The times, they are a changing...
It's violent and it's bloody but it's abstract and nowhere near a replication of reality.
| 06 Mar 2008
Tanya Bryon. Remember that name because the future of British gaming could rest on this television psychologist's shoulders. Why? Chances are you already heard that Rockstar North's violent but awesome looking Manhunt 2 has been denied release in Britain. Unless you fancy importing a copy from Holland you can forget about playing it in the forseeable future. The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) banned it due to the visceral nature and bleak overtones. This in turn sparked a powder keg with the industry press and net forums close to meltdown as the great games playing public expressed their two cents in online speak - OMFG!!
From key players in the business to indie shop owners, everyone added to the debate with some putting the game's bad image down to the complaints from concerned parents despite many allowing their children to play 18 certificate titles in the first place. Hypocrisy doesn't even begin to cover it really. Some argued that the BBFC's rating system is unsuitable for categorising games because they primarily deal with movies and that it's impractical to tar game and film with the same rating standard because the two mediums are very different. Something had to be done to improve the system to better cater for the game industry or to draft an alternate board to dictate the age-certificate for games. Enter Dr. Bryon.
Appointed by Gordon Brown, who apparently got his arse handed to him at Wii Sports recently by his 4-year old son, Bryon aims to produce a report on the debacle in an attempt to make some sense of it and find a solution. While this sounds a tad dry, if you're passionate about games this could have a large effect on you. Early findings suggested that parents are confused about age ratings and can't figure out if the certificate reflects either violence or difficulty whereas others view games as toys, not the immersing experiences they can be - who hasn't played Bioshock and felt stunned by the world of Rapture?
It seems parents need more education on the seriousness of BBFC ratings. However, the report also suggests that a new legally enforced cinema-style age rating system for games could be the answer. This system would replace the BBFC's format and PEGI age ratings that are not legally binding and merely a suggested selling age. So in theory a 5-year old could walk into a game store and buy a PEGI 16+ game legally. Something is clearly broken.
With all the scapegoating surrounding Manhunt 2 being blamed for society's ills, it's worrying to think that Bryon's proposed system could make it harder for would-be 18+ games to see a release here at all. Most recently, Capcom's stunning action game No More Heroes found itself in the firing line. Created by Suda 51 (the genius behind Killer7) players control wannabe assassin Travis Touchdown, hacking and slashing his way through the world's most dangerous contract killers to become number one. It's violent and it's bloody but it's abstract and no where near a replication of reality. Yet the BBFC have ordered that the game's blood be coloured black instead of red to avoid a similar fate as Manhunt 2.
Surely a person over the age of 18 has a right to be able to play an 18+ game as long as it bears a legal age restriction? Why censor the game to satisfy a few paranoid individuals who are quick to point the finger at the industry? If the Bryon report judges fairly and the outcome is a clearer more implemented rating system that benefits as well as protects then fair play. If the new system makes 15+ the new 18+, rendering most violent games unsuitable for UK sale much like in Australia and Germany then the artistic license of game developers and the democracy of the industry will come under serious threat. Changes are a-coming for good or for bad. Watch this space.
From key players in the business to indie shop owners, everyone added to the debate with some putting the game's bad image down to the complaints from concerned parents despite many allowing their children to play 18 certificate titles in the first place. Hypocrisy doesn't even begin to cover it really. Some argued that the BBFC's rating system is unsuitable for categorising games because they primarily deal with movies and that it's impractical to tar game and film with the same rating standard because the two mediums are very different. Something had to be done to improve the system to better cater for the game industry or to draft an alternate board to dictate the age-certificate for games. Enter Dr. Bryon.
Appointed by Gordon Brown, who apparently got his arse handed to him at Wii Sports recently by his 4-year old son, Bryon aims to produce a report on the debacle in an attempt to make some sense of it and find a solution. While this sounds a tad dry, if you're passionate about games this could have a large effect on you. Early findings suggested that parents are confused about age ratings and can't figure out if the certificate reflects either violence or difficulty whereas others view games as toys, not the immersing experiences they can be - who hasn't played Bioshock and felt stunned by the world of Rapture?
It seems parents need more education on the seriousness of BBFC ratings. However, the report also suggests that a new legally enforced cinema-style age rating system for games could be the answer. This system would replace the BBFC's format and PEGI age ratings that are not legally binding and merely a suggested selling age. So in theory a 5-year old could walk into a game store and buy a PEGI 16+ game legally. Something is clearly broken.
With all the scapegoating surrounding Manhunt 2 being blamed for society's ills, it's worrying to think that Bryon's proposed system could make it harder for would-be 18+ games to see a release here at all. Most recently, Capcom's stunning action game No More Heroes found itself in the firing line. Created by Suda 51 (the genius behind Killer7) players control wannabe assassin Travis Touchdown, hacking and slashing his way through the world's most dangerous contract killers to become number one. It's violent and it's bloody but it's abstract and no where near a replication of reality. Yet the BBFC have ordered that the game's blood be coloured black instead of red to avoid a similar fate as Manhunt 2.
Surely a person over the age of 18 has a right to be able to play an 18+ game as long as it bears a legal age restriction? Why censor the game to satisfy a few paranoid individuals who are quick to point the finger at the industry? If the Bryon report judges fairly and the outcome is a clearer more implemented rating system that benefits as well as protects then fair play. If the new system makes 15+ the new 18+, rendering most violent games unsuitable for UK sale much like in Australia and Germany then the artistic license of game developers and the democracy of the industry will come under serious threat. Changes are a-coming for good or for bad. Watch this space.