Some parties suggested that the BBFC was best placed for the UK games classification role because it’s a body that’s independent from the games industry, where as they argued that PEGI ratings are based on online content assessment forms submitted by publishers. How is a level of independent authority over ratings decisions going to be upheld with PEGI?
PEGI has always been independent of the games industry as far as the classification of content is concerned. Yes, the games industry did establish PEGI and yes, the games industry funds PEGI through the rating fee, but that’s exactly the same situation the BBFC is [in]. You’re quite right that a lot of people believe that the BBFC is a government agency. It’s not. It’s a private company that is funded through the commercial work it undertakes classifying film and DVD content, so the funding model of PEGI and the BBFC is exactly the same.

The PEGI classification process is very simple: the publisher self declares all of the content that is within their game. They do that by answering a very detailed questionnaire featuring over 40 questions. That questionnaire, together with a copy of the game, with relevant video footage and cheat codes, enables the independent regulators – the Video Standards Council and the Netherlands Institute for the Classification of Audiovisual Media (NICAM) – to check and verify that the self declaration has been made correctly against the content that they are then reviewing in the game. And these independent regulators can either confirm the guide rating that the questionnaire puts forward, or they can overrule it.

If the publisher has made a genuine mistake than a dialogue will take place to ensure that they understand what the mistake was, but if the publisher continually makes deliberate mistakes in misrepresenting their product then there are sanctions available to the PEGI system and the regulators can recommend that those sanctions are put in place, so it is very independent. The ultimate sanction is a €500,000 fine and a refusal to rate that publisher’s content. If the publisher can’t get a PEGI rating then they can’t publish on Sony, Nintendo or Microsoft platforms.

The Borehamwood-based Video Standards Council reportedly has just three employees who will ensure that games coming into the UK comply with PEGI ratings before they’re given licenses allowing their sale. Is this enough staff?
The Video Standards Council, in conjunction with the people at NICAM, in conjunction with the PEGI personnel in Brussels, as a collective, have been sufficient to be able to do the job at work up until now, which is just rate PEGI games. The Video Standards Council will be given additional roles and responsibilities when the legislation is passed to become the designated body. I understand that between now and then they will be looking at their structure and their whole business model and will be gearing up as necessary to perform those functions. I know that [when] the BBFC, some 20 odd years ago, were given the same responsibilities under the Video Recordings Act, they too had to scale up to take on those new responsibilities, so I think it’s grossly misleading to say that the organisation as it stands today will be the same as the organisation that exists when those powers are confirmed.

How is this new age rating standard going to be marketed to the public, and who will foot the bill for the education process that’s going to be necessary?
The publishers have already agreed to ensure that PEGI symbols appear on all marketing materials whether print or TV. We as a trade association will be working on their behalf with charities, children’s organisations, schools and particularly the independent agency Becta that works with schools, to ensure that educational materials get out into the wider community. And of course retailers will play a vital part in this and we have a project planned that we’re working on and rolling through that kicked off as soon as the announcement was made.

How will you be able to chart the success of the new ratings standard?
Every year PEGI carries out a consumer survey across Europe looking at recognition and support and consumer confidence. We’ll continue to carry out that survey and look for improvements against the benchmarks that we’ve already established.