Weird Crap in Australia

Episode 398 - The History of Australian Video Game Censorship Part 4

Weird Crap in Australia

Show Notes

For decades, Australia treated video games differently.

Titles were banned. Content was refused classification. Games were edited, delayed, or never released at all. For years, we didn’t even have an R18+ category for games — meaning adult players were restricted by a system built for something else entirely.

In this episode, we trace the history of video game censorship in Australia — from early classification battles to moral panics, high-profile bans, and the eventual fight for an R rating. What was actually being censored? Who decided? And why were games singled out?

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.

More from Weird Crap in Australia

Oct 19, 2026

We're heading back into the Australian outback, and this time, Mick Taylor is waiting.

Oct 12, 2026

In 1936, a man disappeared from the small New South Wales town of Grenfell. More than a decade later, a travelling shearer named Fred McDermott found himself at the centre of a murder investigation that would change his life forever.

Oct 5, 2026

In 1936, a man disappeared from the small New South Wales town of Grenfell. More than a decade later, a travelling shearer named Fred McDermott found himself at the centre of a murder investigation that would change his life forever.

Sep 28, 2026

Fred Hollows was a surgeon who believed that eyesight shouldn't be determined by where you were born or how much money you had. His work took him from Australia to some of the world's poorest communities, where he helped establish eye-care programs and trained local medical staff to continue the work.

Sep 21, 2026

Fred Hollows was a surgeon who believed that eyesight shouldn't be determined by where you were born or how much money you had. His work took him from Australia to some of the world's poorest communities, where he helped establish eye-care programs and trained local medical staff to continue the work.

See all episodes →