Apologies for the late notice folks, but this one only just crossed my path (or I may have forgot about it – sorry). University of Melbourne is holding a free public lecture of online game classification and censorship on Wednesday the 13th May. Speaking is Dr Jeffrey E. Brand, an Associate Professor and Head of the School of Communication and Media at Bond University whose ‘research explores the effects of electronic media on audiences and the policy imperatives that arise from presumed effects‘.
Overview:
‘Recent controversy over whether games that are exclusively played online must be classified to be legally sold or exhibited in Australia has added to a growing chorus of criticism over the Australian content regulation regime. Most online-only games such as and including WOW have not been submitted by their publishers for classification by the Classification Board.
James Beniger’s (1986) notion of a ‘crisis of control’ will be used to contextualise the contemporary regulatory environment and its failure to accommodate the rapidly changing medium of computer games.
Suggestions and probable scenarios will be offered and canvassed to evaluate the policy and technical trajectory of ratings and classification in Australia.’
Online games are an interesting area in terms of censorship here in Australia and an area I expect we’ll here more about this year or next. Certainly one I’d like to look more into here on STotC (a dedicated game censorship writer perhaps?).
Event Details:
Wednesday 13 May 2009 @ 06:00 pm – 07:30 pm
Theatre 3, Alan Gilbert Building (bldg 104) Corner of Grattan and Barry Streets, Parkville
University of Melbourne
2 comments
alphamone says:
May 12, 2009
you cant realy classify them as some of them are adding content all the time.
Final fantasy XI is one major example as not only do they have a new expansion every two years on average, but every two months they have a major update which quite often involves new storyline content.
Also, you have the fact that you cannot control what other players do.
Bob Bain says:
May 14, 2009
Summary of this event at ScreenPlay
http://blogs.theage.com.au/screenplay/archives/012223.html
Australian gamers in despair at the apparent bleak prospect of change to this country’s classification regime can find solace in the words of Australia’s leading games researcher.
“The classification regime in Australia is on its last legs,” proclaimed Dr Jeff Brand from Bond University at a Melbourne public lecture last night.
Bob