In an exclusive talk with Gamesindustry.biz, Ramsdale claimed that ”The government’s proposed changes to the existing age rating systems will create further delays in getting hit games to the UK.”
”An extra and unnecessary layer of administration beyond a single system slows the process, and that delay will get passed on to the players themselves.”
The report, carried out by Dr. Tanya Byron, suggested that more games should be rated by the BBFC, especially for games that require a 12 rating or higher. The role of the current European PEGI ratings, which are not bound by law but backed by the publishers, would be scaled back to games that don’t need a12 rating.
”Every time you add a new standard, game developers have to guess what the censors are looking for. If there’s more than one standard in the UK, and across Europe, that can only equal delays in getting games to market and into the hands of British players.”
Ramsdale has urged the government to ask consumers what they would like to see with regards to ratings before making any decisions.
