RETAILERS FACE PROSECUTION if they sell video games to children under certain age limits in the UK, now that a new video game rating system has been legally enforced.

The BBC reports the the UK has introduced video game ratings using the Pan-European Game Information (Pegi) system, which has been voluntarily adopted by many European countries but is not legally enforceable in all.

The Pegi system includes age ratings for entertainment content in order to provide guidance for consumers.

It has the support of the European Commission and its website states that it is “considered to be a model of European harmonisation in the field of the protection of children”.

Ratings

The labels appear on the front and the back of the video game packaging and say either 3; 7; 12; 16; or 18.

• Pegi 3 means that the content is suitable for all age groups, should be totally fantasy and not likely to frighten children.
• If games contain some scenes that might be frightening, they receive a Pegi 7 rating.
• Pegi 12 is for videogames that show violence of a “slightly more graphic nature towards fantasy characters”, or violence towards human-looking characters or animals.
• Pegi 16 means that the game contains violence or sexual activity that “looks the same as would be expected in real life”. Games which show bad language or the use of drugs or criminal activities would also be included here.
• The final rating is Pegi 18, which is applied because there is gross violence which would make the viewer feel a sense of revulsion. On the back of the packaging there is an explanation of what sort of elements led to the game’s rating.

There is also a Pegi OK label, which shows that anyone of any age could play the game.

Now the UK government has dropped the British Board of Film Classification ratings for video games and the Pegi ratings of 12, 16 and 18 have become legally enforceable.

A website called Ask About Games has been introduced to inform parents and game players about the changes.

Read: Warning: Video games are breaking limbs>

Read: Girls spend more time playing online games>