EU seeks code of conduct governing the sale of violent video games

IRELAND is one of just four European countries ever to ban a video game, but it is also one of the countries that does nothing to enforce the age limits on games because it is not an offence to sell a video game to a minor.

The EU wants to put in place a union-wide code of conduct governing the sale of violent games to young people and has given the industry two years to come up with the code.

The only control in most countries is a rating system put together by the industry, that includes the age group the game is suitable for and a series of icons warning if the game is violent, contains sex or encourages discrimination or gambling. However, there is very little if any control over who buys the video games and in several countries, including Ireland, there is no specific legislation governing it.

Consumer Commissioner Maglena Kuneva said the issue was one of real concern. “When children go out to play today they enter the world of joysticks. We are not sure where they go and there is real anxiety from parents about this.”

The industry, which is growing at a faster rate than music and worth €7.3 billion this year, was warned that, if they do not make changes, the Commission might get tough and force them to do so. “This is not a blank check”, said Commissioner Kuneva of the demand for a code.

The Commission carried out a survey of how different countries are handling the growing number of video games that are suspected of encouraging violence among young people.

They found that 20 countries, including Ireland, use the PEGI (Pan-European Game Information) rating system but that only Germany and Lithuania back it up with legislation.

The Film Censor’s office in Ireland views all videos with an over-18 rating and selects some others to also view, according to the deputy film censor Ger Connolly.

They took the decision last year to ban one game, Manhunter 2, because of its gratuitous violence and there are none under consideration at present.

Mr Connolly said that the Censor’s office has assumed the role of educating the public about the PEGI ratings. Further information is on its website: www.ifco.ie