Report: UK gov't to act on game ratings

British newspaper The Guardian claims that ministers are set to introduce a legally backed rating system.

Video games have not had an easy ride in the mainstream press of late, and this weekend was no exception. As the legal battle over the release--or not--of Manhunt 2 in the UK continues, The Guardian newspaper on Saturday claimed that the government is planning to introduce a "legally enforceable cinema-style classification system" for video games.

The UK currently has two ratings systems: the PEGI rating, which is a purely advisory Europe-wide classification system, and those from the British Board of Film Classification, which are legally binding on retailers. The BBFC is an independent body, and currently gives ratings to only a small minority of games released in the UK.

The Guardian reports that the problems of policing the current system, including the ease of buying games--whatever their age rating--over the Internet, may lead to a new British Standards Institution specification relating to filtering products to "protect children and other users from illegal or unsuitable content."

Sue Clark of the BBFC told GameSpot that the organisation was "surprised" at the timing of the report in The Guardian, particularly considering that the Byron Review-- a government-commissioned study that is looking at both video games and the Internet--is not being released until March. Clark said, "The BBFC system is in place already, and we know through recent research that parents understand our ratings system, because it is common across games, films, and DVDs, whereas they are often confused by thinking of PEGI ratings, which are not legally enforceable, as difficulty ratings."

Clark said that the organisation rated 258 games in 2007, of which 59 were given an 18+ rating and 92 deemed suitable for those aged 15 and over. The remaining 157 were given U, PG, or 12 ratings; although none of these games are required by the Video Recordings Act to be rated by the BBFC, publishers had voluntarily chosen to have the rating applied.

GameSpot contacted UK games publisher body ELSPA for a statement, but one was not available at the time of publishing.

100 Comments

  • LikwidX3

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 10:03 pm PT

    i wasnt callin you a idiot btw.

  • LikwidX3

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 10:00 pm PT

    "c_______ggfffff

    Omg. Will this ever end? I heard this game isn't that good anyways!"

    u think it wouldve sucked if it wasnt watered down for idiots? well probably not ur kind of game anyway. manhunt is good, but watered down.. pshhh.. i cant imagine what GTA would be like if it suffered the same fate.

  • Poshkidney

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 8:03 am PT

    censorship so there are things in games they don't want us to know or meybe GB is sore over his son aged 4 beats him on wii sports.

  • Olly464

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 1:37 am PT

    I don't get it how some RTSs are a 16+ PEGI rating?? the content is fine, so is it the difficulty they are rating?

  • aramitz

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 12:07 pm PT

    I believe that age restrictions on product with adult content is a correct and social necessity. However the emphasis should be on the parents to enforce this on their children and not the manufacturers/retailers. As a result, they can fiddle with the BBFC and ELSPA ratings all they want as it doesn't solve anything.

    For example, if some juvenile decides to butcher his class-mates after playing manhunt 2, maybe the parent should be blamed for not paying enough attention to their childs mental well-being. That is rather than taking the easy option and laying the blame on the actual game itself or the retailer who sold the product.

  • c_______ggfffff

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 11:27 am PT

    Omg. Will this ever end? I heard this game isn't that good anyways!

  • kingchris28

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 10:08 am PT

    One word. Amazon.co.uk (well sort of 3 words but no spaces). Also if PEGI is advisary - why is it so hard to buy things with advisory lables on them... it actually requires showing photo ID in some places
    P.S Hvac0120 yes games should not be banned - unless they're like banned movies where the sick stuff is just pure gross. Otherwise - no banning

  • TAEnemy

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 9:30 am PT

    There will be a time in the future when we wax nostalgic about an era when games were more than government-sanctioned, state-ruled mediocre garbage.

    If the government keeps this up then parents won't even be ALLOWED to raise their kids. They will just have to ship them right to some super-protective federal protection bubble that prevents them from seeing anything morally questionable, robs them of all critical thinking and a sense of self, and turns out brainless slaves.

    Well... maybe a few more steps are in order, but you know what I'm getting at. Parents are so lazy that they will give up anything just in order to have someone else to blame if their kids act up.

