PEGI Ratings Now Law in Finland
PEGI Ratings Now Law in Finland
December 23, 2006
If you're underage, don't plan on buying GTA: Helsinki City Stories anytime soon.Last week the government of Finland made a change to its media classification system, the Act on Classification of Audiovisual Programs, to give the PEGI (Pan- European Ratings Information) rating system the force of law.
While video game rating previously came under the jurisdiction of the Finnish Board Of Film Classification - much like games in the U.K. are rated by the British Board Of Film Classification - the Finns will now use the PEGI ratings as its official guide, and will incorporate all previous laws - such as those making it illegal to sell 18+ games to minors.
A PEGI press release said:
This additional support given to PEGI by the Finnish Parliament sounds particularly propitious at a time when legitimate calls are made to improve the protection of minors from unsuitable content... (this step) provides further evidence of PEGI's ability to articulate effectively with national legislations on a continuing basis.
Other changes made to Finnish video game laws include the abolition of the country's existing 11+ and 15+ ratings, replaced with PEGI's standard 12 and 16. However, it has not been mentioned how the new statute will affects games distributed online, which are not covered under its jurisdiction.
-reporting from the U.K., GamePolitics Eurospondent Mark Kelly...
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Posted 01/06/09 at 09:33pm
beemoh: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7813637.stm
beemoh: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7813637.stm
Posted 01/06/09 at 09:33pm
beemoh: Tetris helps trauma, aparrently. Just wait until the nightmares about the S-shape start.
beemoh: Tetris helps trauma, aparrently. Just wait until the nightmares about the S-shape start.
Posted 01/06/09 at 09:24pm
Shadow D. Darkman: Okay, this one merits it. *facepalm*
Shadow D. Darkman: Okay, this one merits it. *facepalm*
Posted 01/06/09 at 07:34pm
DeepThorn: Okay, was my comment that out of line that I scared everyone?
DeepThorn: Okay, was my comment that out of line that I scared everyone?
Posted 01/06/09 at 04:12pm
DeepThorn: Dero, I swear she told me she was 18.
DeepThorn: Dero, I swear she told me she was 18.
Posted 01/06/09 at 03:07pm
HarmlessBunny: @PHX Corp: No surprise. Jack's favorite desperation move: Image-laden filings that make zero sense! Guarunteed to piss someone off, and provide hilarity to us
HarmlessBunny: @PHX Corp: No surprise. Jack's favorite desperation move: Image-laden filings that make zero sense! Guarunteed to piss someone off, and provide hilarity to us
Posted 01/06/09 at 01:54pm
Derovius: What did you call my little sister?
Derovius: What did you call my little sister?
Posted 01/06/09 at 01:38pm
DeepThorn: 'Security' additions, which means it protects the music, which you bought, and have the right to use. It doesnt stop illegal activity, and even copying the music onto 2 back up CDs isnt illegal. Giving one to your little sister is border line.
DeepThorn: 'Security' additions, which means it protects the music, which you bought, and have the right to use. It doesnt stop illegal activity, and even copying the music onto 2 back up CDs isnt illegal. Giving one to your little sister is border line.
Posted 01/06/09 at 01:36pm
CK20XX: What's it gonna take for JT to get arrested? It'd be funny if it wasn't so sad.
CK20XX: What's it gonna take for JT to get arrested? It'd be funny if it wasn't so sad.
Posted 01/06/09 at 12:12pm
PHX Corp: Look on JAABLOG at his recent court filings he's starting to post pictures again http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DB5ODRNE
PHX Corp: Look on JAABLOG at his recent court filings he's starting to post pictures again http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DB5ODRNE
Posted 01/06/09 at 11:51am
CMiner: It's the same as the controversy over Sony's rootkits in their music CDs, as far as a separation of the issues of cd content and the security additions.
CMiner: It's the same as the controversy over Sony's rootkits in their music CDs, as far as a separation of the issues of cd content and the security additions.
