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The controversy that is video game ratings has reared its head again as the trade and industry secretary Patricia Hewitt spoke out. Ms Hewitt stated that she was proud of the UK’s “vibrant games industry” but was concerned that too many children were playing games which should only be sold to adults. This comes before a game industry meeting this weekend, where she is expected to call for more stringent rules in the selling of violent video games.
This is a timely announcement, especially with the release of Grand Theft Auto: SA so recently and the controversy surrounding it. Indeed with the murder of Stefan Pakeerah earlier this year blamed on the game ‘Manhunt’ by some people, this is a welcome move in the right direction to remove a lot of the stigma surrounding violent games.
Ms Hewitt is aware that the games market is now more diverse than in recent years but has stated that, “We need to look carefully at how we improve content warnings and strengthen sales enforcement.” Indeed, without a clear ratings system for the games industry, this has always been an issue, though Ms Hewitt’s actions should go some way in remedying that.
