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UK gamers will now have their games governed by the PEGI ratings system currently used by countries throughout Europe. The PEGI ratings system uses age prompts for its guidance suggestions. In fact, rather than simply being a suggestion these age prompts will be strictly enforced age requirements.
Press Release: 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.” |
