Body bares teeth as ELSPA warns publishers: ‘Abuse new system and risk your future’
ELSPA has quashed any suggestion that the PEGI classification model will be ‘weaker’ than the BBFC regime – warning publishers they risk bankruptcy if they try to cheat the system.
Under the new model, publishers will fill in a questionnaire on the content of their game and submit it to PEGI and the Video Standards Council – who will then decide on an appropriate rating.
Publishers caught telling lies in their questionnaire will face fines of up to €500,000 – and could even see their games stripped from the shelves of all European retailers.
“I’m confident that publishers will be truthful,” ELSPA director general Michael Rawlinson told MCV. “We will all lose out as an industry if this system is not seen to be absolutely transparent and absolutely followed by the publishing community.
“More importantly, if a publisher misleads PEGI, they will be fined up to half a million Euros – and be refused official ratings. That will prevent them from publishing on all major platforms in Europe.”
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Director of communications and public affairs at ELSPA Tim Wapshott added: “If you deliberately mislead us, you will be thrown out. In the worst-case scenario, you will be disqualified from releasing a game anywhere across Europe.
"That means we effectively bankrupt you as a profit-making organisation. No other system [such as the BBFC] could say: ‘You know what? You’ve just lost about a third of the world’s sales in one go. And we don’t owe you anything to say we’ll ever change our mind.’”
However, Rawlinson also moved to reassure publishers who make an honest error when filling out the PEGI questionnaire.
He added: “If there’s a genuine mistake then you shouldn’t be worried. In fact, PEGI has always been available to assist publishers in the completion of the process.
“Before your game’s finished, if you need advice or help, PEGI is always happy to look at pre-release code.
“If people approach it genuinely and say, “I’m not sure”, that’s fine. It’s when they deliberately mislead that the problems arise.”
Comments
Was THIS the problem?
See I was under the impression the whole thing about the BBFC/PEGI thing was about RETAILERS selling games to the wrong people...and the end consumers not being informed enough when doing their purchase and that they needed help by clearer images (wake up USK) more than publishers rating the games wrong and trying to cheat the rating system?
I remember Hot Coffee, fine, but how many more games have had the problem with a publisher deliberately trying to do the wrong thing??
No more Hot Coffe
Rockstar be affraid !!
Not quite the problem, but...
At a time when certain elements are claiming PEGI's weakness, and implying that the industry lobbied for it for self-serving reasons (see this week's Times), it's good to see ELSPA reminding us Just how strong the system can be. Sure, these powers might (hopefully) never have to be used, but the knowledge they exist is one in the eye for PEGI's detractors.
Get real
Filling out a questionnaire? Are you serious? Why not play the games yourselves and determine a rating based on the experience?
Warnings and chest-puffing such as this only makes me question their self-consciousness about their impotence.
my chidren smoke
As a completley inept and dumb parent I have been following the recent PEGI, BBFC , Rating dilema with great interest, but more importantly whilst reading tonights installments and enjoying a soothing cigarette I realised ther was nothing on my pack indicating that they were for +18s only. As such and seeing as I obviously require the help of an external body to direct me on what is suitable for my 13 and 11 year old children we are all now chocking back on cigars and debating wether or or not this is just a deliberate attempt to stealth tax an already overstretched industry or if indeed there is a legitimate interest in consumer saftey. I have to go now as my youngest child his driving me down to the pub for a few cold ones. Oh god if only ther had been a 18 rating on the bonnett to tell me this was wrong. Come on Tim play the game why not just introduce a standard classification advise that if your children are completley retarded they may be in danger of buying RED FACTION and at some point in the future be responsible for wiping out there nieghbours with a nano gun. Be responsible Tim dont be GREEDY.
Disclaimer
Following my last comments I would like to reassure all readers that I no way condone the underage use of smoking and driving, and as such hope this dissclaimer will make me exempt from a 1millon euro fine and my subsequent banning from this forum, However unless I am mistaken there is as yet no restriction on FREE SPEECH!
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