Read the Report at Nielsen

Children in this age group spent an average one hour and 11 minutes watching television per day, 44 minutes watching DVDs and videos, seven minutes using computers and three minutes playing electronic games. Use of electronic media and communications: Early childhood to teenage years, a report released today by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, brings together the ACMA’s research on media use by 8-17 year olds and new findings about 3-4 and 7-8 year olds from the Australian Institute of Family Studies study Growing Up in Australia; The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children.

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Despite gathering economic storm clouds, Australians spent a record $2 billion on games last year, a 47 per cent increase on 2007.

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The Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia (IEAA) believes that the introduction of an R18+ classification is essential to:

• Future-proof the computer and video games industry in light of technology convergence which is blurring distinctions between different types of media;
• Cater to the rising age of computer and video game players in Australia (in 2008 the average age of Australian gamers was 30), allowing adult gamers to be treated as such and have broad choice in the types of games they play;
• Provide parents with a complete toolkit to manage children’s game playing;
• and Bring Australia into alignment with the rest of the world.

Harmonisation of the national classification scheme will provide Australians with a consistent and uniform system which will allow consumers to make educated and informed decisions on their entertainment choices, regardless of the medium or delivery method.

Discussion of arguments opposing an R18+ for games

The following concerns have been raised in the media by lobbyists and politicians

An R18+ classification for games will greatly increase the risk of children and vulnerable adults being exposed to damaging images and messages

There already exists a considerable body of works containing potentially damaging images and messages, including films and publications, to which children and vulnerable adults may be exposed. Games that should be restricted to adults are already widely available to Australians through the internet. Adding an R18+ classification will not increase the amount of adult material available, but will provide labeling information to assist parents to make informed decisions.

The interactive nature of electronic games means that they have a much greater influence than viewing a movie does

This is a mistaken belief created 20 years ago as video and computer games were emerging as a mainstream form of entertainment. Research indicates that the relationship between depictions of violence in the media and subsequent acts of violence is extremely complex, with a number of variables, such as family circumstances, parental influence, poverty, health and substance abuse, determining who will be affected and in what way.

Research not only fails to provide concrete evidence that there is a connection between violent media and aggressive behavior; it also fails to distinguish between video games and other forms of media. There is no known psychological peculiarity of the video and computer game experience which indicates that a differential classification system should be applied to this medium.

The absence of an R18+ classification keeps the most extreme material off the shelves; it prevents children and vulnerable adults from being exposed to sexual abuse, criminal activity, and extreme violence in video games; it prevents children and vulnerable adults from virtual participation in sex, criminal activity, and extreme violence

An R18+ classification for games will not make any of this type of material available to children and vulnerable adults. The combined classification guidelines for films and computer games have been written in a non-media specific manner and are applied to both games and films. The R18+ classification guidelines for films can be applied very simply to games – just as the other classifications are. The R18+ classification prohibits sexual abuse and extreme violence. The Refused Classification category in the guidelines already specifically prohibits material that promotes or provides instruction in criminal activity.

In cinemas, the age of moviegoers can be regulated, and at the video store people must provide ID to hire R18+ videos. Once electronic games are in the home, access to them cannot be policed and the games are easily accessible to children. These days, older children (18-30) are often living in the family home with younger children (under 18). This means games belonging to older children or parents can easily make their way into the hands of those under 18.

Computer and video games can be accessed by children in the same way as films on video and DVD. There is no logical reason to suggest that the restrictions and sanctions that apply to films and already apply to MA15+ classified games cannot apply to R18+ classified games. Equally, R18+ films brought into the home by older siblings can make their way into the hands of those under 18.

Why isn’t there an R18+ already?

