The R rating classification has been brought to the forefront of debate again thanks to the release of Grand Theft Auto IV. An article at The Australian reports that the removal of sexual content in GTA IV, while leaving the graphic violence and drug use intact to make it to the safer MA 15+ category for Australia has highlighted the real need for an R rating classification for games.
With the results of a review of the games classification system coming in a few weeks, the article suggests that Grand Theft Auto IV could be a major influence to the federal Government in giving us the new category by the end of the year. Greg Bondar, chief executive of the Game Developers Association of Australia, agreed that GTA IV highlighted the need for progress in the ratings system...
"(Greg) I think the release of GTAIV is a defining moment; it goes to show how far the games industry has come," Mr Bondar said."The ratings system has not kept up."
We've been pointing this out
We've been pointing this out (that the current system *allows*
minors violent content) for the past 3 GTA releases as well...
At least the media has finally picked up on it.