The "Dear MDA..." Column You asked, we forwarded, MDA answered A couple of months ago, we sent the call out to readers to respond with questions to the Media Development Authority (MDA) on the issue of its new Video Games Classification system. Boy, did you guys respond. While some of them were already answered by our previous column, others which we promised to pass along were asked frequently enough that the answers were better off being shared with everyone. That saves Adam having to manually copy-paste the same answer over and over again. If you have further questions which weren't answered, you can always drop us a mail at letters@playworksonline.com and we'll either answer them with what we know or shoot them over to MDA for you.   1. How do I, as a consumer, lobby for an appeal if I think a game has been passed as R21 and thus disallowed into Singapore? From: Darren, darren4463@hotmail.com The highest rating allowed for a game in Singapore is M18. There is no R21 rating for games so, titles with content that goes beyond the M18 guidelines are disallowed for distribution here. Game publishers or distributors can appeal that decision, and MDA will re-assess the case. As a consumer, you can always send your feedback to MDA and it will be taken into consideration. MDA has made available the content guidelines on its website. If a game has been disallowed for all ratings and distribution, it is probably because the title contains content which goes beyond acceptable social standards. Examples will include titles that denigrate any race or religion, contain detailed and bloody depictions of sadistic and cruel violence, or any pornographic games where the purpose is for players to engage in sexual activities. Before making decisions on particularly sensitive or controversial titles, MDA also consults with the Films Consultative Panel. This panel is made up of a crosssection of society representing various age groups, races, religions, and professions, to ensure that the decision made reflects current community standards. 2. What do I do if I find a shop selling M18 titles to youths underaged? From: Marcus Iskandar, markazz@hotmail.com For M18 titles, all retailers are required to check at point of sale that the customer is 18 and above. If you find shops which flout the rules, you can send feedback to MDA via its website. In the feedback, you can include details such as where the outlet is, the date of purchase, title, and if you have any, evidence that the shop is selling these M18 titles to underaged teens. MDA will then follow up as necessary and investigate the matter. 3. How do I know a title my child has bought is M18 if he's removed the sticker? It's only placed on the shrink wrap, correct? From: Karen Khoo, reality12345@hotmail.com If the rating sticker is not found on the game that your child is playing, parents can use MDA's Video Games Ratings Database (found on http://www.mda.gov.sg/videogames) to find out MDA's rating for the game. The online database catalogues all titles that have been approved for distribution in Singapore. Simply do a search for the title and you will be able to find the game's rating. MDA also encourages parents to play a greater role in guiding their children's gaming habits. There are many online resources, where parents can go to find out more about the content of a game. Sites such as Kid Confidence www.kidconfidence.com, which offer reviews specifically catered for parents, are an excellent start. Parents can use these to help decide if a title is suitable for your child. 4. Will the M18 title mean that we won't need to see "censored" versions of the same game here should they exist? From: Lance Teo, burr06@hotmail.com Whether a title is "censored" or not depends entirely on the game distributors, who decide which version of the game to bring in. Since most games are imported, if a company decides to only import a version that is edited and released for other regions, then that will be the version that is available here. That doesn't mean distributors can't bring in both the edited or unedited versions and send them in to MDA for classification. MDA will evaluate and classify both versions accordingly. 5. Is it allowed for the shop owners to pass on the extra cost of rating an M18 game to me, or are they legally obliged to absorb the cost? From: Bryan Yang, bingz82@hotmail.com Just as there are no legal requirements for a shop to absorb cost due to factors such as rent, there are no legal requirements for shops to absorb the cost of rating games. Whether these costs are passed on to consumers is a business decision to be made by the shops themselves. And that’s about it. I hope you guys enjoyed our features on MDA and their new Video Games Classification system. As said, these are the replies to the more commonly asked questions and we hope that we’ve given you sufficient information on the issue so that you have a better understanding of the new system. Drop us or the good folks at MDA a line or two if you have further queries.