videogames 5- regulation of the industry

the regulation of the videogame industry

The regulation of the videogame industry is largely ineffective, thanks to digitally convergent technologies.

for example with the growing popularity of streaming sites and services e.g. netflix, amazon prime.

It's illegal for newspapers to harass people and publish material which may stir racial hatred. How do certain newspapers get away with it? By publishing online, where regulations are harder to impose, and letting the commentators say exactly what they really want to say instead!

Videogames are very much in the same ballpark. We have some of the strictest regulation of the videogame industry in the world, after a few notable examples such as Germany, and especially Australia. However, it is easy enough to circumvent regulation. If a game is banned or censored in the UK (for example Manhunt 2 on the Nintendo Wii), it can be imported from other countries like America, or even downloaded for free if we include piracy as an option.

• Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (1989) - first idea of a  regulation organisation within the video-game industry with age and content regulations but was all advisory for consumers, before games were self-regulated.
• PEGI(Pan European Game Information0 (2003) - advisory system not legal binding which is different to the BBFC (film regulation), guidelines are similar with certain ages and relate to the content that may cause harm or distress. They look for and point out racism and discrimination, sex, violence and bad language. Idea behind was for parents to make informed decisions on what their children play. No obligation for companies to use these symbols or distributors to follow up on these rules it's all advisory

The video game is clearly regulated to a substantial degree, because of such specific regulation elements split into sections: sex, violence, fear, gambling, discrimination and drugs - these warnings should highlight to parents how video games can be a lot more adult and explicit than they may initially consider. PEGI regulations are only advisory, so someone under 18 can be allowed to buy a PEGI-18 game, if the shopkeeper does not question or refuse, which leads to some interesting circumstances.


Consumer Based Regulation exists to tell the consumer/audience about what kind of content the game or film etc. to help the audience to make an informed decision .Using digital technologies, consumers can ignore or lie about their age to self-regulate what they want to consume if they feel it is appropriate - if it is harmful to the consumer, that is not the game or the regulators fault, it is the consumers' for ignoring the warnings and for making an incorrect judgement in self-regulation

Why do we need regulations?

• To protect intellectual property or copyright - stopping people stealing your product and not paying you 
• To prevent harm - stop people from being mentally scarred after using or seeing the product
• Libel & Defamation - deliberately damaging someone's reputation (less linked to video-game industry)

Key Theory 13 - Regulation - Livingstone & Hunt

The increasing power of global media corporations together with the rise of convergent media technologies and transformations in the production, distribution and marketing of digital media, have placed traditional approaches to media regulation at risk.The regulation of any industry is ineffective due to digitally convergent technologies.

Types of Regulation

• Consumer based regulation - exists to tell the consumer about what kind of content the media product has in it to help audiences make informed choices about what it contains. 
• Example; PEGI is a European video game content rating system, established to help consumers make informed decisions when buying video games or apps through the use of age recommendations and content descriptions.
• Self Regulation - where an industry and all the components within regulate themselves.
• Example; YouTube has a 'Code of Conduct' and digital distributions services so goes against traditional regulations and is done on a case-by-case basis making it ineffective. Also, it's very easy to go against the regulations and lie about your age, making YouTube not to blame as you have to confirm before watching a video.

Assassin's Creed: Odyssey 

Gameplay footage 

What material in this game is likely to harm or offend an audience?The violence and fighting scenes in this game can cause harm to younger players as its quite graphic and the sound shows this also. The gameplay here is continuous violence which could offend people as well which are sensitive to this theme and subject.

What age certificate does this game deserve and why?The game deserves an age rating of 18 due to the random spurts of violence and blood in the fighting scenes. I think it would harm anyone under 18 as they are playing that character and it could influence their beliefs on violence and what is acceptable, as well as their actions.

How does being an interactive video-game affect the potential harm and distress this game may cause?People will become invested in the story and being the character thats associated to the narrative, they will believe that this may be the way to act and incorporate the characters characteristics into their own lives. Even though it's just a character, people will forget and become overly invested in the characters thoughts and feelings.

In what ways does this game try to be inclusive and accessible to audiences?Having the player follow and be a character means that anyone can play them and feel as if they are them and associate with their thoughts and actions, making the game inclusive and accessible for all.

Who is the target audience for this game? Be very specific (age, gender, social class, etc!)

The target audience for this game is teenage boys or men in their young 20's in middle class as the price of the game may be a little expensive for working class families. Although the game may fit better into working class typical interests with violence and weapons etc.