www.classification.gov.au enquiry form

[[Copy and paste into http://www.classification.gov.au/Pages/Classification-enquiry.aspx]]

To whom it may concern,

I am a [age] year old Australian citizen from [city/state/suburb], and I am writing in regards to the recent refusal of classification of the video games Saints Row 4 and State of Decay. Both of these games were Refused Classification on grounds relating to sexual violence and drug usage.

As a responsible adult, I am able to differentiate between the actions taken by fictional characters in a video game and the consequences of drug abuse in real life, and similarly in video games. Recently, the Classification Board recently introduced new Guidelines for the Classification of Computer Games, which included the introduction of an R18+ category.

As such, any material deemed inappropriate for children can be given that classification without excluding responsible adults from consuming this content. However distasteful it may be, the content contained within these games is not illegal, and thus giving them, and others like them, ratings of Refused Classification—a rating that is in practice tantamount to censorship—is unnecessarily restricting what media content responsible Australian adult citizens are able to consume in their own time.

Many Australians, myself included, enjoy playing games in their spare time, and can very easily differentiate between real life and the fictional world of a video game. There is no need for a government body to regulate which games are appropriate for adults to play.

I would urge the Classification Board to reclassify the aforementioned games, and to alter its policy of Refusing Classification to games which are not illegal, and instead grant these games the R18+ category to allow adults to play the games, while still protecting under age children from exposure to them.

Thanking you,
[name]