UK retailers can go to prison for selling adult games to kids

by Ben Salter Featured 9 Comments 27 Votes 1432 Views 11/05/2012 Back to News

Age restrictions for video games in the UK will be more thoroughly policed to be brought in-line with the rest of Europe.

Games in the UK will now be rated by the Video Standards Council using the PEGI classification system, rather than the British Board of Film Classification, reports the BBC.

The revamp means that retailers caught selling games to children under the advertised age can face prison time. However, it does not apply to online sales.

"It will give parents greater confidence that their children can only get suitable games while we are creating a simpler system for the industry having their games age-rated," explained Creative Industries Minister Ed Vaizey

A marketing campaign will launch soon after the changes to help people become more aware of the classification system.

Australia also carries a maximum penalty of prison time for selling mature video games to children below the restricted age; although, even the minimum penalties are rarely enforced.

By Ben Salter - Bio

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UK retailers can go to prison for selling adult games to kids Comments

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Kudos: 10,518

LMA0

Kids with a recent divorce, emotionally depress, ignorant and alcoholic mother with a drug addict boyfriend will still buy any game for their spoilt kids anyways.

11/05/2012

Outer West Sydney aka The Ghetto

Kudos: 71,397

Silence

Parents should by the games for their kids, but refuse to disclose the parental lock password [MOG]

11/05/2012

I'm from the Internet. Nothing I say is original.

Kudos: 1,065

Diagonis83

I'm sorry but I've heard all this before.
It never happens.
I'd love to see shifty curtains at the back of stores for adult products. Where things aren't on shelves for kids to see.

11/05/2012

Claptrap "I'm over here, just listen to the sound of my soothing voice"

Kudos: 31,131

IAMColonel

Do they have some kind of RSA (responsible service of alcohol) system in place? Take the onus away from the stores and into the individual, otherwise how do they punish the employee??

If they don't, I can't see how they can send someone for prison, surely you could get out of any punishment by saying you lacked training?

11/05/2012

Melbourne

Kudos: 10,518

LMA0

Sometimes there's 'mystery shoppers' where they go to shops and do reviews which they give information for market research companies or watchdog organizations or internally by companies themselves to measure quality of service or compliance to regulation. It be good if they use these mystery shoppers to catch these stores doing the wrong thing.

I use to be a Mystery Shopper few years ago reviewing electronic stores which I did some reviews and providing information, it was good because I got payed for doing it and I felt like I was spy or a A Current Affairs undercover journalist doing my undercover skills to work like taking pictures and video recordings on my well concealed camera. [MOG]

11/05/2012

Outer West Sydney aka The Ghetto

Kudos: 40,736

Desi

"It will give parents greater confidence that their children can only get suitable games while we are creating a simpler system for the industry having their games age-rated," explained Creative Industries Minister Ed Vaizey

I fail to see what is so difficult about a system that categorises games based on the recommended age of the player, with a nice big graphic to communicate this information right on the front cover of the game.

When will they realise that it's not because the system is hard to use, but because no one cares?

11/05/2012

And I love starting sentences with conjunctions! >=D

Kudos: 25

MHunter

I worked for Game for more than 2years, and the law should be this if parents buy underage games for their kids they should go to prison. Simple as, you know how many parents would come in and lie out their teeth and by GTA IV for their six year olds. Made me sick then they wonder why their kids are so rude and have no manners. I say throw the parents in jail for buying the games and watching as their kids indulge in violence, sex, drugs and all manner of f@cked up shit.

11/05/2012

Kudos: 71,397

Silence

I watched some pretty messed up things as a kid, but I turned out more-or-less normal. While I do agree that buying GTA for a six-year-old is bad parenting, it doesn't warrant jail time. It should be at most a fine, but even that's pushing it really.

The real problem is parents not taking responsibility for the decisions they make. It's so much easier to blame the government or the creators than to admit your own fault. What sucks most about it however, is that nobody in power calls parents out on their irresponsibility.

11/05/2012

I'm from the Internet. Nothing I say is original.

Kudos: 10,518

LMA0

It depends on the parents. If children witness violence, sex, drugs or crime the parents need to educate what they witness and tell them what's right, what is wrong and the consequences of those actions.
The parents also need to learn about games today because most parents think video games are just devices for kids and they don't know what the kids are playing these days are not like games 20 years ago.

11/05/2012

Outer West Sydney aka The Ghetto

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