Tag Archives: pegi

PEGI has rated both Silent HIll 2 and 3 HD as discrete entities, suggesting individual release via the console networks is likely.

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Trade organisation UK Interactive Entertainment has called out the British government for its failure to follow through on plans to adopt the PEGI system of games content rating.

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PEGI has released a series of videos explaining its content warning system to parents, and the result is kind of adorable.

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PEGI has released a free app for Windows Phone 7 which offers an “accessible way to browse the database,” of all videogames given a PEGI rating. It is available in 11 languages, contains “extended consumer advice,” about the game and content, as well as external game review content from Eurogamer. You can even search for ratings by genre, and platform. Nifty.

PEGI communications manager Dirk Bosmans has explained the body’s decision to hand Ubisoft’s WeDare title a 12-rating despite the innuendo-filled adverts released for the game.

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It’s been reported that the full implementation of PEGI as the sole age ratings body in the UK has been delayed until fall at the latest.

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The Video Standards Council has confirmed the proposed changes to the age ratings system for games in the UK will not be applied until April 1, 2011.

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Ex-Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith has told The Times that videogames are destroying the innocence of UK children because “nobody pays attention to age ratings”.

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It looks as through three men will be the sole power behind rating games with the new PEGI system in the UK, reports The Times.

Mike Rawlinson, the director-general of ELSPA, says that the three men in the Video Standards Council are “very skilled in their work” and despite BBFC advocates saying otherwise, the PEGI system has been “strengthened and its standards match those of the film censor.”

Meanwhile, another interesting tidbit popped up in the article.

Apparently, the BBFC discovered a recipe for crystal meth when Grand Theft Auto IV was being reviewed for a rating.

After having a chat with Rockstar, who assured the ratings board the recipe was not accurate, it was allowed to remain in the game.

Wow.

Via Kotaku.

PEGI ratings and the new labels are expected to be enforced before Christmas rolls around in the UK.

ELSPA chairman Andy Payne has said that the Video Standards Council will legally be able to start classifying games after the UK Government returns from recess, which runs from July – October 12.

“There’s a whole load of things that will need to happen and they are all geared around the political process,” Payne told GI.biz. “In terms of this actually becoming law, it’s got to get through Parliament and that will happen but that will take time.

“Parliament is going into recess and this won’t even get looked at before then. In terms of making it absolutely law, and that’s the VSC taking over the legislative duties the BBFC has, that won’t happen until the autumn at the earliest, and there’s a whole load of things that have got to happen before that.

“In this political climate I would expect this to be going through due legal process before Christmas and I fully expect the new symbols on boxes for the big major products that are coming out in the fourth quarter.”

The full interview is through the link.

The question on everyone’s lips. When will the new UK PEGI symbols turn up on British games? Try to calm yourself down: it hasn’t been decided yet.

The Video Standards Council just told GI it hasn’t even started talking to government yet as to when we’ll see the guidelines appear at retail.

“We are going to start discussions as soon as possible with the government. It’s a partnership approach, we’re not waiting for them to act, but we do have a lot to discuss,” said VSC boss Peter Darby.

“We’re waiting for government legislation and we want to implement these changes as soon as possible to go forward with a final plan.”

We’ve been told this morning that some developers are already adding the symbols to packs for year-end release, while at least one platform holder is completely in the dark as to when we’ll see the new symbols in stores.

PEGI’s posted a first look at its new games ratings symbols for the UK, after being named the sole board for British classification in the Digital Britain report yesterday.

The ratings range from 3-18, and are from green through yellow to red.

They’ll appear on the front and back of games packaging.

It’s still unclear when all this is going to be implemented.

British Board of Film Classification director David Cooke says that the regulating body could do a better job than PEGI.

His comment stems from the announcement that PEGI is now the sole games ratings board for UK.

“The BBFC has always supported PEGI and wished it well, but it continues to believe that it satisfies these requirements better than PEGI,” said Cooke.

“However, it will cooperate fully in the detailed work needed to give effect to the government’s decision. And it must be independent in substance as well as appearance, reaching its decisions and providing information on the basis of its own detailed assessments.”

More through the links.

Via MCV.

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.

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The release of today’s Digital Britain report will reveal how games are to be rated in the UK.

The tussle between the BBFC and PEGI is expected to be fully resolved this afternoon. Watch from 3.30pm onwards.

If UK games ratings float your boat, obviously.

Thanks, deftangel.

The European Parliament’s Internal Market Committee said this morning that parents need a “red button” to shut down online gamesthey feel are inappropriate for their children.

“Parents should have a ‘red button’ to disable a game they feel is inappropriate for their child,” said the body in a report.

“Until PEGI on-line is up and running, the report proposes fitting consoles, computers or other game devices with a ‘red button’ to give parents the chance to disable a game or control access at certain times.”

GamePolitics noted that the EP did acknowledge that games can be great sources of recreation for children as well as a learning tool, but want parents to have more control over what their kids are playing, including the ability to terminate it.

The EP also supports the PEGI rating system, and said further that, “Different approaches to strengthening control of video games should be explored,” but that it does not propose specific EU legislation.

Many kids out there probably wish their parents had a “red button” as well.

More through the link.

The European Parliament is about to make an announcement on guidelines concerning children and “harmful” games.

From its site:

Video game safety: The Internal Market Committee will set out a series of recommendations to improve the protection of children from potentially harmful video games on Wednesday.

The institution gave its support to PEGI in January.

Thanks, GamePolitics.

Tonie Manders, a politician who sits on the European Parliament’s Committee, has recommended to The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), that Europe should universally adopt PEGI’s rating system.

Mander’s draft report on videogames acknowledges that games and can also be used “well for valuable educational purposes.”

He also believes the PEGI system “provides an elegant solution to the questions raised by the evolving global games industry.”

“Toine Manders has taken a very close look at the needs of a rating system for games that works well across the EU and concluded that PEGI is the right way forward both on- and off-line,” said Michael Rawlinson of ELSPA.

“It is a ringing endorsement of the rating system that we in the UK were instrumental in helping to set up several years ago.

“The protection of children is of paramount important to this industry and we are delighted that a body as significant at the EU’s Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs committee fully comprehends the merits of PEGI.”

In July last year, the BBFC said that PEGI rating were performed by a “couple of blokes” in a bitter war words about whose ratings system was best. (seriously)

Later than month, Ubisoft, Sega and Nintendo all backed PEGI.

By Mike Bowden

According to this GI story, PEGI’s traffic light symbols are to go live in Europe this spring.

The ratings body will tweak it’s original design after the BBFC said it would take legal advise over the fact it all looked a bit “similar” to its own symbols.

“PEGI has agreed those changes and they will be implemented as part of the PEGI system in the new year, probably in the spring by the time the information has been transmitted to all publishers and incorporated as part of the approvals process for the format holders,” said ELSPA MS Michael Rawlinson.

Ratings: amazing. More through the link.

ELSPA boss Paul Jackson has told the Labour Party that the BBFC is not fit for purpose as a ratings system for UK games.

Jackson was speaking at a Labour Party Conference fringe event, where he once again claimed that a PEGI-only solution for the UK was the right choice.

“A linear ratings system like the one the BBFC uses is designed for films with a beginning, middle and end where the outcome is always the same,” said Jackson.

“It just can’t cope with the infinite variety and complexity of modern videogames, and the interaction between players.”

More on GI.