UK to change videogame ratings

[Baradiel]

So... the rating will change from red to grey? Literally, I can't see how this changes much. Both ratings have been on games for years, and if a parent doesn't notice the blatant red circle with a number in I can't see how a grey box with a number in will do much better.

Honestly I consider this a waste of time and don't know how it will change anything. Also, for some reason I have nostalgia for the red circles :3

 

[Plinglebob]

Would someone go to jail for selling an R rated movie(or whatever equivalent exists) in the UK?

Because if not, that smacks of hypocrisy

Yes they can. This pretty much brings Games to the same area as film in this regard which I think is fair enough (if a little heavy handed regarding punishment.)

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

I don't think this will change anything at all as parents will still ignore them and buy the games for their children. Also a gaol sentence is way too much.

 

[eggy32]

Good thing they're getting on board the PEGI-train, at least. That system is clear, simple and leaves stupid parents with no excuses. It specifies an age, and points out what the "nasties" in question is, like horror, sexual content, drugs, violence and so on.

The BBFC does this as well, actually.
This change seems ridiculously pointless to me.

 

[Jabbawocky]

Simpler and stronger?

So having U, PG, 12, 15 and 18 too hard to follow?

U= Everybody
PG= Parental Guidence
12= Bought by no one under 12
15= Bought by no one under 15
18= Bought by no one under 18

Five ratings of which one doesn't really matter, three have numbers telling you what age the consumer should be and one which only requires a little further explaination. As far as I rmember PG products can be bought by anyone but if you are under 12 you need to be accompanied by an adult.

No one is going to do jail even if they are caught this won't change a damn thing.

EDIT: Oh an proxy sales arn't illegal in the UK, except when its alcohol. So even if the shops tighten up kids are just going to get their older sibling or parent to buy the game.

 

[Rastien]

Its not the people selling the games that are the problem its the parents buying them for kids.

I had to bite my tounge in tescos the other day when some little shitling runs up to his mum begging her to buy him grand theft auto. shes looking at it in her hand and says thats fine its half price... DID YOU EVEN READ THE BACK OR SEE THE MASSIVE 18 ON THE FRONT.

God...

Parents are responsible for their children, and in the UK/Europe this is taken far more seriously than the US, for example.

Parents can allow their kids to drink, why shouldn't they be able to allow them to play mature rated video games?

The issue arrises when the parents then kick back and blame the stores for not making them aware that the game is violent.

A friend used to work in a local GAME (the franchise) store before he lost his job to them going bust. Similar situation mother bought her son grand theft auto even after asking if its for the child and her saying no. 3 Days later she came back and called his manager saying he didn't adequetly warn her that it was so disgusting. After watching her son run around with a giant dildo killing people with it.

The manager luckily was a saint and took his side and refunded her pointing out age ratings are there for a reason.

If the parents feel their child is mature enough for the content sure let them play it, don't then turn around and blame the stores which happens alot.

 

[Craorach]

Its not the people selling the games that are the problem its the parents buying them for kids.

I had to bite my tounge in tescos the other day when some little shitling runs up to his mum begging her to buy him grand theft auto. shes looking at it in her hand and says thats fine its half price... DID YOU EVEN READ THE BACK OR SEE THE MASSIVE 18 ON THE FRONT.

God...

Parents are responsible for their children, and in the UK/Europe this is taken far more seriously than the US, for example.

Parents can allow their kids to drink, why shouldn't they be able to allow them to play mature rated video games?

The issue arrises when the parents then kick back and blame the stores for not making them aware that the game is violent.

A friend used to work in a local GAME (the franchise) store before he lost his job to them going bust. Similar situation mother bought her son grand theft auto even after asking if its for the child and her saying no. 3 Days later she came back and called his manager saying he didn't adequetly warn her that it was so disgusting. After watching her son run around with a giant dildo killing people with it.

The manager luckily was a saint and took his side and refunded her pointing out age ratings are there for a reason.

If the parents feel their child is mature enough for the content sure let them play it, don't then turn around and blame the stores which happens alot.

The response to parents who don't read the ratings or know the content needs and should be only one thing.

