Tue, Jun 16, 2009 | 16:00 BST
PEGI is sole game ratings board for UK
The UK government just confirmed PEGI as the sole games ratings board for the UK.
Said ELSPA boss Mike Rawlinson: “Today’s decision will ensure that games ratings stay relevant and adapt to the changing nature of videogames for many years to come. Retailers will now have clear, legal backing to help them prevent access to unsuitable content by children.
“We will work closely with the Government, the Video Standards Council and the BBFC to ensure a smooth and rapid transition to this new ratings system.”
Press release after the jump. The full Digital Britain report is now online here.
ELSPA AND GAMING INDUSTRY WELCOMES DCMS DECISION OVER BYRON REVIEW TO ENDORSE PEGI AS SOLE AGE RATINGS SYSTEM FOR VIDEOGAMES
Tuesday 16th June/…ELSPA, the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association, has today welcomed the Department of Culture, Media and Sport’s decision to adopt PEGI as the sole age ratings system for videogames in the U.K.
Mike Rawlinson, Director General of ELSPA, the trade body which represents games publishers, said:
“The Government has made absolutely the right decision for child safety. By choosing PEGI as the single classification system in the UK, British children will now get the best possible protection when playing videogames either on a console or on the internet. Parents can be assured that they will have access to clear, uniform ratings on games and an accurate understanding of game content.
Today’s decision will ensure that games ratings stay relevant and adapt to the changing nature of videogames for many years to come. Retailers will now have clear, legal backing to help them prevent access to unsuitable content by children.
We will work closely with the Government, the Video Standards Council and the BBFC to ensure a smooth and rapid transition to this new ratings system.”
Simon Little, MD, ISFE said:
“This decision by the British government to adopt PEGI as the single ratings system for videogames in the UK will give British children the same protection whether they are playing at home or online, as children in 28 countries across Europe.
PEGI meets the criteria set out by Professor Byron in her review and has also been further updated to take into account developments in new technology as game playing moves increasingly online and becomes increasingly interactive. It is a robust system which protects children online and offline. We will continue to ensure that PEGI remains the most relevant and effective system for helping parents, guardians, teachers and retailers to protect children both now and in the future.”
For further industry comment please go to: http://www.bhpress.co.uk/release.asp?i=1600
30 comments
#1
Syrok
16/06/09, 3:57 pm
Yay. Rest of Europe take note please.
#2
Hunam
16/06/09, 3:57 pm
PEGI
P E G I
#3
Patrick Garratt
16/06/09, 4:01 pm
Just updated it with the DB report.
#4
JesteR
16/06/09, 4:02 pm
So in the future there will be only PEGI rating on the cover?
#5
Blerk
16/06/09, 4:03 pm
Holy crap, that was unexpected! I fully expected the BBFC to get it.
#6
Psychotext
16/06/09, 4:05 pm
Something else for parents to ignore before blaming others for their own failings.
#7
Suikoden Fan
16/06/09, 4:08 pm
so how long until this takes effect? were entering the summer laul so maybe during that?
#8
Zarckan
16/06/09, 4:08 pm
About fucking time is all I can say.
#9
deftangel
16/06/09, 4:09 pm
So has anyone worked out exactly what “Enhanced PEGI System” means yet?
#10
Blerk
16/06/09, 4:10 pm
What is there to take effect? 99% of current releases only have a PEGI rating on them anyway. What’s the last game you can think of with a BBFC 15 or 18 label on it?
#11
Whizzo
16/06/09, 4:11 pm
Blimey that is a surprise.
#12
tenthousandgothsonacid
16/06/09, 4:12 pm
Seems odd. Is the BBFC funded by the govt. ? Maybe they’re just saving cash.
Not that it’ll make any difference, the few times I’ve been in a games shop when an 18+ game has been out I’ve been in a queue of mothers buying it for their kids.
I think there should be an IQ test before you’re allowed access to certain parts of the media. Obviously xbox 360 sales would flatline but it’s a small price to pay
#13
Hunam
16/06/09, 4:13 pm
Blerk, 80% of my 360 games have an 18 or 15 rating on them
#14
Psychotext
16/06/09, 4:14 pm
@Blerk: Killzone 2 was probably the last one I can recall.
Infamous and Prototype had PEGI logos, RE5 was BBFC.
#15
Whizzo
16/06/09, 4:15 pm
My copy of Prototype certainly has an 18 BBFC logo on the front.
#16
Psychotext
16/06/09, 4:15 pm
Odd, Amazon shows it as PEGI.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51XbDb9DIeL._SL500_AA280_.jpg
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51gSTWEMM9L._SL500_AA280_.jpg
#17
tenthousandgothsonacid
16/06/09, 4:16 pm
@Blerk a quick look at amazon pack shots show CoD5, killzone 2, GTA4 etc all having bbfc stickers…
#18
JesteR
16/06/09, 4:16 pm
@Blerk
There are many games with the BBFC rating. Wolfenstein, UFC 2009, Ghostbusters, Killzone 2, Call of Cuty 5 or Wheelman for example. I could name many more. I would say 70% got the PEGI rating in the past.
#19
deftangel
16/06/09, 4:18 pm
@Blerk unless you’re counting the PC release of Resi 5, Bayonetta got a 15 recently.
The bit that’s got to take effect are the enhancements to the PEGI system which unsurprisingly nobodies cottoned on to yet.
The DCMS press release has a bit more on it;-
http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/media_releases/6215.aspx
#20
deftangel
16/06/09, 4:20 pm
Online retailers don’t always use the right pack shots and they aren’t compelled to. Prototype is definitely a BBFC 18.
#21
Blerk
16/06/09, 4:22 pm
Weird. Why do some sites show the same games with BBFC logos and some show them with PEGI logos?
I’ll have to look through my own stuff when I get home now.
#22
tenthousandgothsonacid
16/06/09, 4:27 pm
@Blerk Maybe some are showing the european box art rather than the uk specific one…
#23
Lutz
16/06/09, 4:28 pm
Bler: IIRC US sites/Pics only show PEGI.
#24
Blerk
16/06/09, 4:29 pm
US sites won’t show PEGI ratings, man – they’re for Europe only.
#25
Johnny Cullen
16/06/09, 5:38 pm
“What is there to take effect? 99% of current releases only have a PEGI rating on them anyway. What’s the last game you can think of with a BBFC 15 or 18 label on it?”
I just got Protoype in the post from LoveFilm and guess what it has: a big fat red BBFC 18 slapped on the disc. As far as that goes, probably half of my games collection is rated by the BBFC.
#26
Whizzo
16/06/09, 5:44 pm
My Red Faction heavy walker resumes its modelling career with a Prototype packshot. There’s no PEGI ratings on it at all.
#27
Blerk
17/06/09, 8:53 am
New PEGI symbols revealed. Now with added colour for the hard of thinking!
#28
Blerk
17/06/09, 8:54 am
Actually, that’s completely bizarre. A 16 is the same colour as a 12.
Is there really any content you wouldn’t want a 16 year old to have that is fine two years later when they’re 18? The ’16′ rating seems completely superfluous.
#29
Tonka
17/06/09, 8:55 am
Om nom nom nom
#30
deftangel
17/06/09, 9:16 am
Colour coded symbols, no idea where they got that idea from! Their “Extended Consumer Advice” looks a bit familiar too