How Games Get Rated in South Africa
How Games Get Rated in South Africa
June 23, 2009
If you woke up this morning wondering who handles video game content rating chores in South Africa, Johannesburg newspaper The Times explains all.
American parents rely on the ESRB while mums and dads in the U.K. will be turning exclusively to PEGI by year's end. In South Africa, however, the Film and Publications Board is responsible for issuing age guidelines for game content. Ratings run from PG, 13, 16 and 18. The Times explains:
Games rated PG contain no references to drugs, no foul language and no nudity, but may contain “minimal violence in playful, comic or highly stylis ed settings”...
Further, games rated 13 are similarly restricted in terms of drug references, foul language and nudity, but may contain “sequences of mild violence”, provided there is “no mutilation or dismemberment of animal or human bodies”.
The 16+ classification makes allowances for drug reference — provided they do not glamorise their use — and some nudity, provided it is not tied to incentives within the game. But with regard to violence, the game may include sequences of intense violence in graphic detail. Mutilation and dismemberment may occur in animated contexts.
The FPB's mission statement mentions that it seeks to maintain "relevance to the values and norms of South African society through scientific research."
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Posted 03/22/10 at 02:42am
ZippyDSMlee: Like most train wrecks it wont help people much and cost us more in the end than what we would benefit from it.....
ZippyDSMlee: Like most train wrecks it wont help people much and cost us more in the end than what we would benefit from it.....
Posted 03/22/10 at 02:37am
TBoneTony: Great to see MA go to the back bench in SA, hope that new AG is more ballanced
TBoneTony: Great to see MA go to the back bench in SA, hope that new AG is more ballanced
Posted 03/22/10 at 02:36am
TBoneTony: Oh there it is
TBoneTony: Oh there it is
Posted 03/22/10 at 02:36am
TBoneTony: Shout is not working for me at the moment
TBoneTony: Shout is not working for me at the moment
Posted 03/22/10 at 02:34am
SimonBob: (Would you like to rent our Green party? We're not doing anything with it.)
SimonBob: (Would you like to rent our Green party? We're not doing anything with it.)
Posted 03/22/10 at 02:31am
SimonBob: hey america: I was watching CNN earlier, and I was thinking, you guys could use a third party.
SimonBob: hey america: I was watching CNN earlier, and I was thinking, you guys could use a third party.
Posted 03/21/10 at 10:12pm
Valdearg: They beat the parliamentary trick. The senate bill is officially law, pending the President's signature. Now they vote on the fixes to that bill, in the next 15 minutes or so.
Valdearg: They beat the parliamentary trick. The senate bill is officially law, pending the President's signature. Now they vote on the fixes to that bill, in the next 15 minutes or so.
Posted 03/21/10 at 10:04pm
gellymatos: Vald: No worries. I do it all the time. Trying to break the habit.
gellymatos: Vald: No worries. I do it all the time. Trying to break the habit.
Posted 03/21/10 at 10:01pm
Valdearg: @Gelly: Sorry for jumping to conclusions, LOL.. I guess I read your text in a depressed voice in my head. :D
Valdearg: @Gelly: Sorry for jumping to conclusions, LOL.. I guess I read your text in a depressed voice in my head. :D
Posted 03/21/10 at 10:00pm
Valdearg: I'm staying up late, watching CSPAN and MSNBC, and cheering each and every democrat victory.
Valdearg: I'm staying up late, watching CSPAN and MSNBC, and cheering each and every democrat victory.
Posted 03/21/10 at 10:00pm
Valdearg: Yes indeedy. Even Abortion rights got gutted. Obama's going to pass an EO ensuring no federal funds are used for abortions.
Valdearg: Yes indeedy. Even Abortion rights got gutted. Obama's going to pass an EO ensuring no federal funds are used for abortions.
Posted 03/21/10 at 09:59pm
gellymatos: Vald: Who said I didn't like it? I'd get a drink out if there wasn't anything where I am at.
gellymatos: Vald: Who said I didn't like it? I'd get a drink out if there wasn't anything where I am at.
Posted 03/21/10 at 09:59pm
gellymatos: Vald:Well, pretty good day, wouldn't you say?
gellymatos: Vald:Well, pretty good day, wouldn't you say?
Posted 03/21/10 at 09:58pm
Valdearg: Dont sound so depressed, Gelly. This bill will help people get healthcare, who can't now. It's a perfectly Christian idea.
Valdearg: Dont sound so depressed, Gelly. This bill will help people get healthcare, who can't now. It's a perfectly Christian idea.
Posted 03/21/10 at 09:57pm
gellymatos: Well, it's happened. The House Passed the Health Care Bill. Now things get interesting, to say the least.
gellymatos: Well, it's happened. The House Passed the Health Care Bill. Now things get interesting, to say the least.
Posted 03/21/10 at 09:56pm
Valdearg: YES WE CAN!!! YES WE CAN!!! MAJOR HCR Vote passed!! Assuming no idocy, we could see it as law TOMORROW!!!!!!
Valdearg: YES WE CAN!!! YES WE CAN!!! MAJOR HCR Vote passed!! Assuming no idocy, we could see it as law TOMORROW!!!!!!
