Australia Clamps down on MMO's?

[LK]

http://kotaku.com/5145230/australian-police-minister-urges-people-to-report-wow-sales

 

[schild]

Might as well have just posted it in the WoW recruitment thread.

[SurfD]

Not sure if this has been posted before

Australia,  February 3, 2009 - In a shocking move this morning, the Sydney Morning Herald has reported that Australian retailers will no longer be allowed to sell any online game that has not been classified by the Australian Classification Board.

This move directly affects games such as World of Warcraft, Warrhammer Online, Age of Conan and Pirates of the Burning Seas – titles that don't contain a single-player experience, and therefore did not apply for classification. The previous understanding was that online games were a social experience that fell outside of traditional classifications – a loophole that the Classifications Board want stitched up.

According to the report, a spokesperson for NSW Attorney-General John Hatzistergos said the NSW Classification Enforcement Act prohibited publishers and retailers from selling unclassified computer games. The spokesperson also encouraged individuals to report any retailer or individual found operating outside of the Classification Act of 1995.

"The NSW legislation covers computer games bought online as well as those bought in stores, and treats single, multi-player and online games the same way," he said.

Australian police will be responsible for enforcing the penalties, which range from $1100 to $11,000 for individuals and/or 12 months' imprisonment, and approximately double those figures for corporations.

We've contacted Activision Blizzard for further comment. Please check back shortly as this story continues to develop.

Source: IGN http://uk.games.ign.com/articles/950/950795p1.html

Also found the original source where IGN got the info: http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/biztech/no-classification-online-games-legal-minefield/2009/02/03/1233423203018.html

[Merusk]

Ok, which one of you jerks PK'd the PM's grandson?

[Venkman]

Seems pretty straightforward. I don't know what Australia uses, but ESRB just gives a rating with the blanket "online interactions not rated by the ESRB" statement. There's definitely a baseline rating that can be given an MMO, as long as the Board plays with the chat channels off 

[UnSub]

Hilariously, this appears to have all been started by a Massively article.

Somewhere down the line it became common wisdom that OFLC (our classification board) didn't need to check online only games, or MMOs, or something. Then Massively did a bit of digging, talked to some people and someone looked back at the rules to discover that yes, MMOs sold through retail channels really do need to be classified.

Hilarity ensues.

EDIT: should have read the article, which mentions the Massively link at the bottom.

[Triforcer]

Massively killed the MMO industry in Australia?  Tale, you've officially been one-upped. 

[schild]

Merged teh two threads and dropping it in mmog disc.

[Megrim]

Doesn't surprise me in the slightest, since the people running any of our "sophisticated technology" sectors are literally retarded, 100% of the time.

[CharlieMopps]

yea... it's a shame... now people will be forced to order the game over the internet, get the game cheaper and avoid paying local taxes. Good Job John Hatzistergos, you just cost your government millions in tax dollars!!

[Wasted]

yea... it's a shame... now people will be forced to order the game over the internet, get the game cheaper and avoid paying local taxes. Good Job John Hatzistergos, you just cost your government millions in tax dollars!!

Not if we force isp's to block mmog's!

And then, as we awaken from our mmog inspired stupor, we find a world ripe for conquest...

[CharlieMopps]

yea... it's a shame... now people will be forced to order the game over the internet, get the game cheaper and avoid paying local taxes. Good Job John Hatzistergos, you just cost your government millions in tax dollars!!

Not if we force isp's to block mmog's!

And then, as we awaken from our mmog inspired stupor, we find a world ripe for conquest...

lol... ever heard of a proxy?

[Wasted]

Proxy's are for terrorists and pedophiles.  ISP level net filtering is the future.

[Oban]

Time to learn a new phrase:  Stateful Packet Inspection.

Enjoy your application level filers.

[UnSub]

yea... it's a shame... now people will be forced to order the game over the internet, get the game cheaper and avoid paying local taxes. Good Job John Hatzistergos, you just cost your government millions in tax dollars!!

Not really.

Most physical distribution into Australia takes a good while from the US / Europe, if they'll do it at all. Digital distribution would probably be unaffected due to the law stated in the article. Alternatively I can probably import from New Zealand if it is released there. Also: Australians have been charged local rates for titles they can download through places like Steam, which doesn't make it any cheaper.

As for box sales, the local distributors will just flip it to the OFLC to classify. AoC is the only title that might breach the MA15+ rating, but I can get that via digital distribution anyway.

[pants]

Meh, storm in a teacup imo.  Distributors thought they had a loophole to avoid being rated, appaears they won't, so they need to get rated.  BFD.

The gubmint's stupid plans for the Great Firewall of Canberra, and SA's attorney-generals stupid stance of 'Video games are only for children and mentally unstable people, and thus there shouldn't be a R-18 rating for games' are far more worth of scorn and 

[Lt.Dan]

It's all moot anyway.  Another summer like this and we'll all be living in Bartertown.

[Signe]

You should come live in America.
Comfort is yours in America.
Knobs on the doors in America.
Wall-to-wall floors in America.

Srsly.

[UnSub]

You should come live in America.
Comfort is yours in America.
Knobs on the doors in America.
Wall-to-wall floors in America.

Srsly.

Didn't you say in another thread you were packing to get out of the US? 

[Signe]

Oh great.  Rules.  So now what I say in one thread has to match what I say in another thread.  Thanks for the pressure!

[Tale]

At this rate I'll have to return to WoW so I can play it illegally through the Great Firewall.

Also it's fucking hot here.

[Sophismata]

From Massively:

Even keeping unclassified games on the same premises "where classified computer games are sold or demonstrated" constitutes an offense according to the Enforcement Act.

Ouch. I don't seriously think they'll be enforcing this, though. We're not that crazy (I hope).

[UnSub]

They'll just pull the games off shelves, put them in boxes out the back and wait for the developer to post them some classification stickers.

[Sophismata]

Yes, I realise that, but it's still technically illegal (according to the Massively article).

[Oban]

Someone should do some research, contact the appropriate parties, and then write an article about why the Australian Government does not enforce the Enforcement Act.

[Yegolev]

Also it's fucking hot here.

Next article:
"Burning Legion invades, lack of preparation amongst Oz citizenry blamed"