Video Game Legislation

In 1989, the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) was set up by British software publishers. From 1994, in addition to promoting anti-piracy initiatives and providing sales charts for video and computer games sold in the UK, the association also voluntarily rated computer games released in Britain, with age ratings of 3-10, 11-14, 15-17 and 18+. This ratings system excluded games that featured photo-realistic images depicting sexual content, or gross violence towards people or animals; these games must undergo legal classification by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) under the Video Recordings Act.

The first game to be refused classification was Carmageddon (1997), in which the gameplay involved mowing down innocent pedestrians. The refusal of a classification by the BBFC effectively banned the game, and the publishers were forced to release a modified version in which the pedestrians in question were replaced by green-blooded zombies. However, the uncensored, unmodified version of Carmageddon was later released under an 18-certificate.

In April 2003, the ELSPA ratings for computer and video games and other entertainment software were replaced by a European system, known as PEGI - the Pan-European Game Information age rating system. This new voluntary system has been adopted in 27 European nations, including the UK, France, Republic of Ireland, Netherlands, Poland and Sweden.

Software is classified in two forms; a suggested minimum age and up to seven descriptions of content, such as the use of strong language, drug use, violence or gambling. Although participation is voluntary, the system is supported by the major console manufacturers, including Xbox, Nintendo and PlayStation, as well as by developers and publishers of interactive games throughout Europe.

Age Ratings

PEGI has five age categories:

These age ratings are designed to ensure that minors are not exposed to games that are unsuitable for their particular age group. However, in Portugal, local legislation conflicts with some of the ratings and they are changed accordingly (3+ is amended to 4+ and 7+ to 6+).

Content Ratings

The seven content descriptors are:

Bad Language
Game contains bad language (e.g. Grand Theft Auto series).
Discrimination
Game contains depictions of (or material which may encourage) discrimination (for example, Original War).
Drugs
Game refers to or depicts the use of drugs (e.g. Deus Ex: Invisible War).
Fear
Game may be scary or frightening for young children (includes games such as Resident Evil and Silent Hill).
Gambling
Games that teach or encourage gambling (for example, 42 All-Time Classics).
Sex
Game depicts sexual references, sexual behaviour and/or nudity (e.g. Duke Nukem 3D).
Violence
Game contains depictions of violence (such as Doom 3 and Halo 2).