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.