PEGI age rating takes over from BBFC
GeneralPosted on Monday, July 30th, 2012 at 9:05 PM by Guest
For the uninitiated, the UK has used the BBFC rating system for grading games according to their age categories. It used the same categorisation as the film system, but we have seen games slowly introduce the PEGI rating system alongside the BBFC ratings, and today the PEGI (Pan European Game Information) system takes over fully in the UK. This adds to the ESRB standards that are also including in game classifications worldwide.
So what difference will this mean to consumers? In reality, very little. The categories for the BBFC are as follows:
- U
- PG
- 12
- 15
- 18
And the categories for the PEGI rating system are:
- 3
- 7
- 12
- 16
- 18
The main addition for the PEGI system is that it also includes information about what the game includes (violence, sex, fear, etc.) which could be useful information when parents buy games for children. Essentially though, there is very little difference in the ratings, although now businesses will be facing a £5000 fine if caught selling to an individual who is under the age category for the game involved. Companies such as GAME and celebrities like Jo Whiley are all backing the new rating system.
So what do you think, will the new system stop games like Grand Theft Auto 5 from falling into the hands of minors? Is there anything else we can do to protect younger gamers, or will they always find a way to play the games they want to?
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