In the early 1990s, Australia, along with many other countries, made the decision to create a classification or ratings system for computer and video games. Australia was one of the very few countries to decide on a legally regulated system. At this time, there was little understanding of the medium amongst regulators and the Censorship Ministers made the decision to exclude an R18+ classification for computer and video games from the national classification scheme based on three assumptions. Those assumptions have subsequently been shown to be incorrect:

Incorrect Assumption 1. – Computer and video games are only for children

There is a perception that computer and video games are only for children, but more than 70 per cent of players in Australia are older than 18, and 20 per cent are more than 39 years old. The average age of computer and video game players in Australia is 30 years. This is a natural progression of the first generation of computer and video game users.

Incorrect Assumption 2. – The level of technology involved with the use of computer and video games means that many parents do not necessarily have the competency to ensure adequate parental guidance

Australian research between 1994 and 2007 (the current life of the computer and video games classification scheme) indicates that Australian parents are comfortable with the technology and content of computer and video games.

Parents do not require government policy to provide any more tools than exist for other media to assist them in managing their children’s access to computer and video games. This is in part because parents are gamers too.

Incorrect Assumption 3. – Due to their interactive nature, it was thought computer and video games may have greater impact, and therefore greater potential for harm or detriment, on young minds than film and videos.

There are still too few studies on the influence of computer and video games to draw any safe conclusions about their effects. Some studies indicate that playing computer and video games can lead to aggressive behaviour. Other studies do not support that conclusion.

Whilst research is inconclusive, there is no known psychological peculiarity of the computer and video game experience which indicates that a differential classification system should be applied to this medium.

If the government learned that the reasons for creating a system without an R18+ were wrong, why don’t we now have it?

When the Parliamentary Committee and censorship ministers created the system without an R18+ they admitted they were doing so, at least partially, in ignorance. They requested that research be commissioned to address their concerns and assumptions. Australian government research completed in 1999 confirmed that the three assumptions were wrong – as noted above.

In 2000 censorship ministers decided to review the classification guidelines and included the issue of an R18+ classification for games in the review. The experts who managed the public consultation for the review found that Australians support an R18+ classification and agreed there was no reason to exclude it from the national scheme. At the end of the review, in 2002, censorship ministers decided to continue the classification scheme without an R18+ for games – ignoring their own analysis and the concerns of the original architects of the scheme.

The reason given for excluding the R18+ for games was that “not all Ministers were satisfied children would not access games classified as suitable for adults”. Using this reasoning to exclude only an R18+ classification for games from the national scheme is illogical. Computer and video games can be accessed by children in the same way as films on video and DVD. There is no logical reason to suggest that the restrictions and sanctions that apply to films and already apply to MA15+ classified games cannot apply to R18+ classified games.

What type of games will be R18+, and what content will they have?

Only the Classification Board (and Classification Review Board) can make decisions about what will or won’t be classified R18+, and they won’t speculate on the classification of a publication, film or game until they have seen it. However, an analysis of the classification system can provide a reasonable indication of likely R18+ content for games.

How Classification Works

The Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995 requires that computer games (and films) are to be classified in accordance with the National Classification Code and the classification guidelines. The classification guidelines, approved unanimously by all censorship ministers, specify a hierarchy of impact that determines classifications:

In addition, the RC guideline also describes specific content that will always be RC (Refused Classification). Therefore, films and games with high end content have to pass two tests. Firstly is the impact of the content so high that it exceeds the “high impact” requirements of R18+. And secondly, they must not contain any of the extreme violence, sexual abuse, instruction/promotion of crime, etc. specified in the RC guideline.

The Classification Board must look at the whole publication, film or game. They have to consider the impact of every part of the work and the cumulative impact of all of those parts – but they must consider the impact in the context of the whole publication, film or game.

Analysis of Recent RC Game Decisions
In all classification decisions the Classification Board makes reference to the National Classification Code and/or the relevant Classification Guidelines. It is notable that all of the RC decisions for computer games since the current guidelines were introduced in early 2003, except one, clearly state that the games are Refused Classification, not because they contain content that meets the requirements of the RC category, but because they exceed the level of content permissible in the MA15+ category – suggesting they may have been classified R18+ if it was available.

