Following a Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee meeting concerning harmful content on the internet and in videogames, ELSPA director general Paul Jackson said, “We are an entertainment industry that produces games for all ages. It is important that during this period of consultation post-Byron we work with everyone to ensure the revised ratings platform is robust and future proof.
“As games move increasingly online, we call on all parties to embrace the PEGI age ratings system. As an instrument of the Video Recordings Act it would have teeth and deliver the right system to help the public make informed choices about the games they play.”
Industry representatives in attendance at the meeting included Tiga CEO Richard Wilson, Rebellion CEO Jason Kingsley and EA UK’s VP and general manager Keith Ramsdale, who is also a staunch supporter of the PEGI classification system.
Last month the government-commissioned Byron Review recommended that the British Board of Film Classification be charged with rating all games from 12+ upwards, with equivalent PEGI ratings appearing on the back of retail boxes. It also suggested that ratings for 3+ and 7+ games, where the evidence of potential harm is weakest, continue to be voluntarily classified through the PEGI system.
Earlier this month the European Commission said it was giving the videogame industry two years to develop and adopt a ‘code of conduct’ that better protects minors, and recommended an increaded focus on raising parental awareness of the PEGI ratings system.