Publishers face big fines for lying to PEGI

by Alexander Sliwinski { Jun 25th 2009 at 2:00PM }

The UK-based Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) is trying to show that the PEGI system -- which it supported in the great BBFC ousting of '09 -- is by no means weaker than the BBFC ratings that used to be oversee the region. Speaking with MCV, the group took the opportunity to warn publishers: "Abuse [the] new system and risk your future." Publishers may face fines of €500,000 ($696K) if they lie on the questionnaire, which allows PEGI and the Video Standards Council to determine an appropriate rating for their games.

ELSPA's statement and teeth bearing are to ease concerns that PEGI won't be strong enough for the UK when it's implemented this holiday. ELSPA is essentially using a "see, we told them to play nice" tactic to save face, just in case the rating system it supported has an incident.

Tags: bbfc, britain, elspa, pegi, politics, rating, uk

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Thief @ Jun 25th 2009 2:11PM

One of my old lecturers who worked as a producer for ... one of the bigger game company lied about the content on one of their games. When submitted to ESRB, they asked for it to be resubmitted with correct information. It was submitted again but not exact, so ESRB charged their company $10,000.

Now speaking 500,000 POUNDS. That's fucking brutal! Guess they gotta make their money somehow, just waiting for a company to slip!

how_much_I_carrot @ Jun 25th 2009 2:24PM

I guess it sort of makes sense, though. Most companies are probably willing to lie if that can get them a 'lighter' rating and the only penalty is a measly $10,000 fine. I wonder how badly you have to lie to get the full €500,000 fine.

Storm Eagle @ Jun 25th 2009 2:21PM

Resistance is futile.

Girugamuk (Moptimus Slimed) @ Jun 25th 2009 2:23PM

Better PEGI gets the money than the BBFC

Young_Nastyman @ Jun 25th 2009 2:29PM

Imagine getting fined that much for lying as a child

There isn't enough money in the world to pay of my debt with the ESRB let alone PEGI

Wonderflex @ Jun 25th 2009 2:32PM

Discrimination? I wonder how that is rated.

Young_Nastyman @ Jun 25th 2009 2:34PM

Resident Evil 5

Young_Nastyman @ Jun 25th 2009 2:37PM

?

grr, stupid keyboard

Wonderflex @ Jun 25th 2009 5:06PM

Yeah...so on a serious note, I really wonder what will be concidered discrimination. As with all media regulation organization they have exact standards for what certain criteria trigger a rating. For example, using the "F" word more than once in a movie makes the MPAA give the movie an R-rating, even if nothing else is wrong. I wonder what the set triggers are for PEGI to give a game a "discrimination" warning.

Saria the Cat @ Jun 25th 2009 8:35PM

@Wonderflex: I was wondering about the Discrimination label, too. Discrimination seems more like a political/social agenda than an explicit element (e.g. swearing, sexual content). It just seems like it'd be a complicated mess to apply "Discrimination" to a game, almost as complicated as sticking a "Stereotypes" warning label on a game. I can't even think of a good example of a game with discrimination. I mean, I guess people are rude to you as a foreigner in GTA IV? There's certainly lots of racial and sexist stereotypes in games, but...discrimination?

I think Left 4 Dead should get a big fat "Discrimination" label on it since it obviously discriminates against a people. :( Zombie rights!