Ruh-Rau: New SA AG Doesn’t Back R18+ After All

April 12, 2010 -

Despite previous inferences to the contrary, new South Australian Attorney General John Rau (pictured) is denying that he is for the addition of an R18+ videogame rating category.

Rau’s implied backing of an adult videogame rating Down Under came via a Tweet from Gamers4Croydon President Chris Prior, who said Rau was “a supporter” of R18+. Speaking to GameSpot however, Rau stated that, “I have no preconceptions about this issue and intend to listen to the arguments.”

Rau added, “I can neither support nor wisely argue against a position if I am not aware of the relevant factors.”

As we have repeatedly warned, the decision to add R18+ is not Rau’s alone to make; it would require the unanimous consent of all state, territory and federal Attorney Generals. Given, though, that the man Rau replaced—Michael Atkinson—was consistently identified as the lone holdout against adding the adult videogame rating category, gamers were right to feel positive about getting finally getting a new rating category. This news may temper that feeling of unbridled optimism a bit.

Thanks Ryan!

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Comments

Re: Ruh-Rau: New SA AG Doesn’t Back R18+ After All

Submitted by sharpshooterbabe on Sun, 04/18/2010 - 07:58.

Rau added, “I can neither support nor wisely argue against a position if I am not aware of the relevant factors.”

I can see why he said this. B/c he just coming into this position of a new attorney general in AU & needs to see both sides of the argument before he makes a decision if he supports the R18+ rating category.

"It's better to be hated for who you are, then be loved for who you are not." - Montgomery Gentry

Re: Ruh-Rau: New SA AG Doesn’t Back R18+ After All

Submitted by Aliasalpha on Tue, 04/13/2010 - 00:16.

Frankly I'm happy to hear him say that, I'd sooner have someone in power who waits to be informed of all sides before making a decision.

If I was being cynical, I'd suspect he's waiting to get a firm handle on which way the wind blows before comitting himself so he doesn't look like a fool

Re: Ruh-Rau: New SA AG Doesn’t Back R18+ After All

Submitted by TBoneTony on Mon, 04/12/2010 - 20:30.

Lets hope they listen to more people other than those who have written in the discussion paper,

We all know well that Craig Anderson will try to ruin things for us by providing false information.

So we should at least hope that people like Tanya Byron and also the people who wrote the book, Grand Theft Childhood: The REAL Surprising truth about Violent Videogames and kids, would at least step up and help us Aussies out a bit.

For every anti gamer person who comes from America to try and stop the R18+ rating for Computer Games in Australia, there should at least be a person from America who has done more better and accurate research to let Aussie politicians know that there are some real fakers and scare mongerers within this debate too.

Also I hope they read at least many of the letters in the Discussion paper, like mine...I think I written in about how the need for a 100% yes vote to support any change to the Classification System seems to be against what true Democracy in Australia is all about. And how we need to have a system that goes by a state by state issue, such as for those AGs who don't want an R18+ rating in their state they don't have to, but at the same time allowing those who do want an R18+ rating in their state to be able to do so without the unaminus agreement of all the other states and territories...

I think that is the best way to sum up my argument, like not talking specificly about the R18+ debate but how it is really unrealistic that all of the AGs have to 100% agree before any real change can happen.

TBoneTony

Re: Ruh-Rau: New SA AG Doesn’t Back R18+ After All

Submitted by asmodai on Mon, 04/12/2010 - 18:44.

I doubt anything will happen rapidly surrounding this but if we have people who can view and assess the evidence impartially, then we're ahead of where we were.

Re: Ruh-Rau: New SA AG Doesn’t Back R18+ After All

Submitted by vellocet on Mon, 04/12/2010 - 11:56.

That's a good thing. Any RATIONAL person who listens to the arguments cannot come out with any other conclusion than to support empowering parents and adults to make decisions to protect children and themselves.

------- Morality has always been in decline. As you get older, you notice it. When you were younger, you enjoyed it.

Re: Ruh-Rau: New SA AG Doesn’t Back R18+ After All

Submitted by Sajomir on Mon, 04/12/2010 - 19:35.

