BBFC Says No One is Sure Who PEGI is

Just a bunch of blokes...

Posted by Staff
BBFC Says No One is Sure Who PEGI is
Director of the British Board of Film Classification, David Cooke, has - according to The Times - cast doubt on exactly who the Pan-European Game Information (PEGI) is.

According to the Times quote, Cooke says:

"The trouble is that it is not clear who PEGI is. Administration is handled by the Dutch film regulator, who subcontracts to a couple of blokes [the Video Standards Council] in Borehamwood."


The BBFC versus PEGI conflict has been stoked by Electronic Arts among other publishers who want to move to the PEGI Europe-wide system.

Cooke also points out that a Europe-wide single classification (the UK currently uses both PEGI and the BBFC) would fail to meet each participating nation's particular sensitivities.

"Look at what happens in film - there are different cultural sensititives in each country. The French give Tarantino films 12 certificates; I'd be out of a job tomorrow if I did that. But the point is that there is no reason why those cultural differences go to sleep when it comes to games."


Do gamers care one way or the other? So far, it would appear not. Are we wrong? Tell us in the Forum.

Source: The Times
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Comments

deleted 4 Jul 2008 23:54
1/7
I think that the UK classification is too sensitive, look at germany and hardcore pornography can be shown on late night TV, we cant legally get that on DVD`s,

the point about Tarrantino getting 12 in france as its seen as creative and artistic, over here its just the focus on blood and swearing gets it a 18+, the UK needs to grow up, and stop giggling like school girls.
trader 5 Jul 2008 07:29
2/7
Previous poster is wrong with a capital 'W' - the BBFC pass loads of this stuff now - check their website. Hardcore porn was legalised for DVD sale several years ago now - visit your local licensed sex shop to open your eyes.

Isn't it time the games world started to just get on with doing what they do best and produce some decent stuff for all us games players to play and let the regulators regulate....enough already.
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Daz 5 Jul 2008 15:26
3/7
As long as I get the games I want I don't give a rats arse who rates it.

And even if some people don't know who PEGI is surly to god they know what a big 16+ means
deleted 5 Jul 2008 19:06
4/7
trader wrote:
Previous poster is wrong with a capital 'W' - the BBFC pass loads of this stuff now - check their website. Hardcore porn was legalised for DVD sale several years ago now - visit your local licensed sex shop to open your eyes.


I wouldnt know :)
Smelly 7 Jul 2008 02:29
5/7
haritori wrote:
I think that the UK classification is too sensitive, look at germany and hardcore pornography can be shown on late night TV, we cant legally get that on DVD`s,



Using germany was a bad example. yes they dont have ANY hang ups over sex.

But they have LOTS of censorship laws regarding violence in media be it in games or movies/tv/etc.

Good luck getting any game past the german censors if it has red blood in it...

schnide 7 Jul 2008 10:07
6/7
In recent years I can't think of anything I wanted to see that I couldn't, and nothing that I didn't want to see that I could. I still think the BBFC were right to resist Manhunt 2 for example, without wishing to drag up that whole argument again, and so all in all it seems to me that the BBFC are pretty much spot on with what they're doing. You'll never have a perfect system, but I don't think PEGI comes close.
deleted 7 Jul 2008 13:31
7/7
schnide wrote:
In recent years I can't think of anything I wanted to see that I couldn't, and nothing that I didn't want to see that I could. I still think the BBFC were right to resist Manhunt 2 for example, without wishing to drag up that whole argument again, and so all in all it seems to me that the BBFC are pretty much spot on with what they're doing. You'll never have a perfect system, but I don't think PEGI comes close.


Schnide the first comment with sense regarding Manhunt i have heard on here.

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