If you liked this one, quantum theory is likely to come up in at least one of my later posts this month (and not even counting the Mad Science article I’ve got for later in the month.) Not sure if you’ll be interested or not, but you might want to stick around.

Coincidentally the blog entry I posted the same day your entry went up was called The Fifth Dimension is Spooky, you might get a kick out of it.
http://imaginingthetenthdimension.blogspot.com/2009/10/fifth-dimension-is-spooky.html

Thanks!

Rob Bryanton

Because I’m yet to see convincing evidence separating ‘cryptozooolgy’ from ‘Christian Science’.

Here in AU there is no classification for electronic games above MA15+. That is to say, games are either appropriate for minors or banned from sale. While we’ve become one of the notoriously difficult jurisdictions (sure, we’re not Germany, but people do take particular notice of how their games will play here) social standards and an average gamer age of 29 have lead to an extremely inconsistent application of the rating standards. The latest example of which is ‘Left 4 Dead 2’, which is by all reports thematically indistinguishable from it’s prequel … a game which managed to be rated without any difficulty.

The traditional ‘think of the children’ argument is that such prohibition is appropriate and we certainly have people (See: Sen. Michael Atkinson for those interested) towing that line. The fact on the ground is that anything our classification board isn’t willing to outright ban is available to minors, which includes some fairly strong and graphic stuff. As an adult I find things enjoyable, acceptable or provocative that I wouldn’t be comfortable being in the unguided hands of a minor in my care.

I’d damn well want to have several serious talks with them during the course of Persona 3, just to take one of my favourites as an example.

The counter-argument, common amongst those with a deeper experience of game and gaming, is that an R18+ rating (equivalent to the TV and movie rating of the same name) would actually help both adults and minors. On the one hand games that are intended for adults can be appropriately and legally marked, on the other hand a cohort of games that are currently being rated for minors due to social reasons would be able to be legally sold but recognised as not ‘kids games’. There is, after all, a difference between ‘Barbie Adventures’ and ‘Manhunt 2’.

There’s a great deal more I could say on what is ultimately a uniquely AU issue, but ultimately it seems to me to come down to the difference between classification and censorship. Classification tells you about the media so you can decide whether or not to consume it. Censorship tells you whether or not you can consume it. The extension of which argument is that a strong and progressive regulatory regime can well protect and advance the rights of everyone.

Of course one might as well hope for such as hope for the fruit of the Tree of Life, but it remains that in cases ‘protecting the children’ protects everyone.