  • Hvac0120

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 8:32 am PT

    No game should ever be banned. Ratings and proper retail guidelines should be able to prevent under-age people from becoming under-age "victims" to uncensored materials - whether those materials are in a game or movie, or book, or any other form of media.

    If a person is of age and is considered an adult capable of living on their own making their own decisions, then that person should have the right to purchase whatever media content that they desire.

    Yes, there has to be regulation to prevent under-age buyers. Yes, parents need to be aware of this and they need to monitor their child's games as much as possible. No - the government should not ban any game for any content - unless it is being used to as a way to recruit terrorists or something like that. - Of course that's funny because the U.S. Army has games that encourage kids to join that group. I can see why that is permitted, though.

  • Irve

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 6:20 am PT

    Yes .. well done Stabby .. let us not forget that the French played a major part in securing victory in the war for independance. I agree, we need to get parents understanding that Games have age ratings for a reason so that only adults should play some of them .. sex and violence shouldn't be excluded from video games in the same way that it shouldn't be excluded from cinema. The more people get the message of age appropriate content the less chance there is of games becoming media scapegoats. I say let the BBFC rate every game .. from a U to an R18 ( although obviously that would still be sold in ..ahem .. specialist shops )

  • Stabby

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 5:45 am PT

    While I think alot of the time the UK government is getting somewhat 1984-ish, I'm suprised by the amount of people commenting on banning... it doesn't say banning in that article!

    Same rating system as films, do they ban all the films? No. And the Byron Review isn't anti-game, many in the industry liked it... the news would just like you to think otherwise.

    And of course I don't care much being over 18 years of age.

    Thats the problem, media and government spin. I bet Byron is upset on this, no where does it condon a "crackdown" so I can see there being a controversy over this. And I doubt they can get away with a second game ban considering the last one isn't final and was the first one in 10 years... people would be on to them rather quickly.

    But despite all this, the spin is actually for lazy parents who can't be bothered to raise their children so instead they would rather blame their mistakes on other things and drugged them to the eyeballs and then HEY PRESTO! The Forth Reich has its little sheep!

    And FAcorp, don't I recall other European countries helping the revolution?

  • diablobasher

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 4:35 am PT

    This is absolute bull. The moment i hit 18 everything went up to 21 (a lot of places enforce the 21 age rating despite the fact the initiative is entitled "Do you LOOK 21?")

    Age ratings ARE law enforced where they need to be, the advisory ones are their for other games. If parents think they are difficulty ratings, who's fault is that? They should go back to school and learn to read...

    Seriously, we already have tightly enforced laws, so how about you start arresting parents who give their children these games instead of making it harder for totally sane and legit customers to get hold of a perfectly acceptable adult product.

  • Meskamo

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 4:01 am PT

    i'm above 18 so i cudn't give a rats arse

  • Vorador47

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 3:11 am PT

    well this is no big deal real, basicly atm only a few games get given a BBFC legal rating, and they want all of them to have it, thats all.

    games like Rainbow Six Vegas, Tenchu Z. and a whole host of others have Mature Ratings in the US. but in the UK, have no rating at all. well Rainbow has a Pegi 16+. but again thats not legal so a 5 year old can still buy it.

  • Azwhtknight

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 1:31 am PT

    I agree that there should be a more consumer friendly rating system like what they use to rate movies, but this sounds more like a way for the government to enforce their opinions without considering the effects on the general public. If things stay true to form in today's world, they will fill the advisory board with people who have no concept about the gaming industry or the gaming public in general. No matter what happens, ratings or otherwise, the biggest thing that can prevent kids from getting their hands on these controversial games is by simply being a responsible parent! That is all it comes down to.

  • gandalf_storm

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 1:12 am PT

    still not going to stop parents buying gta 4 or other 18s for their 5 years olds, said this many times before.

    Parents want an easy life / dont have a clue / just dont care - delete as appropriate imo.

  • kavadias1981

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 12:13 am PT

    I wouldn't take anything, that the Guardian has to say, too seriously. They are notorious bullsh***rs.