Tough luck.

Personal responsibility, 100%, all the time, no exceptions.

 

[Rastien]

Its not the people selling the games that are the problem its the parents buying them for kids.

I had to bite my tounge in tescos the other day when some little shitling runs up to his mum begging her to buy him grand theft auto. shes looking at it in her hand and says thats fine its half price... DID YOU EVEN READ THE BACK OR SEE THE MASSIVE 18 ON THE FRONT.

God...

Parents are responsible for their children, and in the UK/Europe this is taken far more seriously than the US, for example.

Parents can allow their kids to drink, why shouldn't they be able to allow them to play mature rated video games?

The issue arrises when the parents then kick back and blame the stores for not making them aware that the game is violent.

A friend used to work in a local GAME (the franchise) store before he lost his job to them going bust. Similar situation mother bought her son grand theft auto even after asking if its for the child and her saying no. 3 Days later she came back and called his manager saying he didn't adequetly warn her that it was so disgusting. After watching her son run around with a giant dildo killing people with it.

The manager luckily was a saint and took his side and refunded her pointing out age ratings are there for a reason.

If the parents feel their child is mature enough for the content sure let them play it, don't then turn around and blame the stores which happens alot.

The response to parents who don't read the ratings or know the content needs and should be only one thing.

Tough luck.

Personal responsibility, 100%, all the time, no exceptions.

I fully agree with you, unfotuntley my experience whilst working in the school system for 2 years is alot (not all) parents these days will constantly look for something/someone else to blame rather than take responsibilitys for their poor judgment or actions on their childs behalf.

 

[Craorach]

Its not the people selling the games that are the problem its the parents buying them for kids.

I had to bite my tounge in tescos the other day when some little shitling runs up to his mum begging her to buy him grand theft auto. shes looking at it in her hand and says thats fine its half price... DID YOU EVEN READ THE BACK OR SEE THE MASSIVE 18 ON THE FRONT.

God...

Parents are responsible for their children, and in the UK/Europe this is taken far more seriously than the US, for example.

Parents can allow their kids to drink, why shouldn't they be able to allow them to play mature rated video games?

The issue arrises when the parents then kick back and blame the stores for not making them aware that the game is violent.

A friend used to work in a local GAME (the franchise) store before he lost his job to them going bust. Similar situation mother bought her son grand theft auto even after asking if its for the child and her saying no. 3 Days later she came back and called his manager saying he didn't adequetly warn her that it was so disgusting. After watching her son run around with a giant dildo killing people with it.

The manager luckily was a saint and took his side and refunded her pointing out age ratings are there for a reason.

If the parents feel their child is mature enough for the content sure let them play it, don't then turn around and blame the stores which happens alot.

The response to parents who don't read the ratings or know the content needs and should be only one thing.

Tough luck.

Personal responsibility, 100%, all the time, no exceptions.

I fully agree with you, unfotuntley my experience whilst working in the school system for 2 years is alot (not all) parents these days will constantly look for something/someone else to blame rather than take responsibilitys for their poor judgment or actions on their childs behalf.

Oh, I know that.

They should still be ignored.

You shouldn't make rules based upon a lack of personal responsiblity, this goes for everything, anyone someone willingly does they should be the only and sole person held responsible for it.

In the case of parents, they are responsible for their children until they are.. well, I'd say about 12, by which time every child should be able to function as a human being and be repsonsible for themselves, 100%, since the sole function of raising a child is to raise a functional, responsible, member of society.

 

[Rastien]

Spoiler

Its not the people selling the games that are the problem its the parents buying them for kids.

I had to bite my tounge in tescos the other day when some little shitling runs up to his mum begging her to buy him grand theft auto. shes looking at it in her hand and says thats fine its half price... DID YOU EVEN READ THE BACK OR SEE THE MASSIVE 18 ON THE FRONT.

God...

Parents are responsible for their children, and in the UK/Europe this is taken far more seriously than the US, for example.

Parents can allow their kids to drink, why shouldn't they be able to allow them to play mature rated video games?

The issue arrises when the parents then kick back and blame the stores for not making them aware that the game is violent.