Most of the Classification Board’s reports state specifically that the content is high in impact – matching the requirements of the R18+ category. None of them state that the Board considered the content to be Very High in impact, as required in the RC category. All but one also specifically state that the games are Refused Classification only because the content is not suitable for a person aged under 18 years.

Two of the three RC decisions by the Classification Review Board since 2003 state that the content exceeded the MA15+ classification rather than meeting the RC requirements, and one states explicitly that the RC decision has been made purely because there is not an R18+ (restricted to adults) classification category for games. An earlier 2001 RC decision by the Classification Review Board specifically advises censorship ministers to create an R18+ classification for games.

Examples

Classification Board

Fallout 3 – Refused Classification – 4 July 2008

“In the Board’s view the drug use in particular the use of a proscribed drug via means of selection from a menu, is related to incentives and rewards as the incentive to take the drug is to progress through the game more easily and the reward is an increase in the character’s abilities and as such is Refused Classification.”

Fallout 3 would therefore still be likely to be Refused Classification even if an R18+ classification category was introduced. The guidelines state that as a general rule the use of proscribed drugs related to incentives and rewards will be refused classification.

(NOTE: Fallout 3 is the only recent RC decision of the Classification Board to state that the game is Refused Classification not because the content is not suitable for a person aged under 18 years, but because the content meets the Refused Classification parameters of the guidelines.)

Silent Hill: Homecoming – Refused Classification – 19 September 2008

“The game contains violence that is high in impact and the game is therefore unsuitable for persons aged under 18 years to play.”

Silent Hill: Homecoming would therefore be likely to be classified R18+ if the category was introduced. The guidelines state that High Impact violence requires an R18+ classification. If the game had contained excessive violence the Board would have noted it and even with an R18+ category it would still be RC.

Classification Review Board

Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure – Refused Classification – 14 February 2006

“The computer game is Refused Classification as it promotes the crime of graffiti.”

Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure would therefore still be likely to be Refused Classification if an R18+ category was introduced. An R18+ classification category will not alter the RC guideline requirements for promotion in matters of crime.

Manhunt – Refused Classification – 29 September 2004

“The impact of specific interactive game play scenes … was of high impact. As such, the material was beyond that which minors should be able to play. As no classification is available restricting games to adults, as in the case of film and videos, the Review Board determined in the majority that the game should be refused classification.”

Manhunt would be likely to be classified R18+ if the category was introduced. The guidelines state that High Impact violence requires an R18+ classification. The Review Board noted that the game should be restricted to adults.

Myth one

Computer and video gamers are only for children and teenagers. No! The recent Interactive Australia 2009 study found the average age of the Australian gamer is 30 years old and by 2014, that age is expected to equal the national average age of 36 years old. Complex story lines, increased educational attributes and widespread internet usage are some of the factors driving an increase in adult gamers. Older players tend to use PCs and play board/card, puzzle and strategy games, whilst younger gamers and young adults make up the bulk of handheld and console game device users and prefer action, racing, and adventure games.

Myth two

Women don’t really play computer and video games. Females are the fastest growing audience of the gaming population. The Interactive Australia 2009 study revealed 46 per cent of game players are women; an increase from 41 per cent in 2007 and 38 per cent in 2005. It is expected that Australian female gamers will equal male gamers by 2010. Female gamers are more likely to play puzzle, family and board/card games. In contrast, male gamers prefer sports, fighting, first-person shooters and role-playing games.

Myth three

Computer and video games are a niche form of entertainment. Gaming has quickly become a mainstream activity, rivalling the film industry in terms of revenue and range of diverse content it produces. With 68 per cent of all Australians playing games and 88 per cent of Australian households owning a gaming device, there is no denying that gaming is enjoyed by a wide spectrum of society. From an international perspective, a recent Nielson study in 2008, ranked playing video games among the top leisure activities for Europeans. The study found that 40 per cent of Europeans play between six and 14 hours a week, which puts gaming alongside other mainstream entertainment studied, like TV and internet surfing.

