“We’re not a group of corporate men in suits trying to stop everybody’s fun.”
But how much do we actually know about who’s running it - the people there?
They’re not wearing suits or fluorescent hi-vis vests but are instead casually dressed in red and black hoodies.
they ask, with an expectant smile.
I’m disarmed by the informality of it all and by the informality of them.
They’re not what I expected and, apparently, it shows.
There are stages to getting a game rated.
The very first stage, if someone wants it, is informally asking for advice.
“We want to help,” Rice says.
“So they’ve said, ‘Yes, my game contains mild bad language.
It’s got ‘shit’ and ‘bastard’ in it,” Rice uses as an example.
I grin childishly - I’m not used to hearing it put so matter-of-factly.
The next step is supplying short videos alongside the explanations of what’s in your game.
Here, there’s an opportunity for a dialogue to occur.
So do you want to untie that character that’s being interrogated?
You could possibly end up with a slightly different rating.
“Is a limb going to be blown off?
That will jump it from 16 to 18.
What happens if I shoot a hostage?
Again, that’s a rating jump.
Can I run over a pedestrian?
That’s another rating jump.”
Then, the rating is issued.
Sometimes, publishers don’t like the outcome, and sometimes they push back.
If you’re not going to take it out, we don’t have a choice.
We’re going have to issue this rating.'"
It became a loud talking pointwhen Star Wars Battlefront was release in 2016.
But it’s not a problem any more.
“PEGI’s always been relatively… “But the rating changes, adjustments to criteria, can go both ways.”
Sexual content and crude humour are treated more leniently here.
In South Korea, meanwhile, games cannot erode the national identity of the country.
“We don’t really care from a PEGI perspective,” Rice says.
But there is a topic that’s emerged in recent years that remains divisive: in-game spending and gambling.
“If you start factoring in things like spending, you lose the nuance between the content.
It’s been a very controversial ruling.
I ask Rice about this.
That’s fair enough, but which game will have a more harmful overall effect?
How effective are they at keeping the wrong kinds of games out of children’s hands?
PEGI ratings are, primarily, there as guidance for adults.
These figures don’t quite match up withwhat’s listed on PEGI’s website.
“It’s there for people who want to use it,” Rice says.
They’re making a decision based off of how they know their child, which is absolutely fine.
All we ask is that they’re making an informed decision.”
It does help, Rice says, that parents are increasingly people who grew up with games.
Richard Wells’ deep and posh voice still does so much heavy lifting for them.
It’s a wonder he was only apparently paid 200 (170) for his work.
Rice and Lapper have seen that TikTok video by the way.
