f13.net

http://blogs.theage.com.au/screenplay/archives//010643.html

I can't really see how to de-violence the game without major changes. Maybe they can have the main character say "THAT'S JUST RASPBERRY JAM!" every time they kill someone?

Eh, the wankers will eventually die and Australia will become rational.

It's not surprising at all.  Australia is already scary enough what with all the poisonous snakes in the world and Kylie Minoque living there.

You guys can have Assemblies of God back now. No I insist.

The problem is the lack of a rating category above MA15+ because to politicians - who don't play games - a "game" is a type of toy for kids to play with, so it only needs to go as high as MA15+. So the ratings board, which is actually quite relaxed, has to refuse classification to anything with mature content that would get the film equivalent of an R rating or higher.

There was a campaign to get this changed and introduce R and X ratings, but it died because the general public mistook it for a campaign to restrict more games, rather than allow more games. The population isn't aware of the MA15+ ceiling causing the problem, so the censors look heavy-handed to everyone, when they're actually just being held back by the absence of higher categories.

In related news I just got a DVD I ordered and it's encoded in the American DVD region. You would think the Australian store would know better than to give me this but whatever. I can play it after fucking around for a bit but that's not the point. I'm seriously tired of industry and government fucking me over on media. From now on unless the item has "Blizzard" on it I'm not paying. Except books, because books have this whole "convenience" factor over reading the text on my computer screen. I'll pay for convenience. I won't pay for less convenience.

She lives in the UK. Has done so for the last decade+. Along with Danni.

They should both go back and get bit.

Download DVD Decrypter, Rip the DVD, burn it. Viola, region free dvd.

Yeah that's exactly what I did. It's still a pain in the ass to have to do that for something I paid for. It's easier just to DL it.

(http://www.musicwithease.com/viola-iS-2.jpg)

Did she?  How about that curly headed yahoo from Neighbours?  Did he leave, too?  If so and if they took Imbruglia with them, it looks like Australia might be getting a bit of luck.  Guy Pearce doesn't count.  He just made a tragic mistake.  I'm kind of fascinated with the snakes, though, to be honest.  Australia has some insanely cool wildlife.  And Rugby, too.

Didn't Australia used to ban MUDs from universities?  There was nothing sadder than a poor lonely uni boy from Australia who was addicted to mudding and scared he'd lose his place at the same time. 

I've been trying to convince Righ we should live in New Zealand for a bit.  I'm crazy for the All Blacks.   He says no because they don't get the good music gigs and it's too far to constantly travel to the places that do.  And, yes, sometimes I want to move to certain places based on sports.  So what? 

If you understood my rambling - HA!

Melbourne isn't that far from New Zealand, and we have a decent music scene.

Jason Donovan? He has a story. Took drugs, became a joke, then made a comeback as a serious actor and turned out to be really good at it. He looks different now and has great presence on stage/screen. He even talked about Kylie this week:
http://sify.com/movies/hollywood/fullstory.php?id=14766399
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/jason-donovan-im-a-survivor-in-this-life-942634.html
http://blogs.abc.net.au/theshallowend/2008/09/dumping-donovan.html


He's right, and it is too far. But as a result, New Zealand has a thriving local music scene, with real honest talented bands playing at venues everywhere. You're never short of good live music in New Zealand and you start wondering why the rest of the world isn't rushing around signing up these amazing musicians. It's a society that appreciates its home-grown artists, especially the eccentric ones.

Good Grief!  He DOES look like a completely different man!  I don't think it'll do any good, but I'll try and tempt him with the local music scene info.  He likes that sort of thing, too, but I'm not sure it would be enough.  I reckon it's back to Britain in a couple though I have a slightly better chance of getting a couple years in Holland, which is also good with me.   I love it there.  (and no hobbits!)

Wait, what's wrong with Guy Pearce ?

Nothing.  He was just accidentally in Neighbours and he's not REALLY Australian.  That's why I said he doesn't count.

A good number of actors come through either "Neighbours" or "Home and Away". It's a paying gig in a country where the movie industry is threadbare and local television content is mostly game shows.

... unless you want to work on ABC or SBS dramas, which are DRAMA but barely watched by the general population.

The freakiest ex-Neighbours guy to see is Alan Dale. He was a stalwart on the show years ago, now he's "that guy" in so many shows.

(http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMjA2NDQxMzMzNF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwNTY0NzA1._V1._CR0,0,294,294_SS90_.jpg)

EDIT: Oh yeah, the topic... bring on the R18+ rating. Let parents know they won't be sold to school kids unless they stick their head in the door and give permission.

Y'know, when they give the reasons (http://au.gamespot.com/news/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=26612084&om_act=convert&om_clk=picks&tag=picks;story;1), it seems fair enough that the game shouldn't be considered MA15+.

Which would be fine if we had an R or X rating.

Campaign ?This is the first I've heard of it. They must have done a really good job of publicising it.

Also, this: (ripped from gamespot comments, about the only intelligent one)

Though it's Office of Film and Literature Classification.

http://www.somebodythinkofthechildren.com/no-opt-out-from-isp-filtering-two-black-lists-and-you-can-only-opt-out-from-one/

Also note that apparently (I haven't looked it up) internet porn is technically illegal everywhere outside of the ACT. So... yeah. I am beyond angry at this point.

OK now I've done my research and looked up the news coverage from the time (February/March 2008).

http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,25642,23282288-5014239,00.html

What happened was: it was on the agenda for the meeting of state and federal Attorneys-General, which led to media coverage (6pm TV News jumps at the chance to show violent videogames) and lots of online discussion. I remember seeing audience discussions under online news stories where people were saying "NO! STOP THE R-RATING" because they misunderstood it as an attempt to take games away from them.

Then it all failed because Michael Atkinson, the South Australian Attorney-General, remains opposed to anything higher than MA15+ and the decision has to be unanimous.

"So... in this part of the game, Pyramidhead, pats a small bunny and then plants some lovely flowers for the player to smell as they walk by his room. Also, his loincloth has been replaced with a cute apron that says, "I've got a headache this big".