 

"The NSW legislation covers computer games bought online as well as those bought in stores, and treats single, multi-player and online games the same way," he said.

 

Australian police will be responsible for enforcing the penalties, which range from $1100 to $11,000 for individuals and/or 12 months' imprisonment, and approximately double those figures for corporations."

 

That's some really F'ed up laws, dude.

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is Australia full of a bunch of tight asses or what? they are supposed to be all bad ass, descended from convicts and whatnot.

 

Crocodile Dundee and Steve Erwin would not approve.

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It won't have any effect. You can always get them at a Trash & Treasure market, or simply order the games from interstate. Only legitimate businesses would be affected, and that's even if anyone took notice of it.

 

The NSW govt is deeply unpopular right now, and this decision is one reason why.

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All online games should all be rated M for mature anyways for the simple fact of the language. That would solve all the problems lol.

ESRB rates MMOs by content, as does Europe and Japan. They don't, and cannot rate online interaction with others. It's simply impossible to do so.

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