Government snubs industry and backs BBFC in ratings debate
Lobbying by ELSPA, Microsoft and other publishers for PEGI support falls flat
The UK government is set to ignore advice from games publishers that the industry would be better served if PEGI handled videogame ratings in the UK.
With the publication tomorrow of a CMS Select Committee paper addressing 'Harmful Content on the Internet and Videogames', the government is declaring that games in the UK are rated by the British Board of Film Classification, reports The Telegraph.
Such a move is a slap in the face of ELSPA, and publishers including Microsoft, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Sega and Nintendo who have all publicaly declared support for the self-regulating PEGI system.
An earlier study by Tanya Byron favoured a dual ratings system where PEGI and the BBFC could work together to classify games, but the industry itself prefers to work directly with PEGI.
GamesIndustry.biz will bring further details of the CMS findings when the report is officially published tomorrow.