BBFC Unhappy With Government PEGI Support

While ELSPA and assorted games industry leaders are pleased with the government's decision to install PEGI as the sole, legally-backed ratings body for games in the UK, the BBFC is, unsurprisingly, less impressed.

The organisation has issued a statement warning that PEGI "must be independent in substance as well as appearance, reaching its decisions and providing information on the basis of its own detailed assessments.”

The full statement, which comes from BBFC director David Cooke reads, “We have argued consistently that any games classification system needs to put child protection at its heart. It must involve consultation with the British public, command their trust, and reflect their sensibilities. It must take account of tone and context and be carried out by skilled and knowledgeable examiners. It needs to involve the provision of full, helpful and carefully weighed information to parents and the public more generally. It must have the power and will to reject or intervene in relation to unacceptable games or game elements.

"It should make a substantial contribution to media education, for example through dedicated websites and through work with pupils, students and teachers. It must be speedy and cost effective. It must have the capabilities to monitor online gameplay and to attract new members to online classification schemes. And it must be independent in substance as well as appearance, reaching its decisions and providing information on the basis of its own detailed assessments.

“The BBFC has always supported PEGI and wished it well, but it continues to believe that it satisfies these requirements better than PEGI. However, it will cooperate fully in the detailed work needed to give effect to the Government’s decision.”