AUS: Widespread support for R18+

The pressure is mounting on Australian authorities to introduce legislation to legalise the sale of adult-rated video games, with both retailers and consumers throwing their support behind the initiative.

We would fully support and instigate any new legislation the government seeks fit to introduce,” a spokesperson for the Aussie branch of GAME told GameSpot.

EB Games added the introduction of an R18+ rating would mean more jobs for Australians as we will be able to sell customers a full scope of games without compromising the quality of those titles compared with their overseas counterparts”.

Both retailers added that if necessary they would be prepared to alter they way they sell products to facilitate any legal changes, including the possibility of containing all violent games in a specific section of the store or displaying such titles with a generic box sleeve.

In addition, Helen Daniels of the Copyright and Classification Policy Branch last week revealed that of the 6,239 submissions it has to date received concerning the public consultation on the subject, only 11 of those processed by the body were against the introduction of an R18+ certificate.