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Tanya Byron's Videogame Report is out
Æthelred
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The UK government launched a review on the video-game rating system last year and it's reported back now. It was headed by the (TV) pyschologist Tanya Byron, who said at the time: "Video gaming and the internet themselves are a very positive and important part of children's and young children's growing up and learning and development. But it is also about saying where are the risks?"
Now it's given its recommendations (you can read the full pdf here)
And.. it's not that bad. It's a bit of a fudge, really. UK videogames at the moment have two ratings on them - the (UK) BBFC (who do films as well) rating (if the game is violent) and the (EU) PEGI rating. The report recommends that the BBFC rating be applied to all games - so 12s, as well as 15s and 18s. The PEGI rating will still be there, but will be pushed onto the back of the box.
This means the BBFC will have to rate something like 4 or 5 times as many games a year. That's going to be a real strain on them - unlike the ERSB, the BBFC actually play all the videogames they rate.
I'm a bit baffled Byron could honestly say that the rating system at the moment is confusing. If you watch the first video on the BBC, they scroll past video-game boxes and you can see the great big 12+, 15+. 18+ on them.. Standardising the ratings with the film industry even more is definitely a good thing, but I worry that it'll affect the quality of the BBFC's rating procedure.
Now it's given its recommendations (you can read the full pdf here)
And.. it's not that bad. It's a bit of a fudge, really. UK videogames at the moment have two ratings on them - the (UK) BBFC (who do films as well) rating (if the game is violent) and the (EU) PEGI rating. The report recommends that the BBFC rating be applied to all games - so 12s, as well as 15s and 18s. The PEGI rating will still be there, but will be pushed onto the back of the box.
This means the BBFC will have to rate something like 4 or 5 times as many games a year. That's going to be a real strain on them - unlike the ERSB, the BBFC actually play all the videogames they rate.
I'm a bit baffled Byron could honestly say that the rating system at the moment is confusing. If you watch the first video on the BBC, they scroll past video-game boxes and you can see the great big 12+, 15+. 18+ on them.. Standardising the ratings with the film industry even more is definitely a good thing, but I worry that it'll affect the quality of the BBFC's rating procedure.
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Bring on one standardised ratings system for games. Rate them all via the BBFC or set up a new government agency purely dedicated to rating games, and leave the BBFC to film. All ratings should be law, meaning if a stores sells GTA to a child they can get sued.
The best thing to do would be to poach some people from the BBFC and set it up as an offshoot organisation - the BBGC or something.
XBL/PSN/Steam: APZonerunner
They interviewed 'gamers' for their opinion on the matter.
Let's just say that my definition of gamer is different than the BBCs definition. Think that asshole in that PS3 trail from e3 'Im gonna beat you and its gonna hurt, and i dont know why'
Well-played BBC.
:x
Read about this on Eurogamer, and while I've not had time to go over everything said, it sounds like it's positive stuff. Now to see what the tabloids make of it.
"Parents outraged as Byron backs violent video-games"
That's already law; although (if it's the same as knives etc) then it's the individual seller that gets fined.
Ratings system was broken before, still broken now.
Mainstream media will still fail to understand the issues.
Extremists (on all sides of the argument) will not be satisfied by this
Good -
Vaguely rational realisation that games are not teh evil by someone who apparently has the public and governments respect.
No attempt to ban 18 certificate games.
I'm not really sure why you want the government messing around with mediums of expression, even if it's the sale end of things. I understand the principle of keeping violent, perhaps inappropriate material out of the hands of people who are not ready to play them, I'm just not sure that it needs to be enforced by law. When it comes to kids, the onus should be on the parents to protect them, not the government.
Since when does looking at a picture need computer-saviness?
This is a very clever paragraph. There are no lies in it, but a casual reader comes away from it thinking that violent games are slipping through the rating net. The reason that only 3/4% of games receive an 18-certificate because only that many deserve an 18 certificate. The vast majority of games are U / T.
Top research there, Tanya. Top research.
If we don't have an infrastructure in place which completely enforces the ratings system, then the ratings system as a whole is undermined.
It is much easier to make an argument for strict censorship of games if the ratings system is moot.
:x
I can only fear what the Express will have in it.
If only there was some... thing which controlled the purchases children made. Some kind of large child, more powerful than the others. Older too. Some kind of adult or something who was in charge of those children and was responsible for controlled what kind of games they played.
I'd love to see one of you guys interviewed in a rag like the Mail, even if you're having to deflect questions from the most ignorant and sensationalist journalists imaginable. I find it too irksome for words that the topic is so poorly represented.
raised eyebrow
I don't know if my point was missed but.. all three current consoles have parent-locking systems on them.
When I have kids Im not going to ban them playing GTA10 or whatever, Im going to tell when why it is not suitable.
Flat out locking the child out of the system means:
A: They can and will often end up buying games that the system wont let them play, aka a waste of their and by extension, my money.
B: Loopholes will be found instantly and passed around, making what they are doing illicit and more daring, aka more popular.
What the holy hell?
Is that the Mail?
Still, yeah, child locks are just daft. If the kid really is that young I can't understand how they could get access to that sort of material without parental knowledge in the first place.
Well, movie ratings (at least here in Canada) are not enforced by law, and everyone seems to be doing just fine. In fact, the only real problem with the system is the natural issue with any rating system; you will never see a perfect one, which means certain movies are either going to be rated too mature or too young, and the whole system breaks.
I see your point, but I guess I don't believe in the government-as-parents angle.
