2. BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMediaProduction
Understand the regulation of the media sector
Use this workbook to help you with this learning outcome.There is some
guidance and further notes, which you should read and then remove,
replacing it with your own answers.
Which regulatory body did you research?
PEGI –Pan European GameInformation
What are they in charge of regulating?
PEGI is responsible for rating and advising game developers on the
content of the games they have created. PEGI rategames based on
several differing things, theseinclude: violence, bad language, fear, sex,
drugs, discrimination, gambling and online. Foreach game, they present
an age bracket, theseare: 3, 7, 12, 16, 18. Singapore however, uses a
slightly altered age system, using 4 & 6 to replace 3 & 7.
When was the body set up? Why was it set up?
PEGI was setup andlaunched in spring 2003, themain purpose of its
existence was to help parents make decisions on what games they don’t
want their children to see. When it was released, it replaced thegame
rating boards in 30 countries, and features in 9 others. Since then it has
been supportedby several of thelargest console developers (Microsoft,
Sony & Nintendo)
How is this organisation funded? Why is it funded that way?
Are there any benefits or drawbacks to being funded this way?
PEGI is funded by theISFE(InteractiveSoftware Federation of Europe),
which is supportedby theEuropean union. The Safer Internet Programme
funds somefactors of PEGI, theseportions of PEGI are based around
protecting younger people from inappropriate content on theinternet.
This methodof funding is good because it isn’t used for any financial gain,
and insteadis there to protect. The negatives of this funding methodis
that PEGI will haveto influence how it deals with gameratings with any
contributors to funding.
What powersdoes the regulatory body have? What can they do
if someone breakstheir rules? Who gives these powersto the
body?
3. BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMediaProduction
PEGI is enforced differently in different countries, howeverin theUK it is
legally enforced forall games as of 2012, the government madethe
decision to, so in ourcase, PEGI can charge any developer with
undeclared content that many change a game rating 500,000 euros and
any vendorwho sells a video game to anyone underthe age limit can be
fined up to £5,000 on thespot.
How does the industryuse it?
PEGI is the sourcefor 39 countries main guidelines forgames andthe
requirements to reach a certain certificate, there are other national
boards for each country, which determine what each games PEGI
certificate shouldbe. PEGI is mostly usedas an advisory source, each
country then uses their own game rating service in order to review and
categorise what gameshould be in which section. Usually it is thesameas
PEGI advice.
How can the public use it?
Thepublic usePEGI to determine how appropriate a gameis for a certain
audience, usually people under the age of 18. This allows parents or carers
to make inform decisions about the product they are buying for a person
of a certain age. PEGI also enforces somecharges on thepublic when to
comes to sales. If a salesperson wereto sell a gameto a child under the
age of theadvisory rating, they are subject to charges and fines, usually
about 5,000 euros.
What kinds of regulatoryissuesdoes your body dealwith the
most?
PEGI is based around censorship, but to date it hasn’t hadany issues
where it has had to take action as a result of the gamebeing published
and not declaring certain types of content. It morefocuses on testing the
game before release and critiquing it for a certain age group.
Case Studies:
Find a case study,which demonstrates the regulatory body
working in practice.
4. BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMediaProduction
In the UK therehave only been 3 banned games, one of which being
“Manhunt2” which was denieda certificate as a results of excessive
graphic violence and cruelty, PEGI’s qualifications for an 18 certificate
helped thegame loseits right to a certificate and it had to go without a
registered age certificate, and to buy one of them in theUK. Is illegal,
effectively banning the gamefrom sale.
Find a second case study,which demonstratesthe regulatory
body working in practice.
Carmageddonalso hadasimilar story, it was threatenedwith a refused
certificate after an alteration within the game, changed pedestrians into
zombies in its uncut form. This was changedhowever when PEGI helped
them nurturethe games rating back to and 18 afterthe change was cut
from the game.
Regulation:
You should answer the following questions using the information you
have gained so far in the unit to help you provide examples to
supportyour opinions. You may also wish to undertake further
research to help you produce detailed answers.
Should there be regulation of the media?
Yes, to acertain extent. Citizens under theage of 16 shouldbe subject to
measures for their safety/protection, howeverfrom that ageI don’t see
any extendedmeasures to be necessary, as aperson shouldbe mature
enough to deal with theconsequences of using the game/software. In my
opinion anyone who falls underthat age band shouldhave some
restriction applied for there own safety. HoweverI feel that this shouldbe
exclusively advisory and not restrict people of that age being able to buy
thegames they want, I don’t feel that it shouldbe enforced in any way.
Should regulators be independent?
Yes, For each country to determine the score for their own people’s
interests, I do thinkthat each country should havethe right to accordingly
rate games for their own audiences. If it weren’t to be independent,
different countries may havedifferent opinions, and therefore it may
disadvantagepeople from other areas. I believe also that regulators
shouldbe independent from the countries government, this would
prevent politicians from interfering with an entertainment products rating
5. BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMediaProduction
to give it bias against otherproducts for betteror worse.
Extensiontasks
Answer just one of the following questions with a long form answer
using specificexamples to help supportyour opinions.
Why do we allow regulatorybodiesto censor media products
like films and video games?
It is in order to protect youngerpeople from thecruelties andless
innocent sides of digital products. PEGI’s rating system allows parents to
make decisions, which are more appropriate to differing aged children.
This system does appeared to have worked, with many gamedevelopers
willing to ditch certain features in order to open up the gameto
wider/younger audiences. Cases where PEGI have forced restrictions upon
somegames have only happened 3 times in theUK, andhave then been
corrected in order to allow for thePEGI certificate, which allows it to be
sold legally in theUK.
Is it importantto regulate adverts?
Yes, without regulations of advertising there wouldn’t bea point of
regulating theactual content. Its important that wedo regulate adverts
within thewatershed period, without theregulation, children & young
people are subject to seeing graphic or inappropriate images that parents
wouldn’t want them to see/witness. Regulating the adverts protects
younger people in thesame way as regulation the content. Protecting
thesecertain age groups is important because of influential content,
which can be brought about if it isn’t regulated.
Is people’s privacyor freedom of information more important?
6. BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMediaProduction
Depends,forordinary members of public with little recognitionby
world figures,privacy should come first for them, however politicians
and high end, game changing figures, should be more transparent
than blacked out. In situations in this day and age, politicians should
be able to tell the truth and have it cross checked,to see just how
trustworthy one is.
