Gamers in Australia should finally be able to legally play a number of games that previously have been banned from that country. News.com.au reports that the Australian Federal Parliament has finally passed a law that allows console and PC games to receive an R18+ rating, just like movies do in that same country.
Previously, games could only receive up to an MA15+ rating in Australia. That meant that a number of games, including major titles from big publishers, could not be sold in Australia. The effort to put in an R18+ rating for games has been the center of a lot of debate among game publishers and Australian politicians over the last few years.
In a statement about the new law, Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare said:
The R18+ category will inform consumers, parents and retailers about which games are not suitable for minors to play and will prevent minors from purchasing unsuitable material. The reforms also mean that adults are able to choose what games they play within the bounds of the law.
The legislative part of this new rating isn"t quite over yet. The individual states in Australia must now pass their own laws concerning the new video game rating. However, it is expected that the first games that will receive the R18+ rating will occur sometime in early 2013.
Source: News.com.au