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Queenslands Premier pushing for Graffiti Game Ban

Marc Ecko's "Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure" is an action game that involves combat, stealth, and a whole lot of climbing and jumping as you play as Trane on a mission to be the best graffiti artist around. Unfortunately, your chances of playing this game is getting slimmer...

Queensland's government wants a new video game banned in Australia and will write to the federal government seeking assistance.

Premier Peter Beattie said the game, Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure, which has not been released here, glorified high-risk, law-breaking, violent and possibly deadly behaviour.

Sounds pretty much like most of the games I've been playing over the last decade. Mr Peter Beattie apparently doesn't like Fable either...

"Another game, called Fable that has been classified M15+, should also be banned for promoting male violence against women, he said."

Mr Peter Beattie has now been inducted in Sumea's hall of 'whacky politicians' that include State Labor MP Paul Gibson for his push on banning Project Gotham Racing 2. "It is actually glorifying speed and power", he claimed.

Submitted by anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 11/08/05 - 11:46 PM Permalink

  • 1. Lorien - Thursday, August 11, 2005 - 2:15:34 PM
    There was that other complete idiot too- the former communications minister (don't remember his name) who claimed that the only reason anyone would want broadband was to get more porn.
  • 2. TheBigJ - Thursday, August 11, 2005 - 10:47:37 PM
    Madness.

    It's very dissapointing to hear this kind of thing coming from Peter Beattie.

  • 3. theragsthesedays - Thursday, August 11, 2005 - 11:48:35 PM
    This is a very strange article... There's nothing about this on ABC news. Sounds like another attempt by the newspaper to conjure controversy.
    I thought he was a supporter of the QLD games industry. I would have to hear the Beattie's speech in context to believe it.
  • 4. theragsthesedays - Thursday, August 11, 2005 - 11:53:16 PM
    I take it back, the man is crazy... You can read the transcipt from here...
    http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/view/legislativeAssembly/hansard/docum…
  • 5. TheBigJ - Friday, August 12, 2005 - 12:54:44 AM
    Indeed, its the irony that bothers me; I've openly praised Peter Beattie for his Smart State strategy and his support of the QLD games industry. At a time when the QLD game scene is booming, and there is so much more media attention in the games industry than normal (due to recent controversy), I find a statement such as this to be incredibly irresponsible.

    Perhaps Souri is on to a good idea with his "hall of whacky politicians"? ; )

  • 6. Anonymous Coward - Monday, September 12, 2005 - 5:03:48 PM
    Peter Beattie knows he's on his way out. If he and the Federal Gov think they can decide what I can or cannot do in my spare time, they can both go and kiss my ass. If I want to run around a computer game doing Grafitti or car jacking people in Vice City, that's my own bloody business. The owness is on parents to monitor their kids and for the Gov to put an R rating on the game like they did in the states for GTA. Bloody morons
  • 7. jthang - Wednesday, September 14, 2005 - 9:19:29 PM
    Has he taken into account, the countless games that contain extreme violence such as The Punisher & GTA? No offcourse not, he's VERY VERY ignorant on games & shouldn't make judgements like this when he has no idea what he's talking about.

    Lets worry more about a game where you create art & less about a game where you torture people, kill cops. Well done Beattie, you're now moron of the year!

  • 8. Anonymous Coward - Tuesday, January 24, 2006 - 12:56:06 AM
    Well they better not ban the game because i will be DAMN PISSED OFF because i like games like that, all i BUY AND PLAY is all the GTA versions i dont buy crappy car games or fighting games like mortal kombat. I CAN SEEM TO TELL THAT IF I WENT AND DID SHIT ON THE STREETS I'LL END UP IN GAOL SO THATS WHY GAMES LIKE THAT ARE STRESS RELIVEING FOR ME... and if other drop kicks take it too far then they have MENTAL PROBLEMS....
  • 9. abra cadabra - Wed, 16 Aug 2006 12:28:5Z
    its a good game fun and who is it hurting just coz u cant play it doesnt mean we cant. look my mum hates it but she doesnt care. look its not like we are going togo out and do the stuff we arent america u now well dnt ban the game
  • 10. Grover - Wed, 16 Aug 2006 17:34:2Z
    I think there is a two pronged issue here. And something that is yet to be properly addressed by developers themselves.
    One: There is a broad perception by the community that games are ligth entertainment and not a serious art form or medium.
    Two: Our political system is currently being undermined by fundamentalist christian groups (like in the US) and applying strong ethical and moral laws to something that should be classed an art form or simply another art medium.
    If we dont get games to be perceived as a serious entity, then they will always suffer these sorts of accusations and be locked in the 'kiddies cupboard' forever. Its a pretty difficult problem to solve though: How do you make gaming become a more acceptable medium? How do you stop the higher echelon of decision makers to make serious considerations about this new age of digital media? Youd need a strong, closely bound industry, with powerful lobbyists, and the ability to show gaming as more than some tiny 'kiddie' industry.

    Imho, you cant blame politicians for listening to the diatribe coming from their advisors who have been influenced by other lobby groups. And really, the only people yuu can blame is yourself, for not banding together to make these people know what the industry is all about :)

  • 11. Anonymous Coward - Wed, 16 Aug 2006 21:43:46Z
    Not like going around killing people in quake or halo is highly dangerous behaviour to be emulated
  • 12. Grover - Thu, 17 Aug 2006 13:17:29Z
    Yeah - just like watching movies makes you go emulate them.
  • 13. macca - Mon, 23 Jul 2007 19:19:46 EST
    its bad the government is banding it.. it might get people of the streets and playing its highly doubtfull but there u go
  • 1. Anonymous - Tue, 24 Jul 2007 09:41:19 EST
    You're only two years too late.
  • 1. Anonymous - Tue, 24 Jul 2007 09:41:19 EST
    You're only two years too late.