P1 e – video games regulations

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1. P1e – video games regulations Rhys Spence-Robb

2. PEGI PEGI stands for Pan European Game Information and is an age rating system that helps to inform European parents to make decisions when purchasing computer and console games. It was launched back in 2003 and it replaced a number of already established age rating systems throughout Europe so that now there is a single universal system across 30 countries in Europe including Spain, Denmark, Austria and more. The system is also supported by many of the main console companies such as Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo with many more developers throughout the entire of Europe. It was developed originally by the Interactive Software Federation of Europe or the ISFE

3. Age Rating System

4. PEGI 3 A PEGI 3 rating is given to games that are considered a suitable level for all age ranges. They may include some violence of a comical nature e.g. Tom and Jerry cartoon violence but nothing that is considered directly threatening. The game should also not depict real life in any way and it shouldn’t contain any sounds or pictures that will be likely to scare children with no bad language heard. PEGI 7 A PEGI 7 rating can be given out to a game that would normally be rated PEGI 3 but possible contains some threatening or frightening scenes that may not be considered suitable for younger children e.g. violence in a real world scenario of some sort.

5. PEGI 12 A PEGI 12 is given to a game that shows violence of a slghtky more graphic nature that is directed to non human characters. It can also be applied to non graphic violence towards a human character or animal. Nudity of a slight graphic nature is accepted in this category and bad language must be mild and fall short of sexually explicit. PEGI 16 A PEGI 16 rating is given to a game that has violence or sexual content that would be considered to a real life representation meaning that it appears in game as it would in the real world. The game can contain stronger bad language and the depiction of crime is accepted in this category.

6. PEGI 18 A PEGI 18 rating is applied to a game when the level of violence reaches a stage of gross and includes specific types of violence i.e. torture. It can be more difficult to classify this type of game as gross violence can vary in different cases, there is usually a set guideline that game companies follow to make sure that the game either gets the 18 rating or whether it stays out of the mature category.

7. Game Labels Discrimination - Game contains depictions of, or material which may encourage, discrimination Sex - Game depicts nudity and/or sexual behaviour or sexual references Bad Language - Game contains bad language Gambling - Games that encourage or teach gambling Violence - Game contains depictions of violence Online gameplay - Game can be played online Drugs - Game refers to or depicts the use of drugs Fear - Game may be frightening or scary for young children

8. Pegi & rockstar games “hot coffee” controversy

9. Hot Coffee Mod Hot Coffee is a normally inaccessible mini-game in the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, developed by Rockstar North. Public awareness of the existence of the mini-game arrived with the release of the Hot Coffee mod, created for the Microsoft Windows port of GTA: San Andreas in 2005. This mod enables access to the mini-game. The mini-game portrays crudely animated sexual intercourse between the main character, Carl Johnson, and his chosen in-game girlfriend. The name of the mod is derived from the girlfriend's offer for the main character to come into her home for "coffee", a euphemism for sex.

10. Hot coffee mod Although the "Hot Coffee" mini-game was completely disabled and its existence was only highlighted after the mod's release for the PC version on June 9, 2005, the assets for the mini-game were also discovered in both the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions of the game, and people found ways to enable the mini-game via console video game hacking tools. By the middle of July 2005, the mini-game's discovery attracted considerable controversy from lawmakers and politicians, prompting the game to be re-assessed with an "Adults Only" rating by the U.S. Entertainment Software Rating Board, and refused classification in Australia, resulting in its removal from sale. An updated version of San Andreas has since been released with the mini-game removed completely, allowing the game to regain its original rating. A patch for the original version of the game, Cold Coffee, was designed to counter edit the script and disable the mini-game and crash the game if one attempts to access it