Notoriously behind the times South Australian Attorney General Michael Atkinson, the man Australian gamers and industry supporters regard as the one responsible for refusing to allow the creation of an “R” classification in the country, is at it again.
This time, he has declared his intention to appeal the decision to grant an MA 15+ rating to “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2”, while simultaneously making statements so erroneous that they display a shocking degree of ignorance for a man in so senior a position. Atkinson’s alarmingly pro-censorship agenda appears to have gotten the better of him, making claims as to the game’s content that display either shocking ignorance of the subject matter, or an intent to outright mislead the public. In an email statement to GameSpot.com, Atkinson confirmed his intent to appeal stating that the game “allows players to be virtual terrorists and gain points by massacring civilians.” This is of course a complete falsehood; the sequence in question – the controversial airport massacre – does not have to be played at all, and certainly does not gain the player any points. It is, quite simply, part of the storytelling and the player receives no encouragement for whatever actions they take.
Needless to say, Australian gamers have reacted with disgust to Atkinson’s comments and apparent intent to have the game banned in Australia. As one gamer succinctly put it, “The ignorance is unbelievable.” Another noted in response to Atkinson’s comment that the MA 15+ rating was wrong that “”Well thanks to you, idiot, there’s no other choice.”
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This article is stupid at best, I’m pro-games and anti-censorship but when I read about the barrage of falsehoods Atkinson is accused of making I was expecting something more than what is practically a correct assessment of the game. He says “allows”, so your defence is rather pathetic. The only mistake he makes is the points part, but that’s hardly anything ground shattering, many (most?) gamers don’t even know where all those thousands of points accumulate from, let alone a man who’s never played the game. He’s an idiot for his political standpoints, but he’s done his research.