In the wake of the BBFC being overruled in its attempts to keep Rockstar’s Manhunt 2 banned, pundits are now predicting that the ratings board could face losing the ability to rate videogames. PEGI, Europe’s dedicated games rating system, would likely have sole control over videogame releases in the UK if the BBFC gets kicked aside.
“The grudging nature of the BBFC’s statement, that it now has “no alternative” but to grant the title a certificate, coupled with the fact the body went to the High Court, twice rejected the game itself and tried to overturn the original judgment of the VAC leaves the organization with its credibility bruised,” claimed BBC News technology index editor Darren Waters.
The BBFC went to extraordinary lengths to keep Manhunt 2 from store shelves, and seemed to win itself no fans in the process. Tanya Byron, who is expected to publish her report on videogame violence for the British government very soon, is also said to favor PEGI over the BBFC. It seems that the board’s jurisdiction over videogames could soon be heading into numbered days.
Given the BBFC’s aptitude for smugness, it would be quite funny to see the board slapped down, especially after declaring its wishes to rate every game in Britain. The BBFC announced it was up to the challenge of rating my home country’s videogame content, but it would appear that not many outside of the BBFC itself share that sentiment. I wouldn’t miss the BBFC, at any rate.
