Looks like folks from the land down under will be able to enjoy more of those upcoming titles featured recently at E3 2012. Australian gamers can now yell a collective "Get over here!" at more mature video gaming fare after the country's Parliament passed a new law to create an "adults-only" R18+ rating. The new classification puts video games on equal footing with films and other media that already allow mature content to be accessible in Australia via a similar rating. Prior to the creation of the new category, games deemed too mature for an MA15+ rating -- previously the strongest video game classification in Australia -- either had to be reclassified or banned from sale. One high-profile casualty that received a fatality from the old ratings system, for example, was the Mortal Kombat reboot. Lawmakers, however, agreed to pass the new rating law following years of consultation and strong public support for the change. One can only hope the legal tussle occurring in Australia between Apple and Samsung would reach an equally satisfactory resolution.

[Image Credit: Associated Press]

Less banhammer, more gaming fun down under as Australia OKs R18+ game rating originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jun 2012 03:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.