  • PumpkinBoogie

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 9:36 pm PT

    Damn....that truly sucks. I mean I've reading stuff here and there over the net about the BS you all in Europe/UK have to go through--geez, it doesn't seem like you gamers over there can catch any breaks. I mean our political system is no better in the US, but at least we have some politicians in our Senate that do disagree with the government passing too many insane gaming laws from being made (other than the regular rating system)--so it's a bit of a checks and balances thing.

    But man, your government must be ruled by nothing but lame oldies--is there anyone in your government that actually fights for the rights of the gamers?

  • lived_basic

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 9:26 pm PT

    Any experience can be considered training as you brain learns from what you do. More so when you're still developing your brain, there have been a few studies on brain development (sited at end) that point to the fact that brain development isn't complete until late in adolescence. Having said that it's apparent that some kind of guideline or restrictions be placed on what children have access too. When parents are too busy working to provide for their family or are susceptible to the manipulations of their children it helps when the government steps in to regulate the retailers. Any and all spreading of information to retailers and parents on ratings and suggested enforcement can only help those looking to make an informed purchase... or denial of purchase.

    http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/teenage-brain-a-work-in-progress.shtml
    http://help4teachers.com/prefrontalcortex.htm
    http://www.sfn.org/index.cfm?pagename=brainBriefings_Adolescent_brain

  • businessfox

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 9:24 pm PT

    WOW! that sucks big time for me since I am planning on going to live in the U.K just because my girl friend is a British citizen to be with her. Oh man I know I should of told her to go and live in the U.S or tokyo to be a pro gamer. The europeans always love complicating things for other people around the world, and knowing them when they are in progress of making their new rating system alot of other countries would want to know about it as well. And that's where all the problems starts... I just hope they over look the matter with the rating system and becareful of the non sense they say about the gaming industry. I for one had enough of this rubbish to see gaming critics come and take away good quality entertainment due to the fact that it wasn't to their standards.

  • K-Grogg

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 8:48 pm PT

    Why not just put what's in the game and leave out the Age? Can't parents or their kids decide for themselves how old they want to be when they can openly tear off someone's head in a video game? Screw the ratings, I lvie in Canada anyway.

  • FAcorp

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 8:41 pm PT

    Another idiotic idea from Europe, was that the reason way we started the Revolutionary war?

  • mariomusicmaker

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 7:37 pm PT

    i feel so bad for europens,.... sorry

  • Zikar

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 7:17 pm PT

    I feel safer having games rated by the BBFC than some sort of government controlled rating system. While I don't agree with their handling of Manhunt 2, the BBFC has in general been good for us gamers.
    I dread to think what a government rating system would be like... I can just see the like of Grand Theft Auto being banned out right and many other games being forced to remove blood...

  • redskinStu

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 7:00 pm PT

    Good old censorship, you can always rely on it.
    Is there reliable data showing that a problem even EXISTS?

  • Shantrix

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 6:24 pm PT

    All europe people, I know a bit how things are in your continent, I know U are all getting crappy release dates, I know you still odn't have a release date for brawl and now this??? This is completely idiotic, why things are so unfair there, I love videogames and I can't start comprehending how people there must feel about this, but I support the cause and Im completely oppossing this, have faith, things have to get better someday.

  • haesuse

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 6:20 pm PT

    i've been on a North American panel for gaming type discussions for a while and just because i've covered similar and this topic many times i got nothing really to point out that all of you havent done so far.
    But one thing that most of you guys that protect the rights of gaming as an art, just like myself, have no clue that VAST majority of the panel members are conservative parents, semi-lobyists, and other insignificants of our rulling bodies. This furthermore, gives the vote to a bunch of older folk that dont understand gaming and we run into these problems in wester world.

  • Shantrix

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 6:14 pm PT

    I believe this is a reaction of the UK goverment because they don't know what else to do to stop kids from playing violent games, but I got a question, is there something in a violent game we don't see in life everyday???, itsn't war like in call of duty 4 something we see everyday??, so... are they gonna sensor tv news too?, or just ban games and feel like they did the great thing.

