Europe Adopts Universal Game Rating System

April 22, 2003, 10:50 pm EDT
Total comments: 1

Europe pulls an ESRB and will start rating all its videogame titles by age and content.

ELSPA ADOPTS NEW PAN-EUROPEAN VIDEOGAME AGE RATING SYSTEM

24th April introduction for universal games classification

Wednesday 23rd April 2003/... ELSPA, the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association, today announced its wholesale endorsement of the new Pan European Game Information system ('PEGI') for new interactive entertainment titles released from April 2003.

The system, which recognises the need for a uniformed age ratings across Europe, has been designed to rate the age suitability and content of computer and video games so that consumers - particularly parents - can make informed buying decisions at point of purchase.

The PEGI system supersedes ELSPA's own voluntary age ratings system - which has been running successfully in the UK since 1994 - and will harmonise packaging throughout Europe. The PEGI system is being introduced simultaneously throughout 16 European countries.

"ELSPA identified the need for a clear ratings system for the UK nine years ago and it's great now to see a consistent system for the whole of Europe," said Roger Bennett, director general, ELSPA. "We are delighted to support the PEGI Initiative and look forward to enforcing it as rigorously as we have done our own ratings system."

The PEGI system is being introduced on 24th April by the Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE), a body to which all major format holders, publishers and developers belong. The system has two parts; an age rating and an indication of game content. The system reflects the industry's concern to provide simple and clear guidance to adult purchasers of games.

The system remains voluntary and will run in tandem with the UK's existing BBFC-rating, which legally prohibits retailers from selling 18- or 15-rated titles to minors. Video games featuring mature content in graphic form must be submitted to the BBFC prior to release.

Talkback

nichromeApril 22, 2003

"Europe pulls an ESRB and will start rating all its videogame titles by age and content."

Oh come on. Game titles have been rated by age and content in Europe for a long time -- what this bit of news is about is that the ratings systems across certain European countries is going to be unified. However, this PEGI rating system will not replace existing ratings systems.

For example, in Finland, the ratings authority is the Board of Film Classification, which inspect games and rates them on a scale ranging from "Ages 3 and up" to "Adults only". The UK equivalent is the ELSPA. Both the Finnish BFC and the British ELSPA as well as the other European equivalents will continue to inspect and rate game titles, but from this year on, their ratings will be accompanied by a pan-European rating for each game.

Note, however, that each European country will continue to have their own age categories. Many European countries use the age categories 3, 7, 12, 16 and 18. Finland and certain others, however, use 3, 7, 11, 15 and 18. This pan-European rating system won't change that.

Another thing you should note is that Europe consists of over 40 countries, and at this point 16 of them are adopting the PEGI rating system.

Please, don't take press releases at face value -- and please, don't always assume Europe is always imitating the US (in this case, the ESRB).

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