BBFC defends rating system after Microsoft exec. remark
The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) defended itself today following remarks by Microsoft's UK head of corporate affairs, Matt Lambert, who said the BBFC is designed to rate films and not games. Lambert believes the Pan European Game Information (PEGI) system brings more "depth" and is more "sensible." The BBFC told GI.biz that it knows "for a fact that the public is confused by [the PEGI] symbols."
The BBFC says it has research that "the public couldn't get their heads around" the pictograms the PEGI uses for its rating system, stating it simply lays out in words what's in a game. The BBFC believes parents know what they are getting from its classification system because it's the same one used for movies. The BBFC also points out that PEGI ratings are "tick-box system filled in by the distributor themselves" instead of a group of "very well-qualified games examiners." A similar awkward clash of rating systems occurred in the States last year when Best Buy started adding Common Sense ratings to its site and stepping on the ESRB's toes, it has since toned that down significantly.