  • HymnsomniaK

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 4:55 pm PT

    Let them pretend they actually care enough about normal people like you and me. Let them pretend that by rating/censoring/banning games and movies (from which crime and dis functional people obviously come from) they make this world a better place. Let them pretend that poverty and unemployment aren't real issues. Let them pretend they are making themselves useful in our eyes. After all there are no such things as corrupt politicians and unscrupulous bosses crushing normal working people beneath their feet. There's no such thing as injustice. They have no credibility whatsoever in my eyes because I believe they prefer to ban Resident Evil 5 on the grounds of racism than to shut down a company that has racist practices.

  • console-deity

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 4:08 pm PT

    I've yet to see any evidence that games (or movies for that matter) make people grow up to be violent or dis functional in anyway. These problems start in the home, with parents either not being there or just not putting any effort into their job. My nephew's older brother who was twelve when his grandmother (who was his legal guardian at the time) bought the kid GTA San Andras because the woman wasn't only a moron but lazy. The child's own mother knew it wasn't appropriate but due to legal crap wasn't looking after any of her kids and so couldn't really stop it. Parents should realize the vast majority of games aren't suitable for kids, the only ones you can be sure are for kids are the ones based off of Shriek, Aladdin, Brother Bear, etc.... BTW it doesn't take a genius to figure out if there's a soldier holding a gun on the cover it's not for Little Johnny.

  • Nxss-effa-sim

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 3:58 pm PT

    Adult ignorance is annoying.

  • razim14

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 3:38 pm PT

    Games don't kill people, people kill people.

  • Inuosha

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 3:15 pm PT

    What i don't like is parents blaming school shootings, drug use, or underage sex on the ESRB or the game designer. Their Just doing their jobs and it's your own fault for not paying attention to the ratings.

  • x-2tha-z

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 2:58 pm PT

    I think taking the responsibility for rating games away from the BBFC might be a good thing. The whole Manhunt 2 saga has showed them to be nothing more than pushy authoritarians who want to tell grown adults what is suitable material for them to view.

    These rating boards shouldn't be allowed to decide if a game should be banned or not. If a game is extremely violent they should give it the highest rating they can and inform the public how violent it is.

    IMO the ONLY way a game should be banned is if it contains sexual abuse and rape of adults and minors. There is no level of violence too strong IMO. When Hostel first released I heard stories of people watching it and having to turn it off because they felt physically sick. Even the most powerful pc and talented game developer doesn't have the ability to show violence as graphically as that. Even if it did it still wouldn't have the same effect because you'd still know you're watching a computer generated character, not a real person. The games industry (especially R*) are being treated unfairly by the BBFC.

  • grayoldwolf

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 2:47 pm PT

    CloudyWolf: Why are we Brits stupid? Most games publishers voluntarily have a rating applied anyway. Why not make it a legal requirement? That way when the next Columbine happens nobody can blame children playing video games. The only people at fault would be the parents of those children for illegally letting them have a game that was not suitable for them. This is good for the gaming industry.

  • HellaStoned

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 2:30 pm PT

    I say let everyone be free and enjoy these *games* no matter the age. I'm fundamentally opposed to these "protect us from ourselves" type laws. I don't want to sound cheesy, but I stand for freedom.

    People shouldn't be losing their liberties because some parents are lazy. It just ain't right.

  • okassar

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 2:24 pm PT

    Lolz,this makes ESRB look good,although ESRB is still to strict. I don't like international game rating systems.I could almost say the same for all rating systems...

  • mitu123

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 2:20 pm PT

    console-deity, I agree with you 100%.

  • console-deity

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 1:52 pm PT

    I say kill all the rating systems (they're overly strict) and make parents responsible for actually looking after their kids. I have screened games for years for my nephew and I don't base their appropriateness on the rating but what's actually in the game. BTW I don't think games have ever really been for kids because they don't have the motor skills, cognitive skills, or life experience to play anything other then kid movie knock offs. Non-gamers have to accept games aren't really a kid's toy but a powerful medium that is most appreciated by adults not kids.