A friend used to work in a local GAME (the franchise) store before he lost his job to them going bust. Similar situation mother bought her son grand theft auto even after asking if its for the child and her saying no. 3 Days later she came back and called his manager saying he didn't adequetly warn her that it was so disgusting. After watching her son run around with a giant dildo killing people with it.

The manager luckily was a saint and took his side and refunded her pointing out age ratings are there for a reason.

If the parents feel their child is mature enough for the content sure let them play it, don't then turn around and blame the stores which happens alot.

The response to parents who don't read the ratings or know the content needs and should be only one thing.

Tough luck.

Personal responsibility, 100%, all the time, no exceptions.

I fully agree with you, unfotuntley my experience whilst working in the school system for 2 years is alot (not all) parents these days will constantly look for something/someone else to blame rather than take responsibilitys for their poor judgment or actions on their childs behalf.

Oh, I know that.

They should still be ignored.

You shouldn't make rules based upon a lack of personal responsiblity, this goes for everything, anyone someone willingly does they should be the only and sole person held responsible for it.

In the case of parents, they are responsible for their children until they are.. well, I'd say about 12, by which time every child should be able to function as a human being and be repsonsible for themselves, 100%, since the sole function of raising a child is to raise a functional, responsible, member of society.

Hell yes.

 

[wooty]

Still wont stop parents buying their games for them, or even online shopping.

You can raise awareness on an issue all you want, but it doesn't mean people have to give a shit about it.

 

[5-0]

The rating system only changed from PEGI to BBFC a few years ago, thanks to the Byron Review 2008, and wasn't that supposed to be for the better? If so, why are we going to PEGI when we previously rejected it? This is very strange. And I'd have thought the BBFC would have more authority and be more recognisable, considering they're the UK's film rating system as well.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

Personally I don't give a s*** who buys the game and the pretences on which they do so. If a kid can play a video game regularly without anyone in the house knowing, they deserve whatver violence they can see.

 

[Chairman Miaow]

Eh, it will never work unfortunately. What they should really focus on is stopping companies from advertising to underage children, see: Dead Space 2 (Your mum would hate this).

EDIT: It would also be nice if politicians stopped blaming games and started blaming (and educating) parents.

 

[suitepee7]

Would someone go to jail for selling an R rated movie(or whatever equivalent exists) in the UK?

Because if not, that smacks of hypocrisy

i work in a UK supermarket chain (i'm not allowed to say, company policy) and selling underage products to people without checking for ID can result in losing your job, a fine (for you or the company), but i don't think it means jail time.

personally i fully approve of this. greater information for parents is needed, now they have nobody to blame but themselves if their kid plays violent videogames

 

[5-0]

The rating system only changed from PEGI to BBFC a few years ago, thanks to the Byron Review 2008, and wasn't that supposed to be for the better? If so, why are we going to PEGI when we previously rejected it? This is very strange. And I'd have thought the BBFC would have more authority and be more recognisable, considering they're the UK's film rating system as well.

The PEGI is an industry standard and is better qualified to be the organisation doing the rating, the bbfc have had to try and make film rules apply to games, which obviously isn't the best way.

And it brings us in line with most of europe. The PEGI being universally accepted is a good thing to aim for.

Oh OK. Makes you wonder why we moved from PEGI in the first place.

 

[Grey Day for Elcia]

You can join the army, be trained to kill and then shipped off to foreign soil to murder people, but you're too young to play a naughty video game or watch a violent movie, apparently.

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

Yeah changing to PEGI isn't such a problem. I was afraid they were going to change to some insane ratings system where the games were rated only by Conservative-voting religious mothers over the age of 40. Ratings range from 'I don't think it's very healthy for little Sammy to be spending all of his time in front of the television' to 'Oh my heavens, I think this might be one of those murder simulators I've heard about on the television I spend all my time in front of.'

Yeah, this change, no problem. Although I do take issue with whoever wrote that article. When you use an acronym, you should spell it out in full capitals everytime. Since PEGI is an acronym for Pan-European Gaming Whatever (I forgot the last word) it should be spelling out PEGI, not Pegi or pegi.