EB gets behind Aussie R18+ campaign

Global retailer EB Games is to throw its weight behind the drive to legalise violent games in Australia by promoting awareness of the campaign in its many stores across the territory.

Due to the way the Australian regulators are structured, the highest certificate currently available for video games is M15+, meaning any games deemed not suitable for those older the 15 cannot be released unless publisher’s agree to censor them.

Talks are ongoing about the possibility of introducing an R18+ rating, but advocates face strong opposition from anti-games campaigns. EB Games’ decision to wade into the debate at last adds some corporate firepower to the cause.

With the release of the Government’s discussion paper, we knew as a company that we needed to act on this issue as it continues to cripple our industry and cost local jobs,” EB Games Australia MD Steve Wilson told Kotaku.

We want to be sure that our customers were as passionate about the matter as we are.”

The debate regarding the Aussie censors’ reluctance to introduce an R18+ rating for video games took a turn for the worse recently when South Australian attorney general Michael Atkinson – a staunch opponent of violent games – claimed that he’d been receiving death threats from angry gamers.