  • Infinite_Access

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 1:43 pm PT

    the people who are saying things about responsiblity of parents is lacking is totally wrong.....these people are probably in there 20's and never had to deal with the age rating system....I mean it is total BS. I'm turning 17 in two days....man, if only gamespot was open till about 1 in the morning! I would go there at about 11:45 act as childish as I could, then as soon as 12:00 hit... I would casually walk... grab a rated M, and in the most snoby way demand to buy it....and there be nothing they could do about it....because since I'm 17, I'm magically mature enough to buy a game....way more mature than two minutes before when I was 16 right!! Bull!! The rating system is useless...how many 16 17 18 year olds act different?? Not much of a mature difference there...

  • Beaglesniffer

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 1:30 pm PT

    a parent buying an 18 game for a 10 year old or younger is irresposbile from the parent i mean i would say its up to the parents buying a 15 year old an 18 game or something but around age of ten is a bit low for an 18

    but anywho im 18 this december only 10 months an a bit left, no more worrying about age ratings be so good!

    this will be the final GTA someone else has to pick up for me

  • JackfnBurton

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 1:28 pm PT

    I appreciate the intentions behind this but let's be honest. There's been a cinematic ratings system in the US and UK for many years, and 'underage' kids STILL sneak into rated R films. But when someone's mother finds out their kid sneaked into Hannibal IV: Feast of Fury without her permission, does she sue the studio or does she send little tommy to bed without supper? Come to think of it, the way most parents I know fail to discipline their kids Tommy would send MOTHER to bed without supper. But my point is that by the same token, why is it we blame video game publishers when a child buys restricted content against the wishes of their parents, assuming their parents even KNOW what that Playstation 3 they bought little Tommy is used for?

    I will tell you why, because many people simply can't get out of their heads the notion that video games are for children and any video game that is NOT intended for children muse be meant to corrupt them. That's foolish, and more emphasis should be placed on encouraging parents to be more attentive. So - the first child that walks into a store in Britain and buys Manhunter 6 or GTA 10 - we're not going to blame the parent or the child or the retailer but the publisher, simply because it EXISTS? That's lazy and irresponsible not just of parents in general but of society at large. I saw Robocop twice in one day when I was 13, and didn't pay the second time. If only someone had thought to sue the pants off Orion Pictures and Paul Verhoeven I might not be the video game playing degenerate I am today. Oh well. The United Kingdom apparently will do what my parents failed to do, and drive every company out of business that doesn't take away the pesky responsibility for raising obedient children from parents everywhere. If you'll excuse me, I suddenly have an overwhelming urge to go watch V For Vendetta.

  • Col-Neil

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 1:28 pm PT

    FFS Theres nothing wrong with the age rating system the problem is the lack of any kind of responsibility on the part of parents today any one one can tell the difference between a 15 and an 18 game they just don't want to take any responsibility for giving games to there kids they shouldn't

  • deadcow1977

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 1:26 pm PT

    I think it's about time that video games were classified to BBFC standards. However, that should be the end of it. Once classified the same as movies, they should be treated the same, with the responsibilty for who views them resting solely on the shoulders of parents. All you're going to do by banning games outright is increase piracy (which I do not condone, by the way). I'm getting fed up with picking up the slack of laxidazical parents. Police you're own damn kids.

  • Hindle_1

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 1:21 pm PT

    (sigh) I hate living in England. I thought videogames would avoid the gov'ts pedantic law changing. I was wrong.

  • mach-stem

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 1:20 pm PT

    UK = the epidimy of the concept of Big Brother

  • jsmoke03

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 12:57 pm PT

    i feel sorry for the european/uk gamers. don't know what this means for you guys....

  • therapyhiccup

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 12:54 pm PT

    it all comes down to the parents. my cousin was gonna let his ELEVENyear old play a GTA game....vice city i think. he's 37 and i'm 23.... so i told him off....cuz we all know what GTA has. and i cant wait for the next one!

  • tyzwain

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 12:50 pm PT

    The UK has a consitution, an uncodified constitution. Its more flexible. Anyway I think its kinda true, anyone could use their mummys credit card and buy it online. Anyway it looks likes its guna go on for some time.

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