Video Game Regulation and Ratings Systems

PEGI is acronym for 'Pan European Game Information', and is the gaming rating system in place within Europe. It decides whether the content of a game, is suitable for certain age groups, and rates it accordingly. Before PEGI, there were many different age rating systems, and from April 2003, PEGI replaced those with a single system for the whole of Europe.  The BBFC played a joint role in the rating of games previously. There are five age categories that PEGI places on games; 3, 7, 12, 16 and 18.

The ratings on the games are decided by the amount of the content above. For example, a game that is rated 18, will contain all of the above, where as a game rated 3 will only contain mild violence. From June 2009, PEGI introduced the coloured rating system, after the 'dual classification system and two sets of symbols often made things confusing for the consumer'.

From the 30th of July 2012, the PEGI rating system became legally enforceable in the UK, meaning that retailers that sell video games to children who are under the age rating can now be prosecuted or fined. This is due to the governments plan to 'crack down on violent and unsuitable content'. Before this, it was not illegal to sell games to people who are under the '12' age limit, and apparently, according to 'culture minister', Ed Vaizey, "Today's simplification of the ratings system benefits both industry and consumers and will help ensure that the millions of games sold in the UK each year are being played by the audiences they were intended for." Previously, it was illegal to sell games to children under the 16 and 18 categories, but the new law means that now, it is illegal to sell games with a 12 rating to children under 12. Obviously, this could be potentially dangerous for retailers, as they have to be very careful about who they sell their games to, and this could have an effect on their profit, as now they can not sell the games to the children. Retailers could be fined up to £5,000 if they are caught selling games to children under the age of the games rating.

As well as this becoming a legality, the new system means that the BBFC will no longer play a role in the rating of games as they did before this new law came into place. All video games will now be rated under the PEGI system by the 'Video Standards Council', apart from if the game may require an 'R18' rating, when the BBFC would be called to classify it.

Also, this new law might alter the way publishers and developers wish to make their games - will they have to reduce their games violent/ sexual/ gambling/ drug content in order to be able to sell more and make a larger profit? Even though it will be illegal to sell the games to the children themselves, there is still nothing stopping their parents going out and buying it for them... This system merely helps parents to decide whether or not to let their children play these games.