Ramsdale defends PEGI in Select Committee hearing

Keith Ramsdale, the vice president for EA's UK presence, has defended the industry-initiated ratings system PEGI to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee today.

Ramsdale argued against replacing industry self-regulation with BBFC ratings, saying it would fail to keep up with the escalating numbers of releases.

"If you look back just three or four years we used to make games on three formats, Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo. But now we make games on 11 formats, which could include Apple iPods and any mobile phone," he explained.

"How do [the BBFC] patrol those devices as well? Because children have this hardware and are downloading applications on to them."

"Do you expect seriously the BBFC to write in depth on formats including the Ipod, which by rights they should do?" Ramsdale asked.

The debate over whether PEGI should be replaced by the BBFC took place during a committee meeting in which MPs discussed issues around harmful content on the internet and in videogames.

Last month the Byron Review recommended that the BBFC expand its compulsory ratings remit to include all games suitable only for those aged 12 and above, leaving PEGI to take charge of the 3+ and 7+ age brackets.