An new amendment to the Australian Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995 will enable fast and cost effective classification of digital and mobile games, provide exemptions for certain unclassified games to allow them to be demonstrated at special events, and potentially remove the obligation to separately classify game add-ons such as map packs and additional missions “provided that such modifications are unlikely to change the classification of the original game.”

“ The Australian Classification Board rates an average of 755 games each year. However, over 40,000 games were released on the iOS app store alone in 2012.

The Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Amendment (Classification Tools and Other Measures) Bill 2014 passed the Senate late yesterday. The amendment has been welcomed by the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association of Australia, which has been lobbying the government on this matter for more than three years.This new legislation will allow for games such as these be classified using methods like the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) tool rather than going through the Australian Classification Board itself. The IARC rating tool is an online questionnaire where developers answer a series of questions about content. Based on these responses the IARC tool assigns the most appropriate rating from various territories around the world, and digital storefronts automatically display the correct rating information for each territory.The new legislation will also allow the Minister to determine what types of additional, post-release content will not require further classification. This may free up developers to release map packs and other content without the need to get it classified, providing said content is unlikely to change the original game’s rating.It will also remove the requirement to classify certain games that are demonstrated at special events, so long as appropriate age restrictions are in place.These reforms are based on a number of recommendations from an Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) review of the National Classification Scheme. In September 2011 the ALRC released a Discussion Paper that put forward 43 proposals for classification reform, including the proposal that only computer games likely to be classified MA 15+ or higher must be classified. In April 2013 Ministers agreed to seven proposals , including the use of automated classification decision making systems (starting with a pilot for mobile and online computer games), an update to the guidelines that will prevent 2D and 3D versions of films or games having to be classified twice and a change to the rules that will allow minor modifications to be made to games without further classification.The IGEA confirmed it will keep working with the Attorney-General’s Department on further reforms and will continue to push for a self-regulated, industry-led classification scheme in Australia.

Luke is Games Editor at IGN AU. You can find him on IGNor on Twitter, or chat with him and the rest of the Australian team by joining the IGN Australia