Australia’s government-run video game ratings board is not very popular with gamers or game makers. Back in January, for example, the Australian Classification Board effectively banned Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number by refusing to rate the game, despite the board’s recent addition of an R18 (adult-only) rating.

With the increasing volume of games being sold in Australia, the board has been busier than ever, and it seems that the Australian government has finally thrown its hands up when it comes to game ratings and has enlisted the help of the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC).

IARC is an international organization dedicated to streamlining game ratings between different regions. The IARC’s members include several ratings boards such as the ESRB, which is a voluntary rating system in the U.S. and Canada, as well as boards from Europe, the Middle East, and Brazil.

“After close collaboration between the IARC and my Department over many months to ensure the tool meets Australia’s requirements, I have approved the IARC classification tool for an initial 12-month trial period to begin next month,” said Minister for Justice Michael Keenan. “As part of the trial, the Classification Board will audit a large number of classifications made by the IARC tool to ensure they reflect the Australian community’s expectations and standards.”

The program will begin next month, and the partnership is intended to streamline the ratings process for games in Australia. But while IARC will provide its suggested ratings for games, the Australian board can still reject those ratings if it disagrees with them.

One reason the Australian Classification Board may be leery of the IARC’s ratings is the process the organization uses to review games. Rather than individually playing games and analyzing their content, IARC uses a questionnaire system that allows game developers to automatically receive an age rating certificate after answering questions about their game content.

Still, even with its caveats, the new program is a step forward for the Australian video game industry and the millions of game players within the country, and the automated nature of IARC’s process means that games could be reviewed more quickly.

Now if only the country could also do something about the ridiculously high markup on foreign games.

Photo via Pixabay