Post by Author: Aaron

The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that restricting the sale or rental of mature-themed video games to minors violates the United States’ First Amendment right to free speech. While it is important to note that the American constitution is very different from the Australian constitution, as the U.S. offers protection for free speech,  it was interesting to […]

Today Kotaku published a guest post from Grow up Australia Entitled “2010 a Ratings Odyssey. Adult gamers have been calling for an R18 rating for a long time and since the public consultation earlier this year it is clearer than ever that Australia wants an R18+ rating for video games. The figures are enthusiastic to […]

The R18+ games issue is set to be discussed at the upcoming Standing Committee of Attorneys-General  meeting on the 10th of December and Grow up Australia is gearing up again to raise awareness and dispel myths in the lead up to this important event. We are very excited to announce that in the next couple […]

As expected the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General has not yet made a decision on the introduction of an R18+ classification for computer games. They have instead released a report containing preliminary figures and information about the public consultation that closed at the end of February. The report is available on the Attorney-General’s Department website. The […]

Update: The group has now been restored to its previous state — thanks Facebook! This morning, administrators of Grow up Australia’s Facebook group received a warning when they logged on to the website. The group “Grow up Australia – R18+ Rating for Computer games”, of nearly 37,000 members, has been removed because it violated our […]

In a radio interview on 2SER a Dr Christopher Ferguson has criticised the moral panic that is currently surrounding video games in Australia. (The interview can be listened to below.) Last week Psychologist Dr Wayne Warburton was seen on Channel Ten claiming the link between video games and violent behavior is stronger than the link […]

Media Release The Attorney-General’s Department is set to receive an influx of submissions from people who support the introduction of an R18+ category for computer games into the Australian classification system. The submissions were made via an online form provided by Grow up Australia, an independent group advocating the introduction of an adults only rating for games. Grow […]

The Grow up Australia Online Discussion Paper Submission Form is no longer available. You can still make a submission directly to the Attorney-General’s Department. Submissions close 28th of February. Thank you to all those who have participated and to EB Games Australia for getting involved in this important issue. Grow up Australia

EB Games Australia has joined forces with Grow up Australia and thrown their support behind the introduction of an R18+ rating for video games. Grow up Australia posters are prominently displayed in every EB store across Australia and a petition is available to sign. In addition to their in-store campaign EB are providing a link […]

South Australian Attorney-General Michael Atkinson has committed to repeal unpopular amendments to the South Australia Electoral Act 1985. The amendments would have made it illegal for people to anonymously comment on the upcoming state election online. The decision to repeal came after harsh criticism from online news sites, bloggers and everyday Internet users who posted comments […]