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UK Government Forms Byron Review Action Plan
Posted by Leigh Alexander at 8:20 AM on June 26, 2008
Britain's Byron Review, in which the big-smiling Dr. Tanya Byron made a series of measured, generally reasonable findings and recommendations regarding children's use of video games and the internet, has now produced an "action plan" from the UK government.
Starting in July, the government will work on proposing Britain's classification system, and propose changes by 2009. Another phase of the plan will involve agreeing on a classification for online games, launching an awareness campaign for game ratings, developing appropriate parental controls in conjunction with the industry, and working with Trading Standards to ensure that games don't get sold to kids of an age inappropriate to the ratings.
This is the sort of mutual-interest collaboration that seems to work a little better than some of the contentious and pricey (and ultimately unsuccessful) litigious efforts we often see in the States.
The sticking point remains the recommendation that the ratings system should favour the BBFC over PEGI - thereby resulting in further UK release delays, as we reported earlier.
Government publishes Byron Review action plan [GamesIndustry.biz]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
Kaljin
Posted 9:14 AM 26/6/08
@Polysics_2004: @proust:
You obviously didn't read it. Please do before you post your idiocy and bile on this blog.
Kaljin
Jagzthebest
Posted 9:10 AM 26/6/08
Oh god no! Delays??? I have to wait so much and now this?????? Goddamit this is just plain unfair!
Jagzthebest
ero-sennin
Posted 9:03 AM 26/6/08
@proust: speaking of ignorant: have you seen the cover for her report? it is HILARIOUS.
"I KNOW WHO YOU ARE! AND WHERE YOU LIVE!"
sexual predator popping out of computer screen: 1
girl who obviously needs parental guidance for giving out her personal information/whoring herself on the internet: 0
ero-sennin
Luckyjim
Posted 9:02 AM 26/6/08
@RPGJunky:
It seems they ignored you.
Luckyjim
kidko
Posted 9:02 AM 26/6/08
nom nom nom
kidko
proust
Posted 8:53 AM 26/6/08
I don't like this Byron woman. Her type of luke warm ignorance is tiring. Please use an ugly picture of her in future topics. Thank you.
proust
smkd
Posted 8:40 AM 26/6/08
I'd hit that
smkd
Polysics_2004
Posted 8:37 AM 26/6/08
This can only be bad news. Seriously, when will the government learn that they should just leave what they clearly don't understand alone.
Polysics_2004
nick.soapdish
Posted 8:33 AM 26/6/08
I imagine their adoption of this program would be inline with the British Film Board's handling of movie ratings. I know when I went to the theatres in England it would always display the rating before the movie started, and I think their classification system does a good job there. So, turn on a game and it shows you the rating with the signature approval, making it look all official. Whether or not this is the right kind of system for games (games != movies) I think that having emphasis on existing ratings and getting the information out there is the key to their acceptance and to stop (some of) the scrutiny that seems to go on about them.
nick.soapdish
RPGJunky
Posted 8:31 AM 26/6/08
America, read the following very carefully:
"..launching an awareness campaign for game ratings, developing appropriate parental controls in conjunction with the industry, and working with Trading Standards to ensure that games don't get sold to kids of an age inappropriate to the ratings."
RPGJunky
GnatB
Posted 10:03 AM 26/6/08
You want an action plan?
Step 1: Steralize everyone.
Step 2: Give the antidote to anybody who can prove they have the time/means/intelligence to pay attention to what their kids are doing, and actually parent.
Step 3: ????
Step 4: Profit!
Seriously, governments can make all the laws they want, (and, since I'm way over 18, they don't much matter to me anyways), but unless they figure out a way to fix the parents, they're just pissing upwind.
GnatB
Woylez
Posted 9:58 AM 26/6/08
We wait long enough as it is...And now we may have to wait longer!?! Kids will still get the 18+ games no matter what.
Woylez
JustThisGuy
Posted 10:38 AM 26/6/08
@smkd: One day, Kotaku will be able to post a picture of a pretty woman on this site without some underage, undersexed moron chiming in that they would "hit that." I fully believe that we can achieve this modest goal within our lifetime.
@Kaljin: Perhaps, in a truly Proustian moment befit of his user name, the very picture of Byron triggered an involuntary memory wherein he was reminded of a time before the report was released, when we were all predicting the usual doom-n-gloom drivel that is normally produced by government agencies.
Or he just likes to spout off without context. Either/or.
JustThisGuy
Vanguarde
Posted 3:02 PM 26/6/08
This topic is FAIL.
Why?
Kotaku is trying to fool us. There is no way this chick is from the UK. Why??
She has good teeth. ( Except for her upper right 3rd tooth from the middle, it needs work. )
Vanguarde
UFO
Posted 9:11 PM 26/6/08
@Vanguarde: Is that an attempt at humour ?
If you want to keep your own teeth then i suggest you dont come over here and say that to someone.
On the plus side, you would lose some weight from your diet of liquidised fries, burgers and pizza in the following months.
UFO
Nosignalinput
Posted 9:11 PM 26/6/08
@Vanguarde: Come on, let's see something original for once. The teeth jokes are pretty tiring.
Nosignalinput
Al3xandr0s
Posted 9:03 PM 26/6/08
She's pretty and smart, what more could you ask for ^_^
Al3xandr0s
Vanguarde
Posted 3:18 PM 27/6/08
@UFO:
Um.. while we have that kind of food, we eat healthy in NZ.
Vanguarde
Nosignalinput
Posted 5:42 AM 28/6/08
@Vanguarde: Shall we start with the sheep jokes then? ;-)
Nosignalinput
ViciousViper
Posted 5:02 PM 26/6/08
Um I don't like that government wants more control because that's just an excuse for them to raise taxes.
ViciousViper