First, let me say that I generally agree with your opinion on supporting an R18 category.

However, I seriously disagree that all people who don't think like us are being irrational. That kind of thinking is exactly what Atkinson was sporting.

Re: Ruh-Rau: New SA AG Doesn’t Back R18+ After All

Submitted by Aliasalpha on Tue, 04/13/2010 - 00:13.

They're not irrational, they're just ill informed (and/or willfully ignorant) and aren't thinking with a more objective mind.

Games = Kids Toy

18+ Games = Kids SEX Toy! OMFGWTFBBQ!!!

What they don't understand because most haven't bothered to look is that the adult rated games from overseas are being classified too LOW here because we have nothing higher and so their position is actively enforcing the diametric opposite of their desired goal.

Actually, now that I write it that way, they DO sound irrational...

Re: Ruh-Rau: New SA AG Doesn’t Back R18+ After All

Submitted by hellfire7885 on Mon, 04/12/2010 - 12:33.

Problem is, anti game type people will likely ramp up efforts to sway him, so we can't count any birds yet.

Re: Ruh-Rau: New SA AG Doesn’t Back R18+ After All

Submitted by Neeneko on Mon, 04/12/2010 - 14:36.

*nods* and anti-gamers tend to have bettern political connectsion to older groups and thus their argument will pretty much come down to 'want to make friends with people who hold the power? do as we suggest'

Re: Ruh-Rau: New SA AG Doesn’t Back R18+ After All

Submitted by DorkmasterFlek on Mon, 04/12/2010 - 10:44.

Okay, come on people. He's not saying he doesn't back an R18+ rating. He's saying "I'm not fully informed on this matter, therefore I can't make a decision at this time." If that's really the case, good on him for not jumping to conclusions without being informed.

Re: Ruh-Rau: New SA AG Doesn’t Back R18+ After All

Submitted by hellfire7885 on Mon, 04/12/2010 - 11:25.

Exactly as I stated above. At least he wants to listen to both sides than just silence who he doesn't agree with.

Re: Ruh-Rau: New SA AG Doesn’t Back R18+ After All

Submitted by ZippyDSMlee on Mon, 04/12/2010 - 10:29.

I finally get what the true definition of politics is.... whatever you can steal or block from the public....

Until lobbying is a hanging offense I choose anarchy! CP/IP laws should not effect the daily life of common people! http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/

---

http://zippydsm.deviantart.com/

Re: Ruh-Rau: New SA AG Doesn’t Back R18+ After All

Submitted by hellfire7885 on Mon, 04/12/2010 - 10:17.

At least he's willing to listen to it instead of just trying to silence those for it.

And as I remember it, Atkinson was the ONLY AG holding his ground against the R18, the others were for it.

Re: Ruh-Rau: New SA AG Doesn’t Back R18+ After All

Submitted by Michael Chandra on Mon, 04/12/2010 - 10:23.

Unfortunately, 2 others backed down a bit, prolly due to politics hanging over their heads.

Re: Ruh-Rau: New SA AG Doesn’t Back R18+ After All

Submitted by hellfire7885 on Mon, 04/12/2010 - 11:26.

That, or since they needed to be absolutely unanimous there was no point.

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Monte: trolls are just at their absolute worst when it comes to women and feminist. You could bet good money that if the developer were male the trolls would be silent and the conversation would actually focus on the journalism.10/18/2014 - 9:18pm

Monte: Papa: Not the first time we've had a journalism scandals before, but the harassment never got close to this level; the difference with this scandal is that feminists are involved. Without the feminist angle, their would be A LOT less harrassment10/18/2014 - 9:15pm

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Monte: Seirously, If Quinn was not involved and GG was instead about something like the Mordor Marketing contracts, the trolling would have never grown so vile and disgusting. There have been plenty of movements in the past that never sufferred from behavior..10/18/2014 - 1:57pm

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Monte: I feel like GG just needs to die. The movement is FAR to tainted by hatred and BS for it to be useful for any conversation. Let GG die, and then rally behind the NEXT gaming journalism scandal, and start the conversation fresh.10/18/2014 - 10:33am

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