Myth four

Playing computer and video games is socially isolating. As many as 48 per cent of people now play games online and among this group 22 per cent ‘often’ play socially in the same room with others and another 41 per cent say they do so ‘occasionally’. Among gaming households, 65 per cent of parents play games with their children and view the activity as positive way to spend time with children. Like playing tennis or card games, video and computer games are another way Australians socially interact with each other.

Myth five

Gamers spend excessive amounts of time playing computer and video games. The Interactive Australia 2009 study found half of all gamers play either daily or every other day, 25 per cent of all gamers play at least once a week and less than 20 per cent play less frequently. Most gamers play for one hour in one session, while 25 per cent play for just 30 minutes and another 25 per cent play for 2 hours. In the same way that television became a daily activity for many viewers in the 1960s, games are increasingly becoming a daily activity for a wide range of Australians today. It’s also important to note that computer and video games do not compete with non-media and outdoor activities; instead it competes with older media such as television.

Myth six

Playing violent games leads to aggressive behaviour. Computer and video games often attract public attention when they are linked to violent behaviour. While such incidents are disturbing, they are uncommon and it is clear that the vast majority of young gamers do not commit violent acts. There is no scientific evidence to draw any safe assumptions between violent games and negative effects on players. The Interactive Australia 2009 study found most attitudes toward computer and video games are positive. The main reasons gamers play is to relieve boredom, offer excitement, stimulate their minds, reduce stress and for educational purposes.

Myth seven

Australian’s don’t want to see the introduction of an R18+ Classification. The Interactive Australia study revealed 63 per cent of participants did not realise Australia has no R18+ Classification for games. When asked if an R18+ Classification should be introduced, 91 per cent of Australian adults (including those who play computer or video games gaming AND those who do not) think that Australia should have an R18+ Classification for games. Interestingly, 78 per cent of parents say an adult is present when games are purchased for their children and 92 per cent of parents are aware of what games are played in their homes. Australia is the only developed nation without an R18+ classification for video and computer games. Whilst gamer adults use their knowledge of games to make informed decisions about games they buy for younger players, non-gamer adults rely on the classification shown on game packaging.

Myth eight

Games Piracy doesn’t carry penalties. 17 per cent of gaming households ‘admit’ to owning pirated games. Half of all pirated copies come from family and friends (51 per cent), 26 per cent are downloaded from online file-sharing sites and another 20 per cent come from overseas vendors or market stalls. The Bond University report estimates that the cumulative economic impact of piracy is AU$840 million, with distributors, retailers and local developers the hardest hit. Criminal penalties for copyright infringement are up to $60,500 and/or five years imprisonment per offence for individuals, and fines of up to $302,500 for corporations. Police can also issues on-the-spot fines of $1320.

Myth nine

Games desensitise children to violence and promote anti-social behaviour. There is currently no scientific evidence to prove violent games cause children to become desensitised to violence. In fact, reports like the *Internet Fantasy Violence: A Test of Aggression in an Online Game (The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s) found children understand the difference between real-world violence and violence in the virtual world. Like other playground ‘fantasy’ games, children understand that the stories in a video game are not real and mentally apply a different set of rules when playing. In an excerpt from Grand Theft Childhood, written by Harvard academics Lawrence Kutner PhD and Cheryl Olson ScD and published in 2008 the authors contend that these claims are not supported by research. “It’s clear that the “big fears” bandied about in the press – that violent video games make children significantly more violent in the real world; that children will engage in illegal, immoral, sexist and violent acts they see in some of these games – are not supported by the current research, at least in such a simplistic form. That should make sense to anyone who thinks about it. After all, millions of children and adults play these games, yet the world had not been reduced to chaos and anarchy.”