Posted 03/21/10 at 06:23pm
Andrew Eisen: No, I think I'll stay safe and warm in my own little world where Provolone is king and that... other cheese... doesn't exist.
Andrew Eisen: No, I think I'll stay safe and warm in my own little world where Provolone is king and that... other cheese... doesn't exist.
Posted 03/21/10 at 06:22pm
JDKJ: I wish the Speaker would ask me for what purpose does the member rise.
JDKJ: I wish the Speaker would ask me for what purpose does the member rise.
Posted 03/21/10 at 06:18pm
JDKJ: Provolone?! Please! Try aged Blue Stilton. Also known as Zippy Ass-Crack Cheese.
JDKJ: Provolone?! Please! Try aged Blue Stilton. Also known as Zippy Ass-Crack Cheese.
Posted 03/21/10 at 06:13pm
Andrew Eisen: Nothing beats Provolone.
Andrew Eisen: Nothing beats Provolone.
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Comments
I imagine Resident Evil 5 was insta-banned, unless... wait, is South Africa the white part of Africa?
---You are likely to be eaten by a Grue.
Looking at the FPB site, it doesn't appear to ban anything other than child pornography. Can't find a rating for Resident Evil 5 but then again, I couldn't find a rating for any video game.
Andrew Eisen
You're right Andrew, we haven't had anything banned over here.
As for Resident Evil 5's age restriction, I couldn't find it anywhere on the disk cover and I'm not really sure if the game came in a box... If it did, maybe the rating was on there.
By the way, I was searching through some other games and noticed that the FPB's age restriction features very little, if at all. Instead, I found a ton of ratings belonging to PEGI and ESRB; mostly PEGI. So I'm not sure where The Times is getting its information from... Perhaps the FPB just checks the game.
Perhaps it was originally written in Afrikaans and got lost in the translation, but I wonder what sort of "scientific research" the South African Films and Publication Board does. And why an agency seemingly dedicated to rating media content would ever have a need to conduct scientific research.
The Times is an english paper, so I doubt anything was lost in the translation. :P
Actually, I was referring to the FPB's website content.
English as well as far as I know. You'll be hard-pressed to find anything involving government using Afrikaans.
Why does it not say about the 18 rated games?? It stops at 16+.
By "rely on", do you actually mean "ignore totally"?
/b
Didn't you know that video game ratings are really magical runes that prevent anyone under the agte posted on the game from even touching it.
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma
Weird. So is South Africa doing anything to curb the Black Sub Saharan African tribes view in South Africa that raping toddlers cures aids which has caused South Africa to be the rape capitol of the world?
Or what they don’t want to seem racist? It sounds like to me, they have better things to do then worry what type of video games are played by kids when you got little kids being raped in massive numbers in South Africa because Black Shamans and tribes men are preaching raping toddlers will cure Aids. Even Oprah did a special on that, surprisingly.
I’m not quite sure what your point is…
The FPB simply classify games but they leave the right to choose up to the buyer. They don’t enforce their classifications. So I doubt any of those involved in combating rape (or any crime for that matter) are being pestered by them; like lawyers, law enforcement, etc.
Like the previous commenter, I have no idea what your point is.
But, regarding your comment, the "sex with a virgin cures AIDS" myth is only a part of the reason that South Africa has so many problems with rape. (Though it's the primary reason that child and even infant rape is so rampant). They also rape lesbians to "cure" them of the tokolos (demon) inside them, and there are quite literally wandering gangs of young men that consider gang rape a sport.
An international organization did a survey a few years back, and one in three women they talked to had been raped in the previous three months.
The ignorance in the country (and, indeed, many parts of the world) is staggering, and it's in spite of attempts by the outside world to educate them - just look at their presidents. Their last president, Mbeki, was very vocal in saying that AIDS and HIV were not related. Their current president, Zuma - during an investigation into his rape of an HIV positive woman (he claimed it was consensual) said that it was "ok because he took a bath afterwards to wash the disease off". That's their president.
Weird, you didn't mention Obama once.
Are you feeling ok? I'm a little worried!
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Too busy prattling on about how the shamen are whipping the tribesmen into toddler-raping, AIDS-curing frenzies down in British-owned South Africa.
For gods sake GP, how many more times do you need to be told that the UK is NOT going to PEGI, they are using PEGI as a basis for a newly designed ratings system. That's in their own words.
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Technically the United Kingdom still owns South Africa and various other nations like Jamaica.
Could you elaborate on how the UK apparently still owns South Africa, because I find that extremely difficult to believe.
Actually, I think that's just nonsense in general.
Just so you know and don't end up proceeding on the basis of any unreasonable expectations, Ol' Doc Kefka is as crazy, batshit-shit insane as they come.
Rofl, thanks for the warning. xD
Seriously, you should go check out some of his previous posts. Good reading material.
Um...The PEGI will be the body rating the games with override ability and enforcement assigned to the VSC. I don't see how GP's comment is in any way misleading or incorrect.
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma
The exact wording is "PEGI will form the basis for a new ratings body".
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.