UK Government Calls Violent Videogame Summit News
Chris Leyton
05/12/2004
Industry leaders, the BBFC and consumer groups invited to discuss violent videogames at next week’s summit...
TVG has today learnt of the UK Governmentâs call for clearer warnings on adult videogames, to stop parents unwittingly buying violent or unsuitable videogames for children.
Ministers have called a summit this week, inviting industry leaders, consumer groups and the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) to discuss the issue, in which TVG has learnt tighter rules to control the sale of 18-rated products will be put forward.
The news comes recently after the National Institute on Media and Family published its ninth MediaWise Videogame Report Card throughout America, focussing on issues of ratings and content and concluding that classifications are confusing and that the industryâs use is insincere. However the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), the board behind classification across the US, has responded with a number of conflicting reports that allege parents agreed with ESRB ratings 83% of the time.
Despite following similar paths to the film industry, the debate over mature videogames is unlikely to disperse anytime soon. Despite games such as GTA: San Andreas and Doom3 featuring 18 ratings akin to films such as Hannibal or Kill Bill, the fact remains that children under this age are freely playing such titles.
Various reports featured across national newspapers and television have recently concluded that parents are purchasing mature games for their children, due to a lack of information and the false belief that all videogames are similar in content to the likes of Super Mario Bros or Sonic the Hedgehog. In addition, the reports have often highlighted children as young as eight being able to purchase mature titles from leading UK retailers and chains, often due to a lack of official policy regarding the situation. The videogame industry as a whole must also take some degree of responsibility; particularly we have received comments that question why mature titles are advertised in promotions that are easily evident to under-18.
Hopefully this weekâs summit will allow the whole subject to be brought out into the open and discussed intelligently; the solution is clear and relatively simple â“ we just need a little more clarity and common sense across the subject, rather then fear-inducing sensational headlines and calls to ban all violent videogames.