Tag Archives: pegi

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.

An Assassins Creed-themed PEGI video hit Danish television this week, of a man dressed as Altair telling parents about violence and the appropriateness of certain games for their children.

This isn’t all the Danes have done to bring parents up to speed, however. A website entitled Mediarådet (Media Advice) has been set up with a special section relating to video games. There’s stuff in there for kids to discuss with their class at school and lots of help and information for adults about how to recognise what games are suitable for their children.

There’s even an article that looks philosophically at the question of whether games are harmful or not. Surprisingly, it’s one that doesn’t jump to conclusions and recognises that there are differing opinions on the matter, and even links to a research note that outlines the empirical data collected so far.

You can see the PEGI video down below, and hopefully soon we’ll be getting some English equivalents on British television before too long. Although, in fairness, the British Government did give itself until autumn 2008 “to begin raising awareness of videogame ratings to the general public.”

The sooner the better.

By Mike Bowden

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ELSPA put out a press release this morning dripping with quotes from “senior leaders of the UK and European video games industry” that supports PEGI as the sole rater of UK games.

“The Government’s proposed changes will create extra administration and cause delays in getting hit games into the hands of British consumers,” said EA UK boss Keith Ramsdale. “Only PEGI is built to address the fast changing nature of the games industry and is best placed to deliver the needed protection for minors.”

There’s tons more after the break. As you’ll recall, the Byron report recommended a two-tier system of ratings in the UK, with the BBFC handling censor duties for older games.

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Destructoid‘s reporting that BBFC’s David Cooke has said that PEGI ratings are given by “a couple of blokes.”

The quote comes from an interview with The Times newspaper, where Cooke says, “The trouble is that it is not clear who PEGI is. Administration is handled by the Dutch film regulator, who subcontracts to a couple of blokes [the Video Standards Council] in Borehamwood.”

This latest statement in the ratings board wars comes just a week after Cooke asked PEGI to stop slagging off the BBFC.

More mundanity through the Destructoid link.

By Mike Bowden

BBFC boss David Cooke’s responded angrily to recent concerns over the affects of Byron Report proposals that will lend the body responsibility to rate all adult games.

Both EA and Microsoft have hit out at the plans, saying games are likely to become later and more expensive in Britain. Not so, said Cooke.

“The BBFC’s current average turnaround time for games classifications is eight calendar days. In terms of international comparisons, this is notably quick. There is no reason why the increased role for the BBFC envisaged by Dr Byron should lead to delays.”

He added:

“The games industry really does have nothing to fear from a set of proposals which would provide more robust, and fully independent, decisions, and detailed content advice, for the British public, and especially parents. The Byron proposals, far from envisaging the collapse of PEGI, specifically provide for a continuing PEGI presence in UK games classification. They also provide significant opportunities to reduce duplication of effort and costs. And they would make wider use of a system, the BBFC’s, which British parents recognize, trust and have confidence in.”

Press release after the link.

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Speaking at Gamehorizon in Newcastle this morning, Microsoft’s XNA boss, Chris Satchell, has said that user generated content can be responsibly rated by an audience of its creators’ peers – and doesn’t need any intervention from the BBFC or PEGI.

“PEGI and the BBFC simply are not going to be able to rate community content. We have to work out a way to police ourselves to avoid huge regulatory pressure,” he said. “The core of Creators Club Online take it very seriously. If you give the community tools, they act responsibly.”

More on MCV.

A piece of Nielsen research has shown that in the UK, 37 percent of those aged between 16 and 49 describe themselves as “active gamers,” defined as currently playing games on a console, handheld device or PC.

The report found that the same is true for 28 percent of the population in the same age range in Spain and Finland.

Included in the research was a rather dubious fact that 93 percent of those questioned across 15 countries in Europe recognised PEGI symbols.

Press release after the link. Thanks, Maxconsole.

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Speaking to GI, BBFC director David Cooke has moved to assure the games trade that the people now responsible for rating games in the UK are well into them, like. So much so, in fact, that he’s claimed the BBFC’s testers are better gamers than those at European organisation PEGI.

“The point I want to get across about this is I’ve got people in this building, about ten examiners who do games, and these are some of the best gamers I’ve ever come across and these are people who are passionate about games and know a great deal about it,” he said.

“I know the PEGI testers as well, and I think the people here have a greater expertise and knowledge of games.

“The thing that’s getting lost in this argument is that we actually like games and we’re enthusiastic about games and we do buy into the argument that some games are beautiful and aesthetically satisfying. Bioshock and Shadow of the Colossus and so on.”

Well, we’re not convinced, David. We’ll only be happy when you prove the BBFC’s worth in a Halo deathmatch against PEGI. You can pwn them. Send them to school. All that shizzle. Let us know when you’ve set it up, yeah?