EU may regulate development and sale of violent video games

Violent video games are officially a hot-button issue on both sides of the Atlantic. While addressing the EU Parliament, EU Vice President and Commissioner for Justice, Freedom, and Security Franco Frattini made the case for increased regulation of the video game industry, and the European Union may adopt more stringent regulations covering the development and sale of violent video games in 2007.

Frattini and other European lawmakers have begun echoing concerns of US lawmakers who believe that violent video games encourage children to act violently. Last month's school shooting in Germany, where Sebastian Bosse wounded several at a secondary school in Emsdetten before taking his own life, brought the issue of violent video games to the forefront once it was learned that Bosse was a gamer.

In response to the shooting, the German states of Bavaria and Lower Saxony drafted legislation that would fine and possibly jail video game developers who create and market games containing "cruel violence on humans or human-looking characters." Support for restrictions on video games has grown in the aftermath of the shooting, with 59 percent of the respondents in one German poll supporting a ban on the sale of violent video games to minors.

Frattini's plans call for both parental advisory warnings on certain games as well as new age restrictions covering their sale. Rejecting market-driven solutions, Frattini told the European Parliament that "the protection of the rights of children is a priority of the European Commission," according to the Hollywood Reporter. "Violence and sadism in video games is clearly a worrying issue."

Just as they are in the US, video games are given ratings in Europe. Those ratings are issued by Pan European Game Information, which was developed by the Interactive Software Federation of Europe, and use a combination of age-based ratings and content descriptions similar to those of the ESRB. As is the case in the US, the ratings system is voluntary and retailer compliance is sometimes an issue.

During the first few months of 2007, the EU will convene a conference on video game violence with child health experts, developers, and governmental representatives in attendance. The hope is that all parties will be able to agree on a voluntary set of guidelines for the industry and retailers to follow. The topic will also be under discussion during a January meeting of EU ministers, and there is a definite prospect of legislative action if voluntary measures don't do the trick.

:source: Source: http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061215-8433.html