Games Censorship in Australia

The Australian Censorship Board (ACB) has announced new censorship rules about gambling content in video games. The ACB writes:

Over the last decade, video games have increased and so has gambling-like content in these games. This includes:

• In-game purchases with an element of chance, such as paid loot boxes. These are mystery items players can use real money to buy, without knowing what item they will get.

• Simulated gambling including casino-style video games.

Research has found that gambling-like content in video games is linked to problem gambling in real-life, as well as psychological and emotional harm. To address these findings the Australian Government has introduced new classifications for video games containing gambling-like content.

From 22 September 2024, the Australian Government has introduced new classifications to video games that contain gambling like content. These changes are in response to growing community concern for children and research findings that links gambling-like content in video games to problem gambling in real-life, as well as psychological and emotional harm.

The new classifications that will be displayed for video games with gambling-like content are:

• M (Mature, not recommended for children under 15) for computer games containing in-games purchases linked to elements of chance, including paid loot boxes (these are mystery items players can use real money to buy, without knowing what item they will get)

• R 18+ (Restricted to adults 18 years and over) for computer games containing simulated gambling.

The changes will apply to games on computers, gaming consoles, phones and tablets.

The consumer advice for new video games that contain gambling-like content will say:

• Chance-based in-game purchases for video games containing in-game purchases linked to elements of chance, like loot-boxes.

• High-impact simulated gambling for video games containing simulated gambling.

• Gambling themes for video games containing content which may resemble gambling, but does not meet the threshold for simulated gambling.

The new classifications will be applied to new video games. The new classifications will not be applied to existing games, unless they are updated with new content and need to be reclassified.

Australia's federal government is altering the current film censorship system to add further details explaining the reasons for movie ratings.

It follows a survey of 2,000 Australians last year on their expectations around classifications. Most people said they wanted more details about why a movie was given a specific rating, and that the reasons for those decisions should be modernised to reflect community 'sensitivities'.

The classification system will now include a wider range of explanations for Australia's censorship board to choose from when rating a movie. Those explanations include such terms as animated violence, family violence, blood and gore, mental health themes and bullying.

The new information will appear at the beginning of the movie alongside the rating.

Classification board director Fiona Jolly said the changes better reflect today's community standards:

It provides helpful information enabling Australians to make informed choices, particularly in relation to content which may be of concern to them.

The changes will be made this week, with viewers expected to notice the additional information from next week.

Australia's government is moving to require an R18+ rating to all video games that contain simulated gambling as part of a proposal targeted at restricting children's access to popular casino-style games.

It will also seek to change classification rules to require all games with paid loot boxes -- where players can purchase a box with a randomised in-game item -- to carry at least a mature M-rating. The M rating is an advisory 15 rating like a PG-15 in US terms.

Due to adverse publicity some game developers have already phased out loot boxes, including in the popular game Fortnite.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland says the proposals will require the agreement of states and territories to proceed and are designed to address concerns that these games can encourage players to migrate to gambling.

Ultreia is a 2021 adventure puzzle game by Olivier De Rop

A little robot becomes a pilgrim and crosses a wild post-apocalyptic world to find the meaning of life.

Australia's game censors have banned another video game. The game was 'refused classification' by the censors random rating generator known as the IARC, so could well be overturned oncr the human censors take over.

The censors have offered no explanation for the ban.

The game seems to have fallen foul of the censors over a release on Nintendo Switch.

Disco Elysium: The Final Cut is the latest video game in a long line of censorship casualties in Australia.

The game launches on March 30th 2021 for PlayStation and Stadia owners but the Australian government has banned it from sale in the country.

The Australian Censorship Board hasn't specified exactly why Disco Elysium's been banned and developer ZA/UM has yet to publicly respond on this. However the core gameplay mechanics prominently include drugs and alcohol and which is a bit of a no-no for the country's censors.

Update: Criticising Australia's archaic games censorship

29th March 2021. Thanks to Daniel. See article from theguardian.com

The banning of video game Disco Elysium from sale in Australia has renewed calls for the Australian government to overhaul the classification system to move away from the moral panic associated with video games.

The chief executive of the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association, Ron Curry, told Guardian Australia:

Games are treated differently and the classification guidelines do not hide it. In spite of the government's own research to the contrary, when an R18+ classification was introduced for games they still insisted on making interactivity a determinant in classifying games, unlike film and publications.

There are also other restrictions levelled at games around violence, sex, drug use and incentives that aren't applied to film.

The sad reality is that the national classification system applies a stricter set of rules for video games than it does for pretty much every other kind of content, reflecting the early 1990s era in which those rules were written, when video games were associated with a moral panic and certainly not treated as the mainstream medium and artistic discipline that they are.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance said in a submission to a public consultation on the government's upcoming internet censorship bill named the Online Safety Bill:

The online classification system needed review, which should be done before the online safety bill passes. This bill should not be reliant on such an outdated classification system. The ALA therefore submits that this legislation should not proceed until such a review into the [classification scheme], incorporating community consultation, has been undertaken.