The Australian Classification Board has written to the Australian government 'expressing concern' that iPhone applications, espicially games, are being released through the iTunes store without being rated.
This is despite Apple having an approval process that sees virtually all adult material, including violent games and Page 3 style glamour shots being barred from the iPhone and iPod touch App Store despite parental controls introduced with the iPhone 3.0 Software Update. In June, Apple confirmed it had rejected an iPhone application that displayed photos of topless women.
Currently all App Store applications are rated by Apple and this information is clearly available in iTunes.
"I recently wrote to [Commonwealth Censorship Minister Brendan O'Connor] regarding my concern that some so-called [mobile phone applications which are computer games] are not being submitted to the board for classification," said Classification Board's director Donald McDonald, speaking to a Senate Estimates committee in Canberra this week.
Some observers believe if the Classification Board had a chance to rate the tens of thousands of applications currently available on the iTunes Store, Apple's customers, gamers espicially, and iPhone developers may be forced to foot the bill.
McDonald also revealed the Classification Board had only just rated Activision-Blizzard's online game World of Warcraft an 'M', five years after the game had been released in Australia.
"While this is not the first online game to be classified by the board, World of Warcraft is arguably the most popular online game in the world, and the fact that it was not classified attracted industry and media interest," McDonald claimed.
According to the Classifications website films - DVDs and videos - or computer games submitted for classification must be viewed or played by members of the Classification Board, who then assign each item a classification - G, PG, M, MA 15+, RC. R 18+ and X 18+ are for films only. Certain publications also need to be classified as either Unrestricted, Category 1 - Restricted, Category 2 - Restricted or RC.
In September, the Australian Classification Board refused to let video game Left 4 Dead 2 pass, stamping it with the "refused classification" label. That decision was later changed to MA15+ much to EA's, the games developer, relief.
[Via Spong]
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Comments received
Nilu said on Fri, 23 Oct 2009
The classification for Left 4 Dead 2 was not "changed". A different version of the game was classified MA15+. Both classification decisions still stand, one was not transmuted to the other.
And it is spelt "especially".
Dave said on Fri, 23 Oct 2009
If it gets to difficult Apple will just pull the app store from Aus. What will your politicians do then chasing votes?
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