Right now do you know what makes me ridiculously happy? Electronic Arts response to Left F Dead 2 being banned in Australia. In their statement, released a few days ago, EA makes clear their frustration with the ratings board after Left 4 Dead 2 was denied an MA 15+ rating, the highest rating for video games in Australia. What EA doesn't do though is lose their cool and instead they craft an interesting argument about the state of gaming in Australia. The EA spokesperson finds the most frustration in the fact that Australia, as a film producing nation, has produced some of the most violent films to hit the screens. EA singles out Mad Max as the main focus of their discontent. In the film and its sequel there are rapes, mutitlated bodies and scenes of extreme violence and the film is all the better for it because it is trying to show that this a brutal, lawless world where only the ruthless can survive. For one second I wouldn't want the films to change at all. These films are regarded as some of the best Australia has ever produced and this trend of brutal, dark films about Australia has continued with Nick Cave's amazing The Proposition and the new film Van Diemen's Land.

Why can we produce such violent films and praise them for their great acting, directing and story but when a video game does the same we ban it? EA believes that this sought of inequality in the rating system for entertainment in Australia is a real shame and adults should be able to choose what games they play and with an R 18+ rating adults would be given this choice. It is this exact point that I whole heatedly agree with and I'm glad to see a company like EA take the same stance.