Traffic light age ratings for spring 2009

By Robert Purchese Published 20 November, 2008

Europe on-board, but UK undecided.

PEGI plans to launch the traffic light age rating system across mainland Europe this spring.

The symbols for the boxes are still to be finalised, but will put an end to the confusing spider, fist, syringe and other images currently used by PEGI.

Furthermore, the age ratings will be coloured to catch the eye, rather than displayed in dull black and white.

Whether this system will be used in the UK is still up in the air, and will not be decided until Gordon Brown and gang finish the investigation kick-started by the Byron Review.

"Whether they will appear on boxes in the UK will depend on the outcome of this consultation period and the decision made by the UK government in the new year," Michael Rawlinson, top dog at ELSPA, told GamesIndustry.biz.

Of course, the UK age-ratings turf is presided over by the BBFC, which has been publicly attacked by PEGI and ELSPA for being incompetent in the videogame field.

All three have prepared and submitted evidence for the government to chew over, although no time frame has been given for the final result.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (16) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • optimusprym8 #1 3 years ago

    Pretty soon boxart is going to be nothing but age ratings

  • robson_wii #2 3 years ago

    Will this end up like the food labelling where the figures and colours are distorted...Play for 5 minutes a day and it's a green but if you play for more than 30 minutes it's a red. How would Doom be labelled? Ultra Violence: Red, Hurt Me Plenty: Orange etc.

  • bonker #3 3 years ago

    Can't the people who get paid to come up with this shite just blow me instead?

  • Oh-Bollox #4 3 years ago

    Actually I think over-simple categorisation of media can only help our society. We should have more of it. Films categorised as YES or NO, for instance. Can only help matters, really.

  • rodpad #5 3 years ago

    Fucking hell, just put on legal BBFC ratings and have done with it.

  • [TR] #6 3 years ago

    I can't wait for cigarette-style warnings in game boxes!
    And this will not work... again.
    Uninformed or plain uninterested people will still buy "mature" games for kids. But the respite it may bring to the "Games aren't properly rated/Protect our children" debates will be welcome.

  • Dan234 #7 3 years ago

    Byron review talks about putting clear age ratings on shop boxes, doesn't say who should do it.
    Government says that's BBFC's job, nothing to do with PEGI.
    BBFC says "we can do it"
    Later on government says BBFC is better than PEGI.
    Later on government says BBFC should do downloadable content as well.
    Later on BBFC threatens to sue ELSPA over traffic lights = "Get of our patch"
    Chances of government giving up their power grab next year: none.
    Hence PEGI traffic light ratings, probably made to placate the British government, won't get put on boxes in the UK.
    Edited by 1 at 20/11/08 @ 12:28

  • Ornithophobe #8 3 years ago

    "I can't wait for cigarette-style warnings in game boxes!"


    Fifty percent of the back of the box taken up with shock images of people with RSI and moobs.

  • Bitkari #9 3 years ago

    I'd go for this new PEGI system (dumbed-down for simpletons) over any BBFC rating system.



  • SixFootHalfling #10 3 years ago

    ""I can't wait for cigarette-style warnings in game boxes!"


    Fifty percent of the back of the box taken up with shock images of people with RSI and moobs. "

    "Dont forget the 999% of gamers never get laid" comment in massive letters.

  • RESIDENT_nEVILe #11 3 years ago

    An age rating is an age rating. The font doesn't need changing - The moneyshould be spent on an awareness campaign to educate people.

  • RexRunti #12 3 years ago

    The problem with PEGI is that they don't actually rate the game. They just ask the developer what they think it should be by getting them to tick some boxes. BBFC actually play and view the game (though not necessarily the full thing) and take things like context into account. This is why PEGI rates Mass Effect 18 while the BBFC gives it a 12.

  • SEVQA #13 3 years ago

    Can we have our money back from that Byron report!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Dan234 #14 3 years ago

    The problem with PEGI is that they don't actually rate the game. They just ask the developer what they think it should be by getting them to tick some boxes. BBFC actually play and view the game (though not necessarily the full thing) and take things like context into account. This is why PEGI rates Mass Effect 18 while the BBFC gives it a 12.

    The reason why PEGI rates Mass Effect 18 is because it has to give a rating which is suitable for other European countries too.

    PEGI is the game industry itself, they would love to rubber stamp a 12 rating but it wouldn't wash elsewhere.
    Edited by 1 at 20/11/08 @ 16:24

  • Dr.Mott #15 3 years ago

    Turns out, that Byron woman who did the report, is married to Terry off The Bill. Don't know what that has to do with anything, but there you go.

  • Albull #16 3 years ago

    I really don't understand, can someone clear this up for me?

    On my copy of Fallout 3 there is a big red BBFC 18 rating in the lower left hand corner. This big red blob is considerably larger than the one to be found on my copy of Die Hard, Predator, Aliens, Big Booty Biatches... you get the picture.

    As has previously been said, can we not see that the rating of the games is not the issue as, quite simply, they ARE rated.

    Of course cruddy parenting is mostly to blame (even if the government can't admit that as there is nothing they can do about it) but I also think a key problem is the use of the word "games" to describe the industry. "Game" brings up images of kids playing, it has an innocent quality (much like anime which most people will see as cartoons and therefore kiddy whether it be Top Cat and Pokemon or Perfect Blue and Urotsukidôji). Of course "interactive computer based media" doesn't roll off the tongue quite as well but maybe this is something we need to think about as "game" just gives the wrong people the wrong impression.

    People who will carp and complain about violent video games damaging our children need to be made to understand that these are not games in the sense that they understand the word.

    /rant
    Edited by 1 at 21/11/08 @ 13:18