Anyway, it's a positive step, maybe we will hear less things like "I didn't know GTA wasn't for 6 year olds"
I'm a PC gamer, my entire current-gen console experience is an hour or so on one of my friend's Wiis when he was in town for Xmas.
I was taught that I should not play certain types of games, and why. Whenever I went round to a friends house, if they decided to play violent games I left the room, or suggested we played something else.
Hell, I can think of a dozen games which a five year old could buy that have violent concepts in them (even if they are very abstract graphically) DEFCON is probably one of the most violent games ever, but (iirc) it has no age certificate.
Parents know their kids, or at least good ones do, and the best way to ensure healthy development for them is to interact with them, and be a part of their hobbies. Discuss why they like playing games. If it's things like puzzle solving, lateral thinking, pattern recognition, story or challenge then great, find a bunch of games that are appropriate for them that contain those kind of things. If they like violence, gore, crime, bad language and sexism, then it is the parents job to teach them otherwise, explain to them why these things are bad and direct them towards more positive hobbies.
Ratings system is borken.....blah blah blah....good parents are good parents, bad ones are not....blah blah blah....
You've all heard this before, it's not you guys that need to hear this. I think I'll make a blog post later.
I have good parents too, but they simply didn't understand video-games. I bought all mine on my own from about 12 onwards, often over the internet. Most parents just don't think about video-games in the same way they do films, vis a vis violence. And I played most my games in the main living room. I think I only ever bought one 18-rated game before I was 18, though (Perfect Dark). Shadowman swearing annoyed my dad more than anything..
Hopefully this report will at least help in the process of educating parents further. There's some good pages in there with mnemonics and things. Of course, probably most people will read the media report of the report, tut disdainfully to themselves and then carry on giving their children hooker-beating games.
I don't want the government messing with mediums of expression. Not at all. Rockstar can make what they want - likewise for all the game companies. They can release it too.
What I want is that if that game is rated 18, if it is sold to a person under 18, the store is penalized. Severely.
If a parent brings the game to the counter with their child, the store should warn them of the content. Just like movie ratings here, if the parent chooses to ignore the warning and buy it anyway, it's their problem.
But individual sales of these items to kids needs to be stopped by law. That's the way with movies. Why not with games?
You're right and you're wrong. It's currently the law for BBFC rated games (like GTA) - but a PEGI rated game can be sold to anyone with no consequences whatsoever. Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is a strange instance of this, for example - lots of blood, lots of swearing, death, adult themes, horror elements with people dying in chemical attacks and whatnot. PEGI 16. Can be sold to a 6 year old if the store wants to. This shouldn't be allowed.
Surely it should be rated the same as something comperable - say a Season of 24, featuring most of the same themes - that's rated a 15, and if it's sold to somebody under that age the store and clerk can be prosecuted.
Once again - if a parent wants to buy it - their choice. But kids shouldn't be able to buy this shit on their own. What's even more bizaare about my example is Vegas 2 didn't qualify for 'proper' rating, yet Halo 3 got a 15, and to me is much less brutal. This system is shit, basically.
The government needs to
a) Set a Standard for ratings for videogames, as they are for film. These ratings should effect all games and stores breaking them should face the consequences
b) Educate parents about the ratings and what they mean. Many parents wouldn't let their child watch The Godfather or Scarface, but would quite happy buy their son GTA despite the big fat 18 certificate on the front (which is bigger than the film ones, for christs' sake!) There's clearly a lack of understanding here.
I don't want to sound like Jack Thompson. I don't agree with censorship. I think all games and movies should be released, no matter the content. All I believe is that if a game is deemed violent enough to recieve a rating, it becomes law that it not be sold to somebody below that age without parental consent.
PEGI do a good job, but they're a chocolate teapot. They're 'guidelines', and mean nothing to parents or gamers.
XBL/PSN/Steam: APZonerunner
Remember that this report was given in the UK.
Remember that Europeans hate freedom.
By which I mean it's not as unheard of there for the government to step in and censor artistic expression.
Nice.
In America that is not the way with movies.
It's nothing to do with fucking freedom, it's to do with the sale of these items to minors. Jesus christ, an 18 rated game should be treated the same as a pint of beer - a kid can't walk into a pub and buy one until he's 18, but then again if his dad wants to get him a birthday drink at any age, he can.
Reading comprehension, I mean christ - they're not talking about banning the games, they're talking about better ratings and penalizing those who break the rules the ratings set out.
XBL/PSN/Steam: APZonerunner
This should be printed off and put through the door of every parent in the country.
Awesome
You cannot be comparing Alcoholic beverages with Games.
There is no way you can make that comparison like it's valid seriously.
I agree that M games shouldn't be sold to younger audiences. I do not agree that the government should censor artistic expression in any way.
But nothing's being censored. The games still reach their target audience, after all.
Did you read my posts at all? I'm not suggesting the government censor artistic expression, and neither are the recommendations made in this report - they're just suggesting that a kid shouldn't be able to walk into a shop and buy an 18 rated game like Grand Theft Auto - and if they are able to, the store faces major fines and worse as doing so is breaking the law.
I'm not comparing the effects of videogames to alcohol, but I'm saying the system should be handled the same - a child should not be able to go and buy it (or in the case of games, a rated game) from a store. However, if the parent decides they don't mind - as my parents did with booze when I hit my teens, they can go and buy it for them no problem.
XBL/PSN/Steam: APZonerunner
You're failing at reading comprehension here. No one is asking for censorship. No one is saying these games shouldn't come out. All that is being requested is that they are rated fairly, and that the ratings are enforced when the game is purchased. That's not censorship.