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UK games industry opens site for parents

7 December 2005 11:24 by James "Dela" Delahunty | 2 comments

The UK games industry trade body, the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (Elspa) has opened a new website aimed at helping parents decide what games they should allow their children to play. Askaboutgames.com details what kind of material children will be exposed to based on the rating of the games. The games industry hopes that this will show parents that games are as well regulated as other entertainment products.

A recent survey showed that most parents completely ignore game age ratings and let their children play whatever games they want. "Armed with the facts on game ratings, parents will be able to buy games for their children for Christmas and throughout the year with the assurance that they are not being exposed to content unsuitable for their age," said Elspa director general Roger Bennett.

Minister for the Creative Industries James Purnell welcomed the effort saying it is important that parents understand game age ratings. "Too often parents unwittingly allow their children to play unsuitable games," he said. "I'd like to remind parents to look carefully at the games they are putting in their children's stockings this Christmas."

Even though there is so much attention on the subject of violent or sexually explicit games right now (and has been for the past few years), games rated 18s account for a very small percentage of all games released. Between January 2003 and July 2004, only 16 of the 1,208 games on sale in the UK had a 18+ certificate.

Source:
BBC News

Permalink to this article

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Discuss this article!
Mik3h (AfterDawn Addict) 7 December 2005 13:47
Hmm.. wonder how many parents will actually visit the site.. lol. -Mike [ + quote]
jdeboer (Newbie) 7 December 2005 17:07
hahah parents are just so lazy. two simple steps to find out if the game is good for ur kids. READ the title of them game.. game called KILLZONE or "condemned criminal origins" should lend a hint. How hard is it too turn the game around and read the back. How is the next generation of gamers going to be de-sensitized to violence if they can't play 50 CENTS BULLETPROOF!!!!, mwuaha. (two wrongs don't make a right, but three do) [ + quote]