Parents welcome call to rate 'brutal' video games
The parents of a murdered boy have welcomed proposed laws that would require video games to carry age ratings.
Patrick and Giselle Pakeerah from Leicester have been campaigning for tighter rules governing violent video games since their son Stefan was killed in February 2004.
The 14-year-old died after a knife attack by a teenager who was later described as being "obsessed" with the violent video game Manhunt.
Yesterday, as part of the Queen's Speech – which lays out laws ministers wants to bring in over the next year – the Government proposed making age ratings mandatory for all games designed for ages 12 and above.
Stefan's parents claimed her son's killer was influenced by Manhunt – in which players earn points for murders – though police and lawyers said there was no evidence of this.
Mr Pakeerah, 47, said: "This will take things forward. We've been trying to get this measure all along. The labelling on the game is very important. Often, parents might purchase violent games because they are not aware how bad they are.
"These games can go very deep and have many different levels where it can get more brutal, so the more aware parents are of these the better."
There is no legal duty on games manufacturers to put age guidance on their products, though some do so voluntarily. Of the two rating systems, it is expected the Pan European Game Information (PEGI) system will be made compulsory.
Leicester East MP Keith Vaz, who has campaigned for tighter rules on video games, said: "I would like further action to ensure the level of violence in computer games is made clearer on the packaging.
"Parents must be aware of the games their children are playing and retailers should be prosecuted for selling to those who are under-age."
Mrs Pakeerah said while new age ratings were welcome, gratuitously violent games should not be released in the first place.
"In Germany and in New Zealand, games have been banned," she said. "We need a body here that can be strong enough, when there are games that are harmful to society, to stop them being released."
8 Comments
by JM, Leicester
Thursday, November 19 2009, 12:37PM
“There is no legal duty on games manufacturers to put age guidance on their products, though some do so voluntarily.
SOME? If the reporter bothered to check in his local games store I think he will find all have a PEGI rating.”
by Julie, Leicester
Thursday, November 19 2009, 11:16AM
“I seem to remember that although it was the killer who was reportedly obsessed with the game 'Manhunt' that other reports said both boys had played it. Age classifications are only ever going to be as good as the retailers who follow them and the parents who should be checking what their kids are playing.”
by John, Glenfield
Thursday, November 19 2009, 11:10AM
“" they ALL have to comply with the existing age ratings"
Just to make this clear - you will NOT get Wal-Mart (Asda), Tesco, Game, PC World or any other UK retailer even STOCKING a game that has no age rating on it. PEGI is the de-facto standard in Europe and has been for years.”
by John, Glenfield
Thursday, November 19 2009, 11:07AM
“mark is right - they ALL have to comply with the existing age ratings.
I think what Vaz is actually saying is that he'd like existing laws enforced - but of course he CAN'T say that as very very few of the 4000+ laws his party introduced are enforced. The ones about illegal immigrants working certainly aren't - he can ask Baroness Scotland about that one if he's unsure.
Oh and games in Germany are usually banned because they have a swastika somewhere in them, which is an illegal symbol in Germany.
NZ have different content ratings and I'm 99% sure that the only games there that have been banned are ones where the age rating on the box didn't comply with the content rating.”
by mark, leic
Thursday, November 19 2009, 10:32AM
“Video game DO HAVE age ratings on them... parents need to read them before providing them to children!”
by Ross, Leicester
Thursday, November 19 2009, 10:02AM
“Ban this, ban that. Games are art, ones that aren't suitable have age classifications, and I've never played a game (in recent years) where there was no rating and I thought it wasn't Suitable. Maybe a change of terminology is needed so that lazy parents don't buy things like Manhunt or Grand Theft Auto, that are meant for adults, for their kids.”
by Kulgan, Crydee
Thursday, November 19 2009, 9:40AM
“There goes Bandwagon Vaz again.”
by duane, leicester
Thursday, November 19 2009, 9:38AM
“I think the age ratings are fine and clear enough. Vaz needs to stop seeking publicity by campaigning about this.”