The Video Standards Council, the UK government body that adjudicates the content of games and sticks them with a PEGI rating, has announced that revamped rating labels will go into effect April 1, 2011. At that time, the ratings -- which were recently rendered inert by a legal loophole -- will actually be able to be enforced. Which, as we understand it, is pretty important for government-issued regulations.
Though the VSC and ELSPA hoped to have the new ratings out by October in time for the holiday shopping season, their plans were pushed back due to the introduction of the Digital Economy Act, which regulates electronic media, including video games. This new legislation also goes into effect April 1. Unless, of course, this is just an elaborate prank. Given UK politicians' proclivity for pulling the ol' switcheroo on the gaming industry, that actually wouldn't surprise us too much.
Reader Comments (19)
Posted: Jul 16th 2010 1:38PM Onomah said
The "online" thumbnail. I think that's new, or recent anyway. That's a pretty weird one. I mean, you have discrimination, bad language and online. How is online in the same league as....Oh wait, yeah I get it now...
Posted: Jul 16th 2010 1:38PM Thorz said
Isn't this a bad thing for the gaming industry considering 18+ games have a huge playerbase of 3 years olds whos job it is to make your life much much harder and deafen you with their voices?
Posted: Jul 16th 2010 1:38PM jackruby1123 said
"Discrimination"??? WTF does that mean?
Posted: Jul 16th 2010 2:34PM (Unverified) said
@jackruby1123
Discrimination between people and their shadows, clearly. May this be a lesson to all light sources out there!
Reply
Discrimination between people and their shadows, clearly. May this be a lesson to all light sources out there!
Posted: Jul 16th 2010 1:39PM Special Agent Steve said
That... sucks. I hope everyone in the UK is really 18. :O
Posted: Jul 16th 2010 1:50PM husher said
I like how fear is represented by a spider. Because when I think of something scary I spiders.
Posted: Jul 16th 2010 2:12PM TraceurRyuk Prepping for LBP2 said
@husher
They should have used a picture of Gary Busey
http://www.somethingyoushouldread.com/images/randoms/gary_busey.jpg
Reply
They should have used a picture of Gary Busey
http://www.somethingyoushouldread.com/images/randoms/gary_busey.jpg
Posted: Jul 16th 2010 4:14PM TraceurRyuk Prepping for LBP2 said
@husher
Sorry, but I just couldn't resist
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l195/silent_killer_vincent/gampegiratings530copy.jpg
Reply
Sorry, but I just couldn't resist
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l195/silent_killer_vincent/gampegiratings530copy.jpg
Posted: Jul 16th 2010 1:57PM ImInTheZoneBaby said
Seriously won't make much of a difference. The stores in the UK basically go by this system already, even if it isn't set in stone. If it has an age on the box, they'll go by it.
Posted: Jul 16th 2010 2:06PM Lerkero said
Wait, so as long as you put a label on the game it's okay to have discrimination?
Or does that mean the store clerk is only allowed to sell the game to certain people?
Or does that mean the store clerk is only allowed to sell the game to certain people?
Posted: Jul 16th 2010 2:12PM Mr Khan said
Must be something peculiar to Europe to use discrimination as a descriptor. Though i've never seen a game so far that used discrimination in a way that would have real-world ramifications (i mean, games like Tales of Symphonia with half-elf discrimination, but that's not going to teach me to go kill half-elves, now is it?)
Posted: Jul 16th 2010 4:11PM ThePotato said
That specific date makes this whole thing a LITTLE suspicious...
Posted: Jul 16th 2010 4:33PM An Irish Saint said
Bad Language, Discrimination, Drugs, Fear, Gambling, Sex, Violence, Online.
Whew, that was a close one. For a second I thought they were talking about my childhood.
I certainly didn't have internet back then.
Whew, that was a close one. For a second I thought they were talking about my childhood.
I certainly didn't have internet back then.
Posted: Jul 16th 2010 5:07PM Razorguy said
Posted: Jul 16th 2010 6:28PM gatotsu911 said
Wait, "Discrimination"?? What the hell kind of game promotes discrimination, anyway?? Are they planning to remake Custer's Revenge?
Apart from that, though, I kind of like the age categories for this better than the American rating system. It completely baffles me why the ESRB doesn't have a rating between "T" and "M"; games like Halo hardly seem like they should be in the same category in terms of age-appropriateness as, say, Manhunt, and games like Uncharted shouldn't be in the same category as Super Smash Bros.
Apart from that, though, I kind of like the age categories for this better than the American rating system. It completely baffles me why the ESRB doesn't have a rating between "T" and "M"; games like Halo hardly seem like they should be in the same category in terms of age-appropriateness as, say, Manhunt, and games like Uncharted shouldn't be in the same category as Super Smash Bros.
Posted: Jul 16th 2010 7:29PM Goity said
AFAIK the PEGI has never been legally enforceable in the UK. It is the BBFC that has always been the legally enforced one. The law that was overturned a couple of years ago had no effect on the PEGI
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