Gaming
Government plans cinema-style game ratings
Published Monday, Feb 11 2008, 12:22 GMT | By David Gibbon
Video games will soon carry a legally enforceable, cinema-style age rating in a bid to prevent youngsters from buying more adult-orientated titles, claims a new report.
A new classification system is to be announced that would make it illegal to sell adult-style games to minors, with ministers also planning to hand out advice to parents on how to protect youngsters from harmful video games, including keeping consoles and computers out of bedrooms and with the family.
According to The Guardian, the Department for Children, School and Families claims that: "Ministers are anxious to strike a balance between the entertainment, knowledge and pleasure children gain from highly profitable internet and computer games, as well as the dangers inherent in the unregulated world of the net and its overuse by children."
The report adds that MP Julian Brazier plans to give powers for a new body to appeal against decisions made by the BBFC on video game and DVD classification.
A new classification system is to be announced that would make it illegal to sell adult-style games to minors, with ministers also planning to hand out advice to parents on how to protect youngsters from harmful video games, including keeping consoles and computers out of bedrooms and with the family.
According to The Guardian, the Department for Children, School and Families claims that: "Ministers are anxious to strike a balance between the entertainment, knowledge and pleasure children gain from highly profitable internet and computer games, as well as the dangers inherent in the unregulated world of the net and its overuse by children."
The report adds that MP Julian Brazier plans to give powers for a new body to appeal against decisions made by the BBFC on video game and DVD classification.
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