Michael Atkinson has drawn the scorn of bikers for attempting to outlaw bike gangs along with gamers for his immovable stance on a R18+ rating for video games (Australia remains the only Western country without such a rating). Speaking to ABC TV's Good Game, the South Australian Attorney-General has indicated that he feels that gamers are more likely to render him bodily harm than bikers.
"I feel that my family and I are more at risk from gamers than we are from the outlaw motorcycle gangs who also hate me and are running a candidate against me," said Atkinson. "The outlaw motorcycle gangs haven't been hanging around my doorstop at 2 A.M. A gamer has."
A campaign was recently launched with the support of EB Games called “Grow Up Australia,” designed to engage gamers politically and push for a R18+ rating; Atkinson remarked that the movement is like saying, "Give us more cruel sex and extreme violence!"
6 Comments
February 17, 2010
I'm ... feared?
February 17, 2010
Nothing says "fear me" like holding an Xbox 360 controller. Bad ass.
February 17, 2010
We have power! I wonder if the biker gangs will back off from a couple of gamers now.
February 18, 2010
lol "Grow Up Australia" Does that mean 'Be more Immoral and Desensatized'?
February 19, 2010
It means that Australia needs to recognize that video games, just like movies and other media, are designed for people of all ages. There are some experiences that are designed for all ages and there are some that should be limited to people ages 18+ and the rating system in the country should reflect that. It has nothing to do with being immoral or desensitized.
February 19, 2010
So it means exactly what I said then?