Posted 01/06/09 at 11:27am
Vake Xeacons: But there does need to be a limit on DRM. I mean, CD check's okay, but spyware? That's an invasion of privacy!
Vake Xeacons: But there does need to be a limit on DRM. I mean, CD check's okay, but spyware? That's an invasion of privacy!
Posted 01/06/09 at 11:00am
Krono: @insanejedi: DRM isn't an aspect of the game. Unless you can make an argument that Securom is an intregal part of Spore that the game would be an incomplete experience without.
Krono: @insanejedi: DRM isn't an aspect of the game. Unless you can make an argument that Securom is an intregal part of Spore that the game would be an incomplete experience without.
Posted 01/06/09 at 10:57am
insanejedi: It's asking the government to regulate aspects of a game. Their just going to use this as a backdoor to regulate other aspects.
insanejedi: It's asking the government to regulate aspects of a game. Their just going to use this as a backdoor to regulate other aspects.
Posted 01/06/09 at 10:53am
Krono: @insanejedi: DRM = trade practice, Violence in games = speech. I'm not seeing the similarity here.
Krono: @insanejedi: DRM = trade practice, Violence in games = speech. I'm not seeing the similarity here.
Posted 01/06/09 at 10:40am
insanejedi: Guys, Regulation of DRM is fudementally the same as regulating violence in games...
insanejedi: Guys, Regulation of DRM is fudementally the same as regulating violence in games...
Posted 01/06/09 at 10:13am
sortableturnip: He's in full swing now, asking for all expenses paid by the Florida Bar.
sortableturnip: He's in full swing now, asking for all expenses paid by the Florida Bar.
Posted 01/06/09 at 09:51am
sortableturnip: @ Simonbob: isn't it better to read the comments, LOL wise?
sortableturnip: @ Simonbob: isn't it better to read the comments, LOL wise?
Posted 01/06/09 at 09:41am
SimonBob: You could've mentioned it's close to the bottom, although it's good to know he's actually got an okay golf swing.
SimonBob: You could've mentioned it's close to the bottom, although it's good to know he's actually got an okay golf swing.
Posted 01/06/09 at 09:41am
PHX Corp: @Sourtable T JT's brain acts like a cookoo clock, It never stops Cookooing
PHX Corp: @Sourtable T JT's brain acts like a cookoo clock, It never stops Cookooing
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Comments
They'll enforce it the same as they did before, and the penalties will be whatever they were before. Judging by the article, this isn't new regulation for games. It's them changing the standard they use for their regulation to PEGI because it's more standard and well known.
VET (Finnish film rating board) game ratings were introduced several years ago. However, it was always more lax than film ratings.
There's basically two kinds of ratings: ones given by the rating board, and ones given by the distributor. If you're distributing a film, you can hand it to the rating board, and get a rating that way. However, you can also elect to just notify them that the film is unrated... and slap 18+ on the box. (I was pretty amused to find unrated 18+ label on the original Star Wreck 6 DVD release. =)
In general, the film ratings have gone more free than they were before. A few decades back, stuff was heavily censored. Now, you can publish anything; at worst films pass the censor with 18+, and you can always elect to publish them as 18+ *anyway* just to cut the bureaucracy. Pornography producers were delighted.
However, games were *never* rated by the board and probably never will be. Their ratings were *entirely* based on the importer's suggestions. When PEGI was introduced, the PEGI ratings could also be used as a guideline. Now, all they've done is codified that PEGI is definitely as solid as the VET ratings.
Think of the implications.
An odd example that'd make JT scream: Myth III: The Wolf Age, part of the glorious series with exceptionally detailed physics engine that makes the violent explosions pretty and blood flow downhill, got 11+ rating. =)
Basically nothing has changed - all I see is that we can *hopefully* trust the PEGI folks to make extremely important decisions like this better than some random overworked game importer. Besides, if PEGI screws up a rating like that, the whole Europe will scream.
/b