ELSPA, which represents U.K. game publishers, has vowed to fight on in its bid to have content rating chores assigned to PEGI rather than the British Board of Film Classification, gamesindustry.biz reports.
The PEGI-BBFC debate has become rather a long-running sideshow in the U.K., where government officials seem to prefer the BBFC, the industry wants PEGI and no one seems in the mood to compromise. ELSPA boss Paul Jackson spoke to gi.biz of his organization's determination:
Nobody is saying for a second that if government brings in a regulation for a videogames act of parliament that our members won't fight it. Of course they will. At the end of the day we're a very law-abiding industry and we'll fight our corner right the way through. If there's a legislative process we'll fight that as well.
I think [government officials are] listening now. I have a real sense that the arguments we're making are so well-founded in fact that they're impossible to not listen to...
Fifteen years ago when we set up our own age ratings without anybody asking us to, we did it entirely off our own backs to make sure there was child protection. I don't think there is the slightest doubt that this industry isn't serious, coherent and of one mind of where we're going.
Comments
Re: ELSPA Not Giving Up the Fight over U.K. Game Ratings
Backfired? You think I'm not still offended because youre british? It makes it worse that youre overgeneralising your own view of the country to the views of everyone.
Re: ELSPA Not Giving Up the Fight over U.K. Game Ratings
I must have missed the memo that said Britain has now been classified as perfect and is no longer above scrutiny. That IS my view of the country. The younger generations are being suffocated because of the older generations fear of change and preference for living in the 'glory days' of the past.
Re: ELSPA Not Giving Up the Fight over U.K. Game Ratings
I didnt say it was perfect or that you werent entitled to your own opinion so try and make an actually counterpoint next time. What I said was overgeneralisation of minority opinion to the majority is offensive to those excluded by it, its not a 'typical brit' thing to hang on to things for the sake of it, you can call specific people out for it, but generalise it to the populace at large and youre making broad sweeping remarks without regard to facts.
Re: ELSPA Not Giving Up the Fight over U.K. Game Ratings
You mean like your doing?
Re: ELSPA Not Giving Up the Fight over U.K. Game Ratings
I said before to try making a full counterpoint, were you not paying attention?
How escatly was I ignoring the facts?
Re: ELSPA Not Giving Up the Fight over U.K. Game Ratings
For a start you seem to be representing yourself as speaking for a quite possibly non-existant majority, whereas I was just stating my own personal opinion.
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Re: ELSPA Not Giving Up the Fight over U.K. Game Ratings
Thats not how I'm representing myself, go back and look at my first response.
All I was saying is thats you were the one making assumptions about the majority of the population for stating that its a 'typical brit' thing to do such and such. thats making generalisation about an entire country, not outlining personal opinions. Now if you levied that critisism against individuals then there wouldnt be as much of a problem, nor would it be a problem if you said it as you did in the shotbox and aimed the remark toward the government or even the bbfc, thats not the issue, the issue is thats you generalised it to everyone in the country by stating it was a typical brit thing, and thats just untrue, and thats the only case where either of us were trying to make a sweeping statement representing the majority.
Re: ELSPA Not Giving Up the Fight over U.K. Game Ratings
You feel it is untrue does not equal it is untrue, any more than my opinion does. Every time you look at small town newspapers, you see locals (usually in a higher age demographic) fighting changes. Everywhere I look in Britain I see the older generations desperately trying to keep Britain as it 'used to be' rather than move it forwards.
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Re: ELSPA Not Giving Up the Fight over U.K. Game Ratings
Still, those opinions, while being more vocal are no more representative than yours or mine and making the assumption they are is just as flawed. the majoraty are not always the vocal groups. This is the problem, and making generalisations based on assumed majorities only serves to stand in the way of rational analysis of the situation as it really is. And thats the point I'm trying to make.
Re: ELSPA Not Giving Up the Fight over U.K. Game Ratings
And the point I'm trying to make is that I shouldn't have to say 'In my opinion' before everything I say, since it should be a given that any broad statement is self-evidently my opinion.
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Re: ELSPA Not Giving Up the Fight over U.K. Game Ratings
An opinion on something like beverage preference needs no amending, making statement thats attribute beliefs and attitudes to others based on your assumptions is something not in the realm of opinion.
Re: ELSPA Not Giving Up the Fight over U.K. Game Ratings
Maybe in your opinion.
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Re: ELSPA Not Giving Up the Fight over U.K. Game Ratings
YAWN
Re: ELSPA Not Giving Up the Fight over U.K. Game Ratings
Pft, typical american response. ;)
Re: ELSPA Not Giving Up the Fight over U.K. Game Ratings
Damn redcoat! :P
Re: ELSPA Not Giving Up the Fight over U.K. Game Ratings
if you love the constitution so much, why don't you marry it. :)
Re: ELSPA Not Giving Up the Fight over U.K. Game Ratings
Yes, that sounds about right.
~You Could Be Mine, But You're Way Out Of Line..~
Re: ELSPA Not Giving Up the Fight over U.K. Game Ratings
I hope PEGI wins. :)
Re: ELSPA Not Giving Up the Fight over U.K. Game Ratings
Why not both again? Have them both have to ban a game for it to be banned, and have the ratings be side by side, even have a banned ranking for one if one bans it and the other doesnt... is that a win or no?
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Re: ELSPA Not Giving Up the Fight over U.K. Game Ratings
This comment sums up the BBFC/PEGI debate to a point.
Cheater87 represents PEGI, he is assuming that the industry are telling the truth and thus is just blindly ticking the box that says "I Love PEGI"
However, if you look into the methodologies and actually understand whats being debated you are taking the BBFC appoach and actually perfoming a critical analysis. Thus with full knowledge you are better able to make a reasoned decision and are more likely to tick the "I Love BBFC" box.
Re: ELSPA Not Giving Up the Fight over U.K. Game Ratings
Second.
I think PEGI is better - they don't arbitrarily ban games.
Re: ELSPA Not Giving Up the Fight over U.K. Game Ratings
Your reasoning is flawed. Ill let you read one of the multitude of other articles in which people explain at great length, including myself, why this is the case. Can't be arsed correcting every American kiddie that posts here anymore.
Re: ELSPA Not Giving Up the Fight over U.K. Game Ratings
They just arbitrarily rate them instead. Don't settle for the lesser of two evils; regardless of the BBFC's ability to refuse a rating, PEGI doesn't require the examiners to play the game or even see it in action. "Does it contain boobies?" "Yes." "Greg, put the boobies icon on the box."
Re: ELSPA Not Giving Up the Fight over U.K. Game Ratings
The ESRB does not play any games either.
Re: ELSPA Not Giving Up the Fight over U.K. Game Ratings
This is regarding the UK, so the ESRB doesn't do anything. The BBFC plays the games.