UK fears over violent videos
p2pnet.net News:- Adult videos and computer games should have clearer warnings so they don’t end up in the hands of children, says British Trade Secretary Patricia Hewitt.
Games sales are expected to reach a record 10 million in the UK this month, with about one in 12 aimed at over-18s, says the Daily Telegraph, going that Hewitt’s comments came yesterday during her visit to Oxford Street in London where consumers were buying video and computer games for Christmas.
"Games sold in the UK carry a PEGI (Pan European Game Information) rating, similar to the ESRB ratings used in the U.S., though only the ‘18′ rating, indicating a game is not suitable for those under age 18, represents a legally enforceable sales restriction," says IGN Entertainment, adding:
"Many UK retailers ignore the 18 rating on games, even while consistently enforcing it when selling DVDs. Under British law, selling 18-rated games to minors could result in a £5,000 fine and up to sixth months in jail. However, the law is rarely enforced."
"Popular titles such as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, in which the protagonist steals cars, builds crime empires and takes part in drive-by shootings, or the Getaway, which shows scenes of torture, nudity, drugs and violent crime across London, often fall into this category," says the BBC.
"If the game shows graphic and detailed violence towards "unrealistic humans" or fantasy characters such as Halo 2 which depicts various shoot outs with aliens, it usually falls into a 16+ category.
"A game which shows non-graphic violence towards people like James Bond 007:Everything Or Nothing, quite often falls into 12+ category.
"Children’s titles – such as Transformers and Finding Nemo – come under the lower age group which has two main categories: 7+ which is classified on the basis that pictures or sounds in the game could be frightening to young children and 3+ which may show some scenes of violence in a comical context."
In the US, the National Institute on Media and the Family wants the video games industry to both ‘educate’ parents about ratings – ie, what’s good for kids and what isn’t – and not to sell violent games such as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas to youngsters.
The institute says Doom 3, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Half Life 2, Halo 2 and Resident Evil: Outbreak are trhis year’s the top five worst video games.
Right behind them are Outbreak, Psi Ops: the Mindgate Conspiracy, The Guy Game, Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude, Mortal Kombat Deception and Rumble Roses.
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See:-
clearer warnings - Push on adult video game warnings, news.telegraph, December 6, 2004
rarely enforced – Do British Kids See Too Much?, ign, December 6, 2004
nudity, drugs and violent crime – Age rating under the microscope, BBC News Online, December 5, 2004
good for kids – Violent video games slammed, p2pnet, November 24, 2004
The Guy Game – Video games, kids and violence, p2pnet, November 28, 2004
April 7th, 2005 at 9:22 pm