Pg 18 * Research The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s findings appear in the June issue of Communication Monographs in an piece entitled “Internet Fantasy Violence: A Test of Aggression in an Online Game”. ®

IA9 Interactive Australia 2009 Full Report

Read the Key findings of the Interactive Australia undertaken by Bond University.

IA9 Key Findings Summary

Classification Summary of the Interactive Australia Study undertaken by Bond University

IA9 Classification Summary

Video games provide a diverse set of experiences and related activities and are part of the lives of almost all teens in America. To date, most video game research has focused on how games impact academic and social outcomes (particularly aggression). There has also been some exploration of the relationship between games and civic outcomes, but as of yet there has been no large-scale quantitative research. This survey provides the first nationally representative study of teen video game play and of teen video gaming and civic engagement. The survey looks at which teens are playing games, the games and equipment they are using, the social context of their play, and the role of parents and parental monitoring. Though arguments have been made about the civic potential of video gaming, this is the first large-scale study to examine the relationship between specific gaming experiences and teens’ civic activities and commitments.

This survey was conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, an initiative of the Pew Research Center and was supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. A full copy of the findings can be found here.

The findings put to rest some commonly held misperceptions about today’s gaming community.

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the Executive Summary

or the Key Findings

Interactive Australia 2007, launched today by the Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia (IEAA) in conjunction with Bond University’s Centre for New Media Research, is a national study of 1,606 households and who plays games in Australia.

It revealed more than 79 per cent of Australian households have a device for playing computer and video games– a three per cent increase from late 2005¹. Significantly the research revealed the changing face of computer and video gaming with more women, families and older people choosing interactive games for entertainment and education. It also showed Australian parents highly value computer and video games as educational, as well as fun.

“Interactive games are seen as a fun, positive entertainment choice for the majority of Australians. The research confirms that gaming is increasingly popular across all ages.” said Chris Hanlon, IEAA CEO.

The average age of Australian gamers is now 28 years (up from 24 years) and the research predicts that by 2014 the average age of gamers will be the same as non-gamers at 42 years.

“More than 12.5 million games were sold in Australia last year,” said Hanlon. “Gaming is increasingly the first choice of entertainment for a broad range of people.”

Key research findings include:

• Interactive games are attracting new players – 41 per cent of gamers are female (up from 38 per cent) and eight per cent are seniors (over 60 years old).
• Gaming is an increasingly social activity. Two third of gamers report that others in their household play games, 56 per cent play with others in the same room, and only 19 per cent prefer to play alone.
• Parents and children increasingly play together – 35 per cent of gamers are parents and 77 per cent of parents play computer games with their children.
• Online gaming is increasingly popular and ranks 10th among activities Australian’s often use the internet for – ahead of music downloads and online shopping. Households with an internet connection were more likely to play computer games (84 per cent vs 54 per cent across all households).
• 95 per cent of Australians use a personal computer for games.

Educational choice for parents
The research reported that parents see the positive aspects of game play as more than valued family entertainment. Parents reported computer games teach children about technology (73 per cent), maths (68 per cent) and to plan ahead (64 per cent).

“Parents are increasingly playing computer and video games themselves and with their children. They value the skills kids learn through interactive games, and can see the benefits both socially and educationally,” said Hanlon.

A positive and social entertainment choice
The research revealed gaming competes with other media such as TV, film and music rather than non-media and outdoor leisure activities. It also found more than half of Australians find computer games more social than other forms of media entertainment and the majority (61 per cent) only play for up to an hour at one time.

“Gaming is seen as a social activity with people playing together in the same room or online. We found players see interactivity as a key attraction to gaming as an entertainment choice,” said Hanlon.

“Australians who play computer and video games are a lot like those who don’t – they enjoy a range of leisure activities as part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle,” he said.

View the Full Report Here

¹ GamePlay Australia 2005, IEAA and Bond University