Pan European Game Information is a European video
game content rating system established to help European consumers make
informed decisions when buying video games or apps through the use of age
recommendations and content descriptors. It was developed by the Interactive
Software Federation of Europe (ISFE) and came into use in April 2003; it
replaced many national age rating systems with a single European system. The
PEGI system is now used in more than thirty countries and is based on a code of
conduct, a set of rules to which every publisher using the PEGI system is
contractually committed. PEGI self-regulation is composed by five age
categories and eight content descriptors that advise the suitability and
content of a game for a certain age range based on the games content. The
age rating is not intended to indicate the difficulty of the game or the skill
required to play it. Age ratings are systems used to ensure that entertainment
content, such as games, but also films, TV shows or mobile apps, is
clearly labelled with a minimum age recommendation based on the content they
have. These age ratings provide guidance to consumers, parents in
particular, to help them decide whether or not to buy a particular product for
a child.
A PEGI 3 game will not contain any inappropriate
content, but can sometimes be too difficult to master for younger children.
Reversely, there are PEGI 18 games that are very easy to play, yet they contain
elements that make them inappropriate for a younger audience. PEGI is used
and recognised throughout Europe and has the enthusiastic support of the
European Commission. It is considered as a model of European harmonisation in
the field of the protection of children.
Throughout Europe, Pegi is
recognised as the standard rating for games, and in certain countries
(including the UK and Netherlands) all titles are legally required to display a
rating on their packaging. To submit their games for certification, publishers
must become a member of the organisation. The first part of the process is an
online questionnaire, which seeks to establish the product's content.
Developers begin by answering questions relating to 18-rated content: does it
contain graphic violence, violence toward innocent bystanders, or violence
against vulnerable or defenceless characters? Is there sexual activity which
shows genitalia? Is there rape? Is there glamorisation of illegal drugs? If all
the responses are negative, the studio moves to the 16-rated questions, where
less explicit forms of violence, sexual content or drug use are covered. And so
on, down to Pegi 3, effectively the video game equivalent of a U certificate.
From here, developers have to send in a working copy of the game (a few bugs
doesn't matter, but it has to feature all the content of the final release), as
well as representational video footage. The latter must include all the
cinematics and cut-scenes as well as what Davies calls, " a decent chunk
of gameplay". "If it's something like a port of Street Fighter where
the play is identical throughout, you only need 20-30 minutes of video,"
he says. "But with something like Tomb Raider or Bioshock Infinite, we'll
need two or three hours of gameplay footage on top of all the cut-scenes. This
will be used in 70-80% of the examination process."
Pan European Game Information is a European video
game content rating system established to help European consumers make
informed decisions when buying video games or apps through the use of age
recommendations and content descriptors. It was developed by the Interactive
Software Federation of Europe (ISFE) and came into use in April 2003; it
replaced many national age rating systems with a single European system. The
PEGI system is now used in more than thirty countries and is based on a code of
conduct, a set of rules to which every publisher using the PEGI system is
contractually committed. PEGI self-regulation is composed by five age
categories and eight content descriptors that advise the suitability and
content of a game for a certain age range based on the games content. The
age rating is not intended to indicate the difficulty of the game or the skill
required to play it. Age ratings are systems used to ensure that entertainment
content, such as games, but also films, TV shows or mobile apps, is
clearly labelled with a minimum age recommendation based on the content they
have. These age ratings provide guidance to consumers, parents in
particular, to help them decide whether or not to buy a particular product for
a child.
A PEGI 3 game will not contain any inappropriate
content, but can sometimes be too difficult to master for younger children.
Reversely, there are PEGI 18 games that are very easy to play, yet they contain
elements that make them inappropriate for a younger audience. PEGI is used
and recognised throughout Europe and has the enthusiastic support of the
European Commission. It is considered as a model of European harmonisation in
the field of the protection of children.
Throughout Europe, Pegi is
recognised as the standard rating for games, and in certain countries
(including the UK and Netherlands) all titles are legally required to display a
rating on their packaging. To submit their games for certification, publishers
must become a member of the organisation. The first part of the process is an
online questionnaire, which seeks to establish the product's content.
Developers begin by answering questions relating to 18-rated content: does it
contain graphic violence, violence toward innocent bystanders, or violence
against vulnerable or defenceless characters? Is there sexual activity which
shows genitalia? Is there rape? Is there glamorisation of illegal drugs? If all
the responses are negative, the studio moves to the 16-rated questions, where
less explicit forms of violence, sexual content or drug use are covered. And so
on, down to Pegi 3, effectively the video game equivalent of a U certificate.
From here, developers have to send in a working copy of the game (a few bugs
doesn't matter, but it has to feature all the content of the final release), as
well as representational video footage. The latter must include all the
cinematics and cut-scenes as well as what Davies calls, " a decent chunk
of gameplay". "If it's something like a port of Street Fighter where
the play is identical throughout, you only need 20-30 minutes of video,"
he says. "But with something like Tomb Raider or Bioshock Infinite, we'll
need two or three hours of gameplay footage on top of all the cut-scenes. This
will be used in 70-80% of the examination process."
