According to a Gamasutra report the Australian government may be considering loosening the straps on its stringent video game rating system. 

As part of the process an internet portal has been set up by the government to take arguments for adding a newly proposed R18 rating to the country’s classification system. Australian citizens have until February 28th to voice their opinions. 

This comes after both Left 4 Dead 2 and Alien vs. Predator were refused classification within the country due to their graphic nature – effectively resulting in an inability to release the titles in Australia. Currently the highest rating available to the film and literature classification board is 15. 

Some of the supporting arguments that have already been voiced explain that a “lack of an adult classification for computer games in Australia may affect the competitiveness of this industry internationally and could be resolved through the introduction of an adult category.”

Despite this Australian Attorney General Michael Atkinson remains against the classification adding that “only a small number of very zealous gamers” are interested in an R 18+ classification and that “you don’t need to be playing a game in which you impale, decapitate and dismember people,”