Australian gamers have missed out on a lot of mature titles over the past several years, as the country’s federal parliament has only just now passed the sale of R18+ rated games.
An R18+ rating is the same as “M for Mature” in the United States and “PEGI 18” in Europe. There’s been a lot of political back and forth for a while now, but now that the classification law places video games on the same level as film and other forms of entertainment, the sale of mature gaming content is now officially legal.
According to News.com.au, Jason Clare, Australia’s Home Affairs Minister detailed the change, saying that “these are important reforms over 10 years in the making. The R18+ category will inform consumers, parents and retailers about which games are not suitable for minors to play and will prevent minors from purchasing unsuitable material.”
Previously, the highest possible rating allowed in the country was MA15+, which resulted in a number of violent games either never seeing an Australian release or being heavily censored.
