ELSPA Comes Up with Another Way to Rate Games

A press statement from the UK's video game publishers' association, ELSPA, explains to us all that the organisation wishes to launch "a traffic light system for the ratings on video games".

This move, we're told mirrors, "...efforts by food manufacturers and retailers to give consumers a clear and easy way to understand food content..."

ELSPA's system has "been designed to give parents ‘at a glance’ indicators of the age appropriateness of any game’s content."

Then it gets very mysterious. We're told that, "An industry source said, 'Video gaming is one of the UK’s best performing sectors and a rare economic success in today’s gloomy environment, with retailers announcing record profits and government ministers describing gaming as ‘the most important part of what we call the Creative Industries’."

The 'government ministers' that the mysterious industry source quotes are in fact, the Right Honourable Margaret Hodge. Did we say, 'are'? Of course, Ms Hodge is a simple, 'is'. She has also pointed out that, "The games market has simply outgrown the classification system, so today we are consulting on options that will make games classification useful and relevant again.”

We're all for a clear and efficient rating system that informs (and keeps The Daily Mail in its place - which is wrapping bags of dog turd). What we're not sure of is quite why mysterious industry sources need to be quoted - after all, ELSPA represents the entire industry. We also a little bemused as to why one government minister needs to be turned into what could be understood to be a regiment.

Aside from that, we'd urge support for a clear system that has the full support of the industry and government.