The UK’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has decided that the PAN European Game Information (PEGI) age rating system will become the sole ratings solution for videogames in the UK, denying the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) to become the UK’s lone age rating system for both games and film.

While the BBFC stated that a single, unified organisation would be the easiest route for parents to find out about a particular game’s age rating, The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) argued that such an arrangement would not be suited to games, and heavily promoted the adoption of PEGI for the UK’s game ratings needs, as that system has already been adopted by most of Europe, and has been in use since 2003.

ELSPA general director Mike Rawlinson said in a statement regarding the decision by the DCMS: “The Government has made absolutely the right decision for child safety. By choosing PEGI as the single classification system in the UK, British children will now get the best possible protection when playing video games either on a console or on the internet.”

”Parents can be assured that they will have access to clear, uniform ratings on games and an accurate understanding of game content.

”Today’s decision will ensure that games ratings stay relevant and adapt to the changing nature of videogames for many years to come. Retailers will now have clear, legal backing to help them prevent access to unsuitable content by children.”

The ELSPA, which includes members such as Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony and others, will continue to work with both the UK government and the BBFC to ensure that the transition to the PEGI ratings will be “smooth and rapid.”

There is not, as of yet, a solid, set in stone date for when the PEGI ratings system will be in full effect in the UK, but it seems as though the system will rather be slowly adopted by publishers, developers and retailers in the future.

Additionally, a list of PEGI age symbols was revealed, which will appear on both the front and back of a game’s packaging to ensure high visibility. The ratings range from three to eighteen years of age, and “provide a reliable indication of the suitability of the game content in terms of protection of minors.”

Another set of symbols provide a more accurate guide to the kind of content present in the game on which they appear, with content in the following categories: Online Game, Violence, Bad Language, Fear, Sex, Drugs, Discrimination and Gambling.