Australian Attorney Questions ModWar 2's Rating
By Tyler Barber | Nov 25, 2009(from an article on uk.xbox360.gamespy.com)

Gamers in Australia are facing the possibility of having Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 banned in their country (via AU GameStop). Australia's equivalent of Jack Thompson, Attorney General Michael Atkinson, has said in a radio interview that he plans to appeal the Australian Classification Board's decision to give the game an MA15+ rating. Left 4 Dead 2 recently had to be redesigned to even make it onto Australian store shelves, and if Modern Warfare 2's rating is pulled, it may face a similar fate.

Atkinson distrusts the Australian Classification Board, accusing the Board of trying to, "get games in under the radar," and feels the rating for Modern Warfare 2 is simply, "wrong." In his own words, "I worry about any game that encourages gamers to perpetuate extreme violence and cruelty on screen, but this game allows players to be virtual terrorists and gain points by massacring civilians." This also leads him to mistrust game developers: "...expecting game designers to be responsible by not glorifying terrorism will always lead to disappointment."

Though Atkinson believes the rating for Modern Warfare 2 is too low, he's also been the biggest obstacle in allowing an additional higher rating to be created (for example, an 18+ rating).

The Australian Classification Board had no comment concerning Atkinson's accusations.

Tyler says: As the original story pointed out, Modern Warfare 2 does not reward players with "points" for killing civilians in the "No Russian" level. And though that doesn't nullify Atkinson's charge, it is a symptom of the greater disease that is gaming ignorance. Or maybe a better way to put it would be gaming intolerance.

So many critics of videogames are so wrapped up in their crusade that they're not even giving the game the benefit of the doubt. Maybe its too much to ask that these gaming naysayers give games a fair shake, but you'd assume one of these jerks would want to be responsible and refrain from spouting factual errors about games on national TV or radio.

When I read about stuff like this, and try and come at it from a logical point of view, I always come to the conclusion that someday these old farts will die, and eventually every politician will be familiar enough with games to not let drivel like this slide. I am hopelessly optimistic (is that an oxymoron?) so that could be just my utopian outlook. What do you readers think, will the future bring fewer facepalm moments in the mass media's gaming coverage?

Check out the article and comments over at: http://uk.xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/call-of-duty-6/1049959p1.html

I can't wait for the day that all these old men and women have died out and we can finally make kick-ass games without government influence.

*splits zombies in half with a chainsaw in Left 4 Dead 2*

jeannotvb writes...

No you are missing the point. ATVI/IW has purposely only announced (well actually the y never did) the rating on MW2 until they had enough pre-orders, actually we learned about the rating with the supposed "leak" of the airport level (more like a staged hype). The rating in Australia of 15 is way too low, it is definitely an 18+ game.

So looks like if MW2 gets edited as much as L4D2, players will be throwing sponge balls and bean bags as grenades and maybe a water pistol for some sniping?

Players there will still be able to buy the game off-shore and have it shipped to them would they not?


All this will do is make it impossible to sell a game there from the local merchants.

Being an Australian myself I gotta say that the religious movement in politics is growing (which is scary) and this has a flow on effect to all our government agencies. So much to us normal Aussies surprize this sort of ultra conservative/political correctness is gushing out in every direction. Pity they don't focus on the news the same way, the poo-poo my daughter can see and hear on the 5 o'clock news craps any video game or movie. "60 dead in a carbomb explosion in Bagdad, and hears some pics of the bodies and BLOOD. Governments arn't for the people they're the interface for the lobby groups (Christian Right, big developers, ect) to control the people. It's just a joke....
Wow glad I got that off my chest

Im a proud Aussie and love my Call Of Duty, i definantly think that MW2 in Australia should not be 15+. A member of my family was watching as i played through No Russia and was severely disgusted, so everyone has a different take on this.

But i dont really care if it gets banned to be honest, i am fed up with the Matchmaking it just recks a very good game...

so if something offends some people it should be banned?
your family member couldn't just make the choice not to veiw the game? did you force them to watch?
mmm, I see how these politically correct controllers get away with it, everyone's got a different take on it that's for sure. Some people need others to make all their decisions for them.

Wow...

In the scheme of things, people in general, upset with the way the world is, just want someone to blame.

Censorship.

Some day we'll have to ask permission to use the bathroom.
"Can you wipe for me, because I was never taught how to do it."

We all know the difference between right and wrong, very few aren't born with it, that kind of thing never goes away.

Goodluck trying to take my free will, cause you can't have it.

Guess Im the only one who spent that level looking around the alchohol stand and book store, so many book textures, the level of detail was pretty good.
Back to the matter at hand, I dont know why you guys take it so seriously, old people have allways talked smack about video games, because they dont understand them, but what are you gonna do.
BTW I was discusted with IW's idea for this level, because is the peak for their Anti-Russian attitude, so much that I actually was happy that the American got caught and Im happy that it was banned from Russia ( no russian money for you IW .