“Because of the volume of content available digitally, it’s particularly important to ensure that ratings can be generated very rapidly and at large scale across the world.”
and every family is different. Ultimately the system is there, especially in an online environment, to give parents, carers, and others all the information they need to make fully informed decisions, based on their knowledge of their own children. The purpose of PEGI isn’t to prevent parental or
carer decision making; it’s to strengthen it. That’s why we focus on delivering consistent, robust, and effective information to ensure that parents and carers can make informed choices in line with what they’re comfortable with.
A PEGI 16 rating for Rule of Rose (top) reportedly led to the game’s European release being cancelled. Fun family favourite Castle Crashers (above) was similary rated but did its popularity no harm. Curiously, Mass Effect (right) was given a PEGI rating of 18 when the BBFC had rated it 12.
PEGI is a European system. Why haven’t we thrown it on the regulatory bonfire and created a good old British system instead? As our research has demonstrated, the PEGI system is already well established, widely recognised, and a trusted source of information for parents and carers in the UK and beyond. While the system was designed to be pan-
European, as its name suggests, it was actually created as a self-regulatory framework outside of EU law with around 40 countries, including both countries within the EU and countries outside the EU, adopting it. In the UK, PEGI became the legal standard in 2010
after long consideration of whether it, or the BBFC rating system, should be chosen as the national age rating system. Our participation in PEGI, and our presence in the UK, also means that our national standards are taken into account from PEGI. A single rating system across Europe makes sense for
the industry, making their processes more efficient. We feel that we benefit from working closely with colleagues from Europe, just as we benefit from working closely with colleagues from the rest of the world through our involvement in IARC.
Given that games that encourage or teach gambling should be rated 18 and some would argue that the likes of FIFA (as was) do exactly that, is the system fit for purpose? The PEGI criteria state that games which glamorise or teach gambling will be rated 18. The types of games we’re thinking about here are games which feature, for example, virtual casinos or elements which specifically teach players
40 | MCV/DEVELOP October/November 2023 Third and finally, we need to make sure that the
system evolves to meet the concerns of parents and carers today. For example, we think that concerns around the portrayal of discrimination in games is becoming more of a concern for parents and carers and we need to consider how PEGI reflects that effectively. But overall, we’re optimistic for the future. Age ratings
have become a recognised and trusted part of the overall games ecosystem and we believe that their effectiveness in communicating information ensures they will stay an important part of it.
how to play the odds in sports, such as horse racing. Guidance around in-game purchases and mechanics
is provided separately through content indicators, with developers responsible for complying with other relevant regulatory and self-regulatory commitments. However, we understand that parents and carers want
information about in-game features, such as spending. The PEGI system achieves this by showing the presence of in-game purchases and/or paid random items via a descriptor icon. When it comes to concerns about various in-
game features, such as managing time spent playing, communications with other players, and in-game spending, we offer information on our website and on the PEGI app about how parents can manage those non-content related aspects of gaming. We also support industry efforts to promote the use of parental controls.
What are the challenges the Games Ratings Authority faces over the coming years? The main, and ongoing, challenge is to ensure that the PEGI system remains widely recognised and trusted by future generations. In practice, this means we have to stay on top of a few key areas. First, we need to continue to make sure PEGI remains
prominent in the digital arena to ensure it keeps up with how consumers obtain and experience games, now and in the future. Second, we need to make sure it retains a close focus
on rating the content of video games first and foremost, to ensure that it can remain an effective tool for parental decision making - rather than bluntly applying age barriers to content.
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