PEGI Game Ratings Now UK Law

TSA Staff 38 Comments

The UK finally has a single, coherent (and legally enforceable) standard for videogames, as the PEGI rating system becomes law today. It’s now illegal for a videogame retailer to sell a 12-rated game to anyone below that age.

Anyone found breaking the law will face a maximum of six years in prison and a £5,000 fine. It’s also illegal to sell games without the appropriate certificates, the penalty for that a two year jail sentence.

There’ll be a transitional period to ensure long term compliance.

More importantly, perhaps, there’s now a single rating system meaning less confusion and more consistency, as PEGI will cover all certificates going forward, with the Video Standards Council conducting the approval processes.

“The UK has one of the most dynamic and innovative video games industries in the world, and the games they produce not only entertain millions, but can also educate and foster creativity,” said culture minister Ed Vaizey.

“Today’s simplification of the ratings system benefits both industry and consumers and will help ensure that the millions of games sold in the UK each year are being played by the audiences they were intended for.”

BBFC ratings, which at least offered a similar ratings style to the familiar movie releases (and thus featured more widespread recognition) are now superseded.

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38 Comments

  1. I’m not sure how much difference this makes overall, surely there can’t be a great number of under 12’s actually buying the games themselves?

    • Just Call of Duty.

      • They play it, but do they actually buy it themselves? I’d be surprised…

      • Depends where they get it from tbh – If it’s from Game for example, it’s pretty safe to say they buy it themselves! :)

  2. The problem is parents buying inappropriate games for minors.

    • And this would likely be reduced if videogames required a BBFC rating rather than PEGI. Not only is the BBFC more easily recognised, but it’s visually clearer on the box in comparison to PEGI ratings.

      Though still, many parents would ignore this advice.

      • I can’t agree with you. In my opinion the PEGI age ratings colour codes are easier to distinguish on first glance or from far away.

        Green, Orange, Red. vs Green, Red, Red (12-15/16-18)

      • Plus BBFC ratings have been on boxes for years – Always largely ignored.

      • I’ve got a fair amount of PEGI rated games at home that are grey, and I’m sure they aren’t ESRB. Plus if the BBFC is established but ignored, why would anyone take notice of the new ratings?

      • Not sure i have ever seen a grey PEGI symbol tbh – They might be rare!! Perhaps not valuable though unfortunately.

        But as for things being ignored, i’m sure that’ll probably still be largely the case, but now there is something solid to pull the retailer up on.

        It’s like underage drinking, we all know it goes on (& may have partaken ourselves at one stage or another), but if the retailer (pub/off licence) gets caught, then they get screwed over in fines, licence taken away etc.

        Doesn’t happen often of course, but similar sort of deal here as far as i can see.

      • I could be wrong and they may be ESRB; I’m not at home to check. Or maybe they’re on PS2 games or something quite old, before a colour system was implemented.

        I just wish parents were more thoughtful on this sort of thing. I’ve got nothing against buying above-age games for your kids; it’s far better that you understand what your kids are playing and they know what to make of it than your kids playing stuff behind your back. Some kids are more mature than others. I allowed my brother to play pretty much anything when he was 13 and I was 18. Except Army of Two. That was a bit much in my opinion.

      • Here we are – black n white PEGI symbols; http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/170500-pegi.jpg

        Still rather clear really, but not as clear at BBFC I think.

      • Ah, yes – They generally appear on the back of packaging in order to inform what content a game has. It may have one of those, or it could have a mixture depending on the content.

        Like this one, which has bad language & violence & is rated for 16 & above;

        http://vgboxart.com/boxes/PS3/38184-infamous-2.png

        I say generally – It wouldn’t surprise me if one of those black & white ones was applied on the front or spine i suppose, i have just never seen it personally.

        What i believe this refers to though is replacing the BBFC ratings, so you should see colour versions on all games (front & spine) that look a little like this;

        http://gamerinvestments.com/video-game-stocks/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/pegi-ratings-new.jpg

      • Yeh they can be found on the front – http://p.playserver1.com/ProductImages/8/8/0/2/6/5/8/8562088_300x300_1.jpg

        The colour ones are definitely better, but I still prefer the BBFC. But maybe my respect for the organisation makes me a bit more biased :P

  3. What about digital distribution services like Steam and PSN? Its not like they can prove your age.

    • I must be honest when I was 14 I did at one point just link up my mothers credit card so I could buy GTA from amazon… And thats why I’m a terrible human being.

      • I played Vice City when I was 6. I’m mentally fine. I think :P

    • I’m pretty sure that somewhere in the EULA there is clause which says you can’t use the stores if you’re not over 18. Plus there are account restrictions.

      The credit card barrier would have been fine (i.e. don’t be a stupid parent and don’t save your CC info), but kids could just pick up pre-paid cards and that’s defeated.

      You can’t really enforce this, but this one’s not up to an organisation or government entity anyway. When you’re at home, do your job and pay attention to wtf your kid is doing.

      All in all, imo this whole “parents should watch what games their children play” is a bit overblown. Playing GTA at the age of 10 won’t magically turn them into rampaging killer psychopaths. Raise your kid the right way and that’s it. If the child cannot distinguish fiction from reality than go to a doctor.

      • If you’re raising your kid right then you should know what they’re playing and make a decision as to whether or not they should be playing it. I agree there’s more to such a decision than just age though.

  4. I played the GTA games when I was under 18

    I turned out alright…..

    Right guys? …….. Guys?

    • Have you been tested?

      • Well, that last girl did look a bit dodgy :p

      • Erm, that wasn’t a girl…….

  5. These ratings are pointless! I played all these games as a kid, and it did nothing to me, and i’ll shoot anyone who disagrees with me!

  6. Excellent, now the Daily Mail can start blaming the parents for threir violent teenagers instead of on the games industry.
    Oh and I started playing GTA when I was 12, I’m fine now, though the 37 people I ran over last year probably aren’t.

    • I’m sure the court will realise they just needed to know who’s boss.

    • I doubt it as they will find a way to continue blaming games. In fact, they blamed Heavy Rain for the heavy rain we had the other week.

  7. I buy all my games on the internet, anyway. When I was young I wasn’t allowed to play games with 18 rating like Grand Theft Auto and to this day I’m nof really bothered about as it.

  8. So is it only the 12 rating that this applies to? Seems a little confusing, pegi also give 16 and 18 ratings, doesn’t the law apply to those too?

    • It is strange that it is the 12 certificate that has been focused on (perhaps as the only ID you would have at that age would be your passport), but i think it is law that PEGI ratings will now appear instead of BBFC ratings, so that would cover the whole spectrum.

      • Isn’t it already the case for 18 and 15 rated games? They have a BBFC rating on them.
        Apart from the PEGI 16, which I havent seen on a game in years.

      • Yeah,. i think now you won’t see BBFC anymore & it will just be PEGI. So expect to see a lot more 16+ PEGI Ratings from now on! Could be wrong though.

  9. Ridiculous. They should use the BBFC just the same as movies; it’s much clearer to parents. The Byron report a couple of years ago stressed this and the government should have taken notice.

    • I think PEGI would work, but they need to get some advertising awareness out there.

  10. 6years??!! Are you sure it’s not supposed to be 6months?

    • Remember that it’s the seller that get’s that penalty, and it’s a “maximum of” job too.

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