PEGI supports "Game-City" in Vienna town hall.
« Game-City - Computerspiel findet Stadt » is the name of the first gaming event that was organised by the Austrian Entertainment Software Association OVUS and the city of Vienna in the city town hall. More than 25.000 children and parents visited the three day event to learn about video games, minor protection and media literacy.
The Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE) was invited by their Austrian member association OVUS and the city of Vienna to spread the word about the Pan-European Game Information (PEGI) system and PEGI Online, its addendum for online gaming. PEGI provides European parents with detailed recommendations regarding the age suitability of game content by an independent administrator in the form of age labels and content descriptors on game packages. PEGI Online aims to address risks associated with real time player interaction and changing content of online games.
Game City was also supported by the main video game publishers, youth protection organisations and numerous experts in media literacy and child psychology. While children could check out the latest video games media in a separate congress room, parents were able to get information and tips on the safe ® use of internet, watch presentations by international experts on new media in today's society or assist to a political roundtable on these issues.
ISFE would like to thank the city of Vienna for supporting a close collaboration across the political spectrum and the video game sector which resulted in an official event that focused on media literacy and minor protection. Katja Mader, Marketing Manager of ISFE said: "This initiative serves as an example for an openminded, active and successful minor protection policy. We hope to see similar events in other European member states soon. "
More information on PEGI and ISFE can be found at :
www.pegi.info
www.pegionline.eu
www.isfe.eu
About ISFE
Established in 1998 and registered in 2002 under Belgian law as an international association with scientific and pedagogical purposes, ISFE (the Interactive Software Federation of Europe) represents the interests of the interactive software sector throughout the 26 EU Member States (the EU 27 less Germany) plus Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Today, ISFE membership comprises 13 major publishers of interactive software as well as 12 interactive software trade associations throughout Europe.
ISFE has been running the Pan-European Game Information (PEGI) system since 2003 (see www.pegi.info). PEGI provides an age rating recommendation system intended to inform European parents regarding content that is suitable for their children. As a classification system PEGI supports informed adult choice and does not censor content.
For more information:
Katja Mader
15 rue Guimard
B-1040 Brussels
Tel: + 32 2 513 57 77
e-mail: katja.mader@isfe.eu