UK: PEGI ratings delayed until 2011
BBFC to rate mature titles until April of next year
The UK's main ratings body the Video Standards Council (VSC) has said that PEGI 18 ratings should not be used until April of 2011 at the very earliest.
The VSC claims that the extended delay in making the ratings legally enforcable in the UK has come because of the ineffective way in which the Digital Economy Act, the legislation that supports the new PEGI ratings has not been "made effective".
The VSC released a statement to MCV stating: "The Digital Economy Act has been passed in the UK but has not yet been made effective. This means there is no change in the procedure for releasing games in the UK. If a game is rated PEGI 18 it must be submitted to the BBFC for a legal classification. This is irrespective of whether it contains exempt content as it reflects the voluntary agreement made by the games industry to avoid confusion over 18 rated games. Games must also be submitted to the BBFC if the contain any extraneous video which is not part of the game. This includes trailers."
What this means is that the PEGI 18 rating will not be legally enforceable until at least April the 1st of 2011 so all mature games released between now and then will still have to pass through the BBFC's ratings process to earn their 18 certificate despite having been rated by PEGI.
