PEGI publishes annual report

The Pan-European Game Information age rating system has published its latest annual report.

Established in 2003 and designed for computer and videogames to provide assurance for parents across Europe, PEGI is an undertaking of the Brussels based Interactive Software Federation of Europe.

"The chief purpose of the report is to show the PEGI system to be as transparent as possible so as to have this self-regulation fully appreciated by European policy makers and put to the best use by the general public, whether this should be parents, teachers, academics, or any other interested party," said Patrice Chazerand, secretary general of ISFE.

Chazerand said the report offers a wealth of information on the PEGI system: how it is built, how it meets its objectives, the organisations and bodies behind it, details on the new code of conduct governing it, and record of the complaint and sanction process.

In 2007, the PEGI touchstone questionnaire was amended twice, the public website was completely overhauled, and the advisory board held two extraordinary meetings aside from its annual gathering, showing the system's "flexibility" and "resilience under attack."

A Nielsen survey showed that the number of consumers relying upon PEGI icons across ten countries to identify appropriate products increased from 72 per cent in 2004 to 94 per cent in 2007

At a recent meeting of the Viennese provincial government, the Viennese Youth Protection Act was amended to make the PEGI age rating system mandatory for videogames sold in that city in what is hoped to be a first step towards a pan-Austrian agreement.