"Not all parents have grown up playing computer games – it can
be difficult to understand that you might be allowing your child to
play the interactive equivalent of Kill Bill. Now there is no
excuse," said Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell.
From May, all newly manufactured computer games rated 15 or 18
by the British Board of Film Classification will carry a
description of content on the back of the packaging. Age symbols
will also double in size.
The move follows a meeting between Government officials and
the games industry to find ways of stopping 18+ games getting into
the hands of children. According to Government figures, only 1.6%
of games have this rating, but they account for 8% of sales.
The voluntary measure has the approval of the Government,
manufacturers, retailers and ELSPA (the Entertainment & Leisure
Software Publishers Association). However, as it is not a legal
requirement, games which are still on the shelves in May but that
do not carry the new symbols will not have to be removed.
The Government and industry are currently exploring the
possibility of a voluntary classification system for downloadable
games, and a revised code of practice for retailers is expected to
be published shortly.
