A victory for smut: Video games finally get R18+ classification

Are you a gamer? Do you like smut? Would you like to be able to see gratuitous depictions of torture and cartoon boobs and all that other good stuff without the government getting all nanny state on you and banning it? Well then, good news! The Sydney Morning Herald has reported that an R18+ classification for video games has finally been approved.

After years of sick (and we mean that in both the ‘fully’ and ‘gross’ sense of the word) video games being banned because they were too full-on for the MA15+ rating, which until today was the highest classification level available, an 18+ classification has finally been given the all-clear.

“These are important reforms over 10 years in the making,” Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare said in a statement yesterday. “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. The reforms also mean that adults are able to choose what games they play within the bounds of the law.”

The new classification scheme is effective as of January 1 2013, meaning it comes too late for already banned games like Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude, Singles: Flirt Up Your Life, and of course games you’d actually want to play like Mortal Kombat. Still, it’s a hard-won victory for purveyors of explicit content nationwide.