Does Australia have an R rating for video games?
Under the current classification system for video games, any game deemed unsuitable for people under the age of 15 is banned from sale in Australia. In contrast to the USA and the UK, Australia currently has no classification code for rating adult video games equivalent to its R 18+ rating for film and literature.
What is the Australian game rating system?
General (G), Parental Guidance (PG) and Mature (M) These classifications are advisory categories. This means there are no legal restrictions about viewing and/or playing these films and computer games.
What does SOA rating mean?
Restricted (R 18+), or simply R, formerly SOA (Suitable only for adults), is one of the seven classification categories of the Australian film rating system and one of the six for the computer game system of the Australian Classification Board. It is a legally restricted classification category.
Is GTA 3 banned in Australia?
Grand Theft Auto 3 is now officially banned in Australia, following a second analysis by the OFLC’s Classification Review Board. The game will be removed from retail shelves and it is now illegal for it to be offered for sale.
What does R rating mean in Australia?
R for “restricted exhibition” (previously SOA or suitable only for adults. This later became R 18+ in the late 1980s)
What is the R18 rating?
‘R18’ Classification Films rated R18 are to be shown only in specially licensed cinemas, or supplied only in licensed sex shops, and to adults of not less than 18 years. The ‘R18’ category is a special and legally restricted classification primarily for explicit works of consenting sex between adults.
Why is Australia so strict with video games?
Overview. Originally, video games in Australia only be rated up to MA15+. Games may still be Refused Classification if deemed to contain material unsuitable for R18+ classification, such as depictions of sexual violence or the promotion of illegal drug use, as well as drug use that is related to incentives and rewards.