EL33TONLINE: News tag archive: bbfc

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.”

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The Video Appeals Committee has upheld the appeal against the rejection of Manhunt 2 by the BBFC. The BBFC has since issued an 18 certificate for the game in the UK.

The BBFC previously refused to issue a certificate to Manhunt 2 but the appeal to the VAC was successful. Thereafter the BBFC brought the VAC’s decision before the High Court, challenging it by way of Judicial Review, where the decision was quashed based on errors of law. The VAC reconsidered the appeal with the High Court’s directions in mind and allowed the appeal (by a majority of four to three) with Manhunt 2 being given an 18 certificate and getting the green light to go on sale in the UK.

David Cooke, Director of the BBFC said “As I have said previously, we never take rejection decisions lightly, and they always involve a complex balance of considerations. We twice rejected Manhunt 2, and then pursued a judicial review challenge, because we considered, after exceptionally thorough examination, that it posed a real potential harm risk.”

“However, the Video Appeals Committee has again exercised its independent scrutiny. It is now clear, in the light of this decision, and our legal advice, that we have no alternative but to issue an ‘18’ certificate to the game.”