Brussel’s Wants Better Warning’s On Violent Video Games

The European Commission said all EU countries should use the same age-rating system when it comes to video games and make that system known to citizens.  It also called for an EU-wide code of conduct on the sale of video games to minors to be introduced within two years, reports Elitsa Vucheva, from EUobserver.

Video games are “a very important industry for Europe,” but also one “that impacts on society,” Viviane Reding, EU commissioner for the information society and media, and Meglena Kuneva, EU consumer commissioner, said at a joint press conference in Strasbourg.

Currently, the value of the UK Games Industry exceeds that of the UK music industry, and is seeing growth rates of 25% plus each year.

In addition, 42 percent of Europeans spend between one and five hours playing video games “in a typical week”, while 11 percent spend more than 15 hours on this activity.

That is why “we have to develop a good level of information on the content of games,” in order to protect children — but also young adults — from the most violent elements contained in some of them, Ms Reding said.

Since 2003, the vast majority of EU member states have been using an age-rating system called PEGI — Pan European Games Information – developed by the video games industry itself, in order to protect the youngest users from games judged too violent.  The system includes five age categories and uses content descriptors for bad language, discrimination, drugs, fear, sex, violence or gambling.

It is currently applied by 20 member states, while three use other legislative measures. Cyprus, Luxembourg, Romania and Slovenia have no age-rating system in place.

“PEGI, as an example of responsible industry self-regulation and the only such system with almost pan-European coverage, is certainly a very good first step,” commissioner Reding stated.

“However, I believe it can be greatly improved, in Europe and beyond, by making the public more aware about its existence,” she added.

No banning

For his part, Belgian Christian Democrat MEP Ivo Belet from the European Parliament’s Committee for Culture and Education warned against the possible banning of some video games.

“Forbidding violent games or taking them off the market will not yield the result we want, as young consumers can get hold of them anyway online or via illegal downloads. Often x-rated games will only make games more attractive to young gamers,” Mr Belet stated.

The commission also said it wanted “most of all” to inform parents and educators and “let them take their responsibility” when it comes to buy or not a certain game.

Fantasy Couriers and Online Protection

Our game has been designed to be compliant with the PEGI standards and the COPPRA guidance to ensure that it is a safe and suitable environment for young people to play and learn in.  Enterprise and Business studies really starts to become a part of the curriculum at key stage 4, so the game is fully compliant to the 12+ age standards.  However, we see that primary school children are also starting to get involved with enterprise, and so we have also made the game compliant to the guidelines for 7+ age group. 

Because of the nature of the game, and game environment, we have been able to achieve these safe standards without any compromise to the players’ enjoyment of the game.  There is only one piece of game functionality that has been removed where the player is under 18 years, and this is not an integral part of the game strategy, only a side novelty.

We have also designed all communications between players to use a template system, this means that players can send each other only messages are set into the game structure.  There are no means for players to contact other players in the game, or website, except by these methods.  This means that young people can play the game safe and protected from nuisance communications.

Protection of Young Players is Key

We at Fantasy Couriers believe that parents are young people should be provided with all the information they need to make safe and informed decisions about the games that they chose to play, be they video games or web based online games.  And we have built into the game all precautions possible to ensure that our young people can play, and learn, in a safe and entertaining environment.  We would urge all games designers to heed Brussel’s advice regarding this matter as it can only make the games industry stronger.

Extracts taken from; http://www.rachel.org/en/node/6948