The Byron Review

In the making for 7 months now, the Byron Review was finally published today. And while I’ve yet to read it fully (I really don’t have the time, it’s 226 pages long!), media outlets have gotten a hold of it, and Tanya Byron herself has been doing the rounds on various new programmes. Hit the cut for my comments, thoughts and opinions.

So, what’s been suggested? Primarily, a standardised ratings system and an increase in parental awareness. Both of which I feel are steps in the right direction. At the moment, games are only submitted to the BBFC if they contain violence or sex scenes, and any that are not submitted are rated using the PEGI system. The consensus seems to be that under the new proposals all games would be classified by one body, using a ‘movie-style’ ratings system.

This new system will apparently be a hybrid of PEGI and BBFC. Every game will receive a PEGI rating, and games that PEGI deems as being for ages 12+ will be submitted to the BBFC for approval, regardless of content. Confusingly, both ratings will be printed on the box, however the PEGI one will be consigned to the back.

So, lets get this straight; “parents are confused by the two sets of ratings currently being used by PEGI and the BBFC”. So the solution is to…use both, and let confusion continue? Somehow this seems like a cop out, especially given the flak the BBFC has received lately over the Manhunt debacle, and that the industry tends to prefer the PEGI rating system. At the end of the day, games aren’t films. The BBFC was set up to rate films, while PEGI was set up to rate games. The clue is in the names, really. The BBFC claim they’re up to the task, so I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Alongside this so-called standardisation must come an increase in awareness for parents. Which, the government has decided, the industry must pay for. This is the same industry that is having its pleas for tax breaks and financial incentives ignored by the government in the recent budget.
What I have read of the report seems to be very level-headed, which makes an awfully refreshing change in this situation. But clearly the media isn’t going to comment with such fairness. Special mention must go to The Times, who have taken a very sensationalist viewpoint. This article is so ridiculously overblown it’s untrue, and actually leaves me genuinely scared as to what the likes of The Daily Mail will print. Another article in today’s edition states that “<the Wii puts> the fun back into playing”. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been having plenty of fun since well before the Wii turned up. Plus, endless mini-game collections aren’t fun (but that, along with the state of the British multi-format sales charts is a rant for another time). The box outs in the first article are especially bad:

• “Dirty Money” - What, exactly, makes money earned by video games dirty? They cite the Halo 3 launch, but really, as games go it wasn’t overly violent. There isn’t much blood, and you’re fighting aliens in a clearly fantasy world.
• Six of the Worst:
  • GTAIV - They claim that “In the latest instalment, players run over pedestrians, kill police, visit prostitutes and are encouraged to drink-drive”. I don’t remember being encouraged to do anything in GTA. That is what is so special about the game. You can do anything, but you don’t have to.
  • Bully - When will people see past the name and understand that this isn’t actually a game in which you bully anyone.
  • Resident Evil 4 - They’re just clutching at straws now, aren’t they? Oh no, a pitchfork, run to the hills. Like nothing worse has happened in films.

Overall, I think this is a Good Thing, but really I’ve barely touched the surface. Most of this was written this morning, before the internet well and truly flooded with response. There’s plenty of other comments out there, but for news your best place to start is GamesIndustry.biz.

~ by Seniath on March 27, 2008.