Greetings,

I'm writing to enquire as to why, in this day and age, we are still seeing video games refused classification, Fallout 3 being the latest in a recent batch.

Recent studies of gamers and ages have shown that the median age of video game users is 28 years old, yet here in australia we are still saddled with a rating system that treats us like children.

Over the last few months we have seen games such as Grand Theft Auto 4, Dark Sector and Fallout 3 refused classification in their original forms (with the first 2 now allowed after having been modified from the original intention of the creators) and there being no accountability for why they are refused classification except this country not having an adult rating.

In the past we have also seen Resevoir Dogs banned in a video game format, but allowed quite legally in a movie format...this makes no sense at all and again, there is never any explanation or accountabiltiy behind the decisions.

I can't think of another entertainment or art format where the creator is told they have to change thier vision or intention (where it doesn't break any laws) or they won't be allowed to distribute or show it...even with movies, directors are given the choice of modifing their movies to get a lower rating or leaving them as-is and accepting the rating because they know they will still be allowed to show it.

If the OFLC continue to refuse to support pushing the government to introduce an R-rating for games then they should take the MA15+ rating on face value and use it for all games that an adult should be allowed to play...we should not be getting denied access to legitimate entertainment just because there is some misguided belief that seeing a character in a videogame use drugs or commit acts of violence will lead to people doing the same thing in real life.

If this were the case we may as well stop children playing cowboys & indians or cops & robbers, playing with toy guns or action figures, etc.

The OFLC needs to start treating adults like adults and rid themselves of the apparent belief that videogames are only played by those under 18 and it's my hope that they do so very soon.