Australia is often mocked for its Puritanical views, regarding what and how games are portrayed and sold within its kangaroo-lined borders. Blood must be changed to green, bodies disappear quickly, and all that.
At least in 2009, it was the case that games required a rating in order to be sold there; but there was no “Mature” rating, a R18+ for example, which meant violent games couldn’t get a rating and therefore be sold at all. Fallout 3, Left 4 Dead, Aliens vs. Predator were all victims of this idiotic view.
PEGI is currently investigating the issue.
to be honest, the whole age rating system needs a big overhaul. people are not as sensitive as some of these make us out to be ha.
Most of the ratings boards these days allow self examination and primarily work on a honour system.
Since the rise of streaming there's way to much content for governing bodies to shift through themselves so it's become standard practice in many places to rate it yourself on where you feel it fits into the scale so this is not the only thing that extorts the system but just one that got caught.
However back in my day you'd be selling a game on its rating being super high like doom but guess times have changed
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 ESRB rating is set to "T for Teen" due to "Blood, Drug Reference, Mild Language, and Violence" present in the title.
The Video Standards Council, which administrates the PEGI age rating for video games, has rebranded to the Games Rating Authority (GRA).
The name change was attributed to further clarifying the ratings board's position to parents and the games industry.
Age Restrictions are there for accountability and legality for parents and stores. In the end, any form of media should be fitting to the maturity of the individual. The important thing isn't the AGE, it's the list of content such as the amount of violence or sexually explicit material. I think in terms of Australia, I don't support the government banning titles because they are to adult. That is a censorship issue for another day, though.
Yes, they should exist