Microsoft UK: BBFC rating system should be games-based, not film-based

Microsoft UK‘s head of corporate affairs Matt Lambert had a couple of choice words to say about how the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) rating system was tied in too deeply towards the film and movie genre and how this classification method overlapped into the rating of games being released in Europe nowadays. You can read about Lambert’s analysis of the situation by reading the full article.

The issue of proper game classification has always been a big thing in Europe. In particular, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has always been rather prickly about the kind of games that get rated for a European release.

In response to this, Matt Lambert, Microsoft‘s head of corporate affairs in UK, had a couple of choice words to say regarding the rating standards the BBFC applied towards the games being released in Europe today.

He stated that the BBFC’s rating system were tied in too much towards the film and movie genre, a category whose lines were incongruent with the video game genre. However, the statements issued by Lambert weren’t meant as a free stab at the British censor board. He explained his stand by saying the following:

I’m not saying that’s wrong, and I apologise if I gave the impression that that’s not what they do – though they would say that they are the best. But I do believe that the BBFC’s thinking clearly comes from the world of film [and not games], that’s definitely true.

Lambert pointed out the system being used by the Pan European Game Information (PEGI) was a more effective measure for rating games. He mentions the rather in-depth way PEGI breaks down each game into several sub-categories, giving appropriate warning for players whenever applicable.

BBFC committee chairman responded to this statement by saying that PEGI’s methodology was inferior, and employs specialists who take too much time when rating software titles across the different gaming platforms.