The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

Feeds

Government pledges tougher games sales law

Disrespect Pegi, go to jail

Cloud based data management

The government is to toughen videogame sales regulations and introduce a legally enforceable 12 rating.

The Video Recordings (Labelling) Regulations (VRLRs) 2012 will put videogame classification solely in the hands of the Video Standards Council, an organisation formed to review video packaging.

Under the new regulations, the VSC will continue to set a game's age rating using the Pan-European Game Information (Pegi) system, an international ratings scheme, as it has done since 2010.

But from July, when the VRLRs are expected to come into force, games with photo-realistic graphics will no longer need be classified by the British Board of Film Classification too. The familiar BBFC ratings will then disappear from future games releases.

Pegi ratings

As the BBFC does now, the VSC will have the power to effectively ban the sale of a game by refusing to give the title an age rating. Selling a game that is not exempt from classification but has not yet been rated is against the law.

And, for the first time, the 12 rating will become legally enforceable alongside 16 and 18, rather than merely a guide for parents. Sell a 12-rated to an underage buyer and the retailer risks a prison sentence of up to six months and a five-grand fine.

If a retailer is caught selling a game that should have a rating but doesn't, such as an imported copy, the fine increases and potential jail time goes up to two years.

The move will please Labour MP Keith Vaz who has long campaigned against violent videogames and recently voiced his opinion that the Pegi system is ineffective. ®

Regcast training : Hyper-V 3.0, VM high availability and disaster recovery

"The move will please Labour MP Keith Vaz"

That alone suggests it's probably undesirable, much like the charming Mr Vaz himself.

12
0

and still

The parents will buy them and the children will play them.

Is Uncle Vaz going to send an inspector to every home or will we have to sign a form and wear a.pledge ring to promise not toet children have access to the home pc and game console's.

This.is pure SOUND BITE LEGISLATION.

It has no relevance in the real world.

9
0

Re: Loosing the BBFC report is a pity

You are doing it wrong.

You seem to think that it's your job as a parent to look at what your children are doing rather than using the convenient "Yes or No" rating system.

I bet you are one of these terrible people who want to supervise their Internet activity as well rather than trusting the good old government to do it for you.

6
0

More from The Register

Samsung Galaxy Note 8: Proof the pen is mightier?
Sammy’s iPad Mini killer has a stylus to stab other rivals too
Microsoft lures buy-curious vixens, corduroys with a cheap fondle
Surface slab sales latest: Will no one rid Ballmer of these turbulent tabs?
First look: iOS 7 for iPad
No, Apple hasn't released it yet, but that doesn't stop intrepid devs
 breaking news
Curtain drops on Apple Store ahead of WWDC: What lies behind?
Steve Jobs watching from on high. No pressure, lads
 breaking news
Cold, dead hands of Steve Jobs slip from iPhones: The Cult of Ive is upon us
Billionaire biz baron's death clears way for uber-shiny iOS 7
Airbus imagines suitcases that find themselves
Point your mobe at your smalls to track their every move
Surprise! Intel smartphone trounces ARM in power trials
Tests show equal performance while sipping significantly less juice
Samsung plans LTE Advanced version of Galaxy S4
1Gbps download capability could stiffen drooping S4 sales forecasts
Apple said to be 'exploring' 5.7-inch iPhone
Who's the copycat this time, Mr. Cook?