As of today the BBFC games ratings system has gone and has been totally replaced by the new PEGI alternative which has now become legally enforceable in the UK, meaning that games published across Britain must be designated a 3, 7, 12, 16 or 18 age rating. Any games outlet that is found to have sold games with these age rating to people under them will be prosecuted.
CVG has an interview with UKIE chief executive Jo Twist to examine the purpose and practicalities of the PEGI law.
CVG: Under the new PEGI guidelines, retailers that sell adult-rated games to customers under the age of twelve can be prosecuted. Do you feel this is right?
TWIST: I think this brings games in line with film and other such sophisticated forms of media. So I think it is right that we have this 12, 16 and 18 rating system and that it is enforceable.
But this is a collective responsibility between the industry, parents and retailers to ensure that children are enjoying the right games that are appropriate for their age.
Why has the law been pinned to selling games to anyone under the age of twelve?
Twelve is the age in a person reaches a point in their development and are entering into teenagehood. Again, if you look at the film industry the ratings are 12 and 12A.
If an 18 rated game is sold to a seventeen year-old, that is still a criminal offence.
Yes and it was before PEGI became the single ratings system came into effect.
So is it still an offence to sell a seventeen year-old an 18 rated game?
The BBFC ratings were legally enforceable, and yes the PEGI ratings are too so it is illegal to sell a game to anyone underage.
Do you want tougher regulations on parents providing adult-rated games to children under age?
It's very difficult to regulate parents. We're fans of self-regulation which means that parents need to engage more with their children about games and especially when buying games for them. We have relaunched the AskAboutGames website, which aims to give people lots of information about how parents can get more engaged. Playing games with your kids is the best way to engage with them.
About a quarter of parents say they haven't played games with their children, which they should. As you know it's one of the most fulfilling forms of entertainment.
You say it's difficult to regulate parents but there are many laws which do so. So why wouldn't do you oppose stricter laws on parents who provide children with adult-rated games?
Well it's more a case that parents need to understand. The majority of parents wouldn't give their children a pornographic film, so they understand the boundaries in that instance. The issue is if parents haven't taken the time to understand what type of content appears in some games.
Is there any data on what proportion of 18-rated games are played by children who are under-age?
I haven't seen that data, no.
Is this something UKIE wants to research?
I think we'd rather focus on the whole landscape of games. 18-rated games are a small part of all games released in the year. Part of our current campaign is to help parents understand that there are lots of options for them. There are lots of games that families can enjoy together.
An Activision advert was recently banned because it featured what was deemed violent content before the 9pm watershed. Do you feel the industry itself needs to be better regulated when it comes to advertising 18-rated games?
That's not a games industry issue, that's an advertising issue. The games industry has been leading the field and is taking its responsibility, doing things such as adding parental controls to games devices. We've been leading the field in this.
Do you think publishers advertise adult-rated games to underage children?
It's difficult for me to comment on this. What I will say is that publishers that make adult-rated games obviously want their games to be consumed by the appropriate audience.
How does PEGI work for digital games and iOS?
PEGI is looking to expand into all different platforms, and it is looking to do that now. iOS is an interesting area because it has it's own approval process. We're working towards PEGI being adopted by all platform holders eventually as a single ratings system.
