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PEGI ratings become UK law for PS Vita and Nintendo 3DS games

Stronger penalties imposed and BBFC scrapped

PEGI ratings become UK law for PS Vita and Nintendo 3DS games
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Yes, as of today, those PEGI age ratings that sit at the bottom of your PS Vita and Nintendo 3DS games have become official UK law.

Previously, they had been more of a gentle suggestion as to the appropriateness of video game content for younger players - which was confusing, for they weren't the only ratings standard used in the UK.

The PEGI rating now fully replaces the old BBFC rating, so you should no longer see any DVD-style '18' or '15' stamps on your games. This is a good thing, as PEGI - or Pan European Game Information - is a dedicated gaming standard that provides a finer level of guidance.

There are five PEGI rating categories: 3, 7, 12, 16, and 18. Anyone caught breaking the rules by selling games to underage customers will be liable to a £5,000 fine and a maximum six years in jail.

"Today's simplification of the ratings system benefits both industry and consumers and will help ensure that the millions of games sold in the UK each year are being played by the audiences they were intended for," UK Culture Minister Ed Vaizey said while playing a quick round of Pokemon Conquest.

Possibly.

VG247
Jon Mundy
Jon Mundy
Jon is a consummate expert in adventure, action, and sports games. Which is just as well, as in real life he's timid, lazy, and unfit. It's amazing how these things even themselves out.