ALIENS VS. PREDATOR: RC Rating to be Reviewed
December 11, 2009
Sega have applied to have the RC-rating of ALIENS VS. PREDATOR examined by the Review Board.
The Board are asking for input from individuals or organisations that wish to make submissions as an interested party.
"If an individual or organisation wishes to apply for standing as an interested party to this review, please write to the Convenor of the Review Board. The closing date to lodge your application for standing as an interested party and any submissions is Monday 14 December 2009"
We are unsure what constitutes an individual interested party. However we can tell you that in recent times the New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties, the Australian Family Association, and Young Media Australia have all been accepted as organisations that are an interested party.
The review is due to take place next Friday, the applications for standing as an interested party must be in by this coming Monday. This obviously rules out sending an application by post, so instead you can e-mail them to:
The Review Board have this to say to anyone considering making an application.
"Please note that the Review Board can only consider submissions about the computer game Aliens vs Predator itself and not any other matters relating to computer games policy or issues generally"
This means strictly no complaining about the lack of an R18+ for games, or any related subject. Stick to the matter at hand which is why ALIENS VS. PREDATOR should be classified MA15+ in Australia.
The debate regarding the R18+ games ratings has often mentioned that in Australia many games that are rated 18 in the UK or 17+ in the US are getting through with an MA15+ from the Classification Board. Now we do not dispute that some of these games would be R18+ in Australia if the option was available to the Board. However this does not mean that all would. This is because out classification ratings for films are more liberal than both the UK and US.
Some of the recent titles that are 18 in the UK but MA15+ in Australia include the SAW films, Park Chan-Wook's THIRST, and NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD. Just look at Rob Zombie's THE DEVIL'S REJECTS which according to the IMDb was only rated lower in Italy.
So just because ALIENS VS. PREDATOR was rated 18 in the UK, it does not mean it should miss out on an MA15+ in Australia.
Remember applications for an individual to act as an interested party must be in by this Monday!
Full Review Board Media Release
Australian Government
Classification Review Board
9 December 2009
MEDIA RELEASE
Classification review announced for the computer game Aliens vs Predator
The Classification Review Board (the Review Board) has received an application to review the classification of the computer game Aliens vs Predator.
Aliens vs Predator was classified RC (Refused Classification) by the Classification Board on 3 December 2009.
The Review Board will meet on 18 December 2009 to consider the application. The decision and reasons will later be published on www.classification.gov.au.
If an individual or organisation wishes to apply for standing as an interested party to this review, please write to the Convenor of the Review Board. The closing date to lodge your application for standing as an interested party and any submissions is Monday 14 December 2009. Please note that the Review Board can only consider submissions about the computer game Aliens vs Predator itself and not any other matters relating to computer games policy or issues generally.
Submissions should be emailed to crb@classification.gov.au or sent to:
The Convenor Classification Review Board Locked Bag 3 HAYMARKET NSW 1240
The Review Board's decision and reasons for its decisions will appear on the Classification website once the review has been finalised.
The Review Board is an independent merits review body. Meeting in camera, it makes a fresh classification decision upon receipt of an application for review. The Review Board decision takes the place of the original decision made by the Classification Board.
December 11, 2009
Refused-Classification.com
