The R18+ issue is one of those important topics - along with Internet filters and the NBN - that has seen the Australian tech community and government intersect.
The vocal anti-filter group has yet to see whether they've had any effect in stymieing plans for site-blocking. On R18+ though, Australia is a step closer to seeing a new R18+ category for games. Today Kotaku has reported the legislation has passed the House of Representatives, with the Senate still to clear before individual states and territories can approve it.
As we've pointed out in the past, it's been a long time since Grand Theft Auto 3 woke people up to the realisation that some games can't be sold in Australia.
It will be interesting to see what results if the legislation is passed.
One of the more recent games to be refused classification in Australia is Syndicate. The Classification Board's report (reported here by Kotaku) referred to "copious bloodspray….shown realistically and with detail" as well as "while arterial sprays of blood…." and "protruding bone".
One argument, pointed out by our friends at Atomic, is that having an R18+ classificaiotn means avoiding the possibility of adult games being "scaled down" and sold under the MA15+ badge.
