Darren Waters, editor of BBC News' technology index, rips apart the BBFC, stating "The grudging nature of the BBFC's statement, that it now has "no alternative" but to grant the title a certificate, coupled with the fact the body went to the High Court, twice rejected the game itself and tried to overturn the original judgment of the VAC leaves the organization with its credibility bruised."
Others have come through to voice their concerns, as well. General consensus seems to be that the new classification system will fall squarely on the shoulders of PEGI (Pan European Game Information), another games classification system that is completely voluntary on the part of the game developers.
[Via Go Nintendo]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-20-2008 @ 3:48PM
ssuk said...
There have always been these calls. However, these people are hypocritical, because they're the same people who want enforced game ratings for games with adult content, yet, the only body which does that by law is the BBFC rating system. The voluntary ISFA (PEGI) system isn't held by law and 18+ PEGI rated games can be sold to everyone legally, where as a 18+ BBFC game can only be legally sold to persons of 18 years and older. (Same for the 15+ BBFC rating.)
The BBFC needs to modernise it's rating system, it should never have the ability to ban content. They should do their job and just give it the highest rating possible. It is not a bad rating system, however. The BBFC just needs to take it's head out of it's arse and embrace new content, especially when Manhunt 2 would have got sub-par sales anyway.
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3-20-2008 @ 3:55PM
Anthology said...
I have been supportive of the system, but i dont think it does much in the end. Kids still end up with Mature rated games and its not the game companies fault. It can be pointed towards the stores for selling them to kids, or more directly to the parents who dont care and buy the game for their kids. The game rating system should just be thrown out, since it hasnt done much except made games like Manhunt 2 tone down what they created. Ive seen far much worse things in movies that are rated R. The people who rate movies dont tell them to redo a scene that is too bad. We dont see CDs turned back to change lyrics because its too bad. So why should video game companies be made to change what they have created? Why not just put a label on the game like Parental Advisory to warn parents that the game may contain swearing, violence, blood, nudity. Another thing that upsets me is that these people that rate the games dont even play the games. It would be better if the people who rate the games were actual gamers and have seen and played through many different games. You know instead of just looking for bad things in games, they might actually have fun experiencing it while they play. But the general outlook on games is that they are for kids. Which is what i think is the biggest problem. If a game feels the need to add nudity, blood, killing, whatever...they should be able to add that. Just as much as a movie. I dont see how movies can show sex, real naked chicks, yet if a video game showed that it would be a huge story. Get real.
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3-20-2008 @ 4:04PM
stephane said...
The BBFC only has itself to blame, it didnt even blink when giving films like Ichi the Killer ,Hostel, Saw, Paradise Lost 18 certs. These films and many others like them are just gore fests which im sure are equal or perhaps worse than what would be found in Manhut 2. They have shown hypocrisy and a lack of consistency. Even if I dont play the game thank f*ck the VAC had the sense to sort this pathetic mess out.
Remember that film Baise Moi, The film that caused outrage on an International scale with its unsimulated sex, gang rape scenes, a man getting shot with a pistol UP HIS ASS (I sh*t you not)? Guess which classification board gave that an 18? Oh yeah the BBFC!
The idiots probably also were thinking of the murder which was blamed on the first Manhunt. Despite it was the victim that owned the game and not the killer as the police said in their official crime report.
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3-20-2008 @ 7:24PM
Perverted said...
You all cover excellent points, but I want to add: I find it strange that the parents of the kids that get these type of games and don't care....Seem to be wanting it banned? If they just tried to a little of a thing called parenting and watched their kids more.....But then that's likely not going to happen....
If a game did get banned for whatever reason I'd be up in arms about lost freedoms and giving preference to one type of entertainment over another.....Regardless if that's now normal....
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