[B]Australian gamers, it seems, can't win for losing.[/B] Now that EB Games and gamer activist group Grow Up Australia successfully encouraged 46,000 submissions to the Australian Attorney-General, which is in the process of reviewing the country's game ratings, a religious group opposed to an R18+ rating is urging authorities not to take them seriously.

As the [URL=http://www.smh.com.au/business/computer-game-fans-back-proposal-for-r18-rating-20100301-pdls.html]Sydney Morning Herald[/URL] reports this morning, the Australian Christian Lobby has dismissed the surge of support for a new rating, making the unique claim that the government's consultation process is biased in favor of gamers. Because of the anticipated high volume of submissions, the Attorney-General's Department took the unusual step of creating a template for submissions. In its own submission to the Attorney-General, the ACL charges that

[INDENT] The consultation process appears to be structured in a way to primarily encourage participation from people with a pre-existing understanding of the R18+ gaming debate, or from those who have a prior stake or interest in its outcome. It seems to be geared strongly in favor of gaming interests. [/INDENT] The ACL, which opposes an R18+ rating, went on to argue that the volume of responses (on either side) should not be taken as a reflection of public opinion, adding that more thorough submissions from community groups should be given greater weight. The ACL didn't explain how fewer, "more thorough" submissions from special interest groups would better reflect public opinion than those from individuals, however.

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