why?

because we're a totally f@!?ed up country lol. but seriously how is this news we've had the U - 18 rating on videogames for ages now, how can u update that? unless they plan to make the restrictions even tighter, which is just balls.

I know this is just the UK doing it but it is still stupid.. The ESRB  works it's the parent's that don't. Parent's just do not take the time to reseach anything for thier kid's. They just hear mommy, daddy I  want that and instead of saying no they just say ok cause they do not want the kid being upset... They want to be friends with thier kids and not parent's. So it should be up to the parent's not the Government.

 PARENTS monitor your children!!  Be involved in thier life and spend time with them - and then it wont matter what rating system is availible cause you'll know what your kids are doing!! crazy concept I know!! yes, I am a parent of 3!!

I think this is a great idea!! As a single dad of 24 children, I need this.  I have about 13 playstation 3s in my house and I can never make sure my children are playing games that are wholesome or educational.  With more laws, I finally will be able to be a lazier parent.

Why not just stick with ages? It makes everything much easier.

psn id: gingo..... hahahaahahahah that already is the rating system for games in the uk apart from the PG an U, this country is absolutely dire for stuff like this

 As zippie151 said we have the ratings system so how the h3ll do you change it and if you do change it how do you police it. I think they want to change the way games are rated to make it easier for the nanny state to ban the games that they think are unsuitable, which to them is anything from Q*Bert to GTA 4.... its total bllx!!!! 

lol - this system has been in place for years!

The only change they can make is to get stricter and maybe display the age warning on the box in plain site like they do with blu-ray films and dvds!

I Dont mind, im old enough not to care lol to be honest i dont see why it shoudnt be the same as our film ratings? much easier.

Well it's not like the UK uses our MPAA rating system for movies, why shouldnt they have their own for games? The only problem I see is that  our ESRB ratings system goes largly ignored except in a few places like Bestbuy where they'll actually card a person buying an M rated game if they dont look 18.

im against any kind of cencorship or the freaking rating system at all. If someone wants porn they find it within 3 secs, young girls have computers and web cam in their roomk, these geezers just want to block games. If you want to block anything then block the internett, i mean if the parent got game for 18 for that kid then its not your job to undo it. I mean this is like smoking you cant just say because the buyer was unresponsable we must take action. There are 1million problems why do they focus on games when its the least of the problems? how many people die by games and how many die by getting into fights in the streets, you should freaking concentrate on other things then the ones who dont commit illigal actions

Dog mess

We've never had U and PG...We have

3+

7+

12+

15+

16+

18+

I think?

This is BS! ive owned gta's since i was about 8 and i rarely kill prostitutes/cops. Probably less than half the amount i have done in the game!

I'm old enough for any game and I don't even live in the UK.

@IONIXX: My thoughts exactly.

Murders are portrayed all over the news and kids see daily scenes of war and death.  I think the news desensitizes kids enough and it's not up to the government to decide what's right for everyone.  I guess the kids should just live in a bubble to hide them from the outside world.  It annoys me how much video games take the rap for actions and yet the tv and movie industries are so much worse.  How many games do you really see with nudity, body dismemberment or toture? Not many.  Here's an idea. USE THE PARENTAL CONTROLS ON THE CONSOLE.  Parents wouldn't have to monitor everything their child plays if they would take a second and read the ratings and the reasons for the rating.

Ever notice the media tries to get parents to pay attention to video games, but as soon as something, that only Jack Thompson could link to video game violence, happens, I don't hear a word about parents.  Stupid governments.

@InfernalReaper

Amen

why...?

I'm 27 thank god, so this obviously doesn't do anything for me.  I wont even B**** about it :)  seriousness aside,  hey it's not our fault you kids happen to flip a switch :X

It doesnt really matter.  Parents still dictate what content there kids can view or play.

Here in Australia, all we have is M, MA 15+, U and PG I think.

That is so frekin rediculous. Those ministers have everyone trained. There probley one of the worst dictators out there. This is unbelevable. Just like IONIXX said "omfg it never ends.................", and Morganator said "Horray for enslavement. More restrictions to tie people down with. And people actually believe religious and political leaders when they say we have free will? All our leaders are a JOKE!!!" Im with them all the way!~!

Wow, some people have no lives and gamers pay for it. That's a bit sad 'cause I thought that it was the parents' respnsibility to oversee what their kids are doing. See if I notice my 9 year old cousin playing something rated M or watching a rated R movie I quickly act and not just stand there and blame it on the industry.

@PSU

If that happens, then that pretty much accounts for evert single major videogame website such as PSU, IGN, and Gamestop.

Alright that came out of nowhere, I find it funny to give self praise, but heck you're alright.

Actually it sounds like a very good idea to me, why should games be treated any different than movies?  Hopefully this translates to equality in the different forms of entertainment and maybe such changes will make their way over to America.  Honestly it doesn't affect me much as I am of an age where I am not restricted by ratings but i see it as a positive step.  Maybe we'll stop seeing games getting "Banned" if this takes place.

I guess that's where the saying, "You can't please everybody." comes from huh?

I personly think there is a huge difference between T games and M games, There are some M games I may play, and some T games I won't, I think there should be another level inbetween T and M.

Either way UK has it bad with that even beeing thought up. Who seriously would even take a second look and pay attention to that unless they point penalities at you for bypassing these strict rules?

This is a bizarre story, as videogames here in the UK are ALREADY rated by the BBFC! It was that very organisation which recently refused to certify Manhunt 2, thus meaning it couldn't be sold here!

The problem with this is, it's going to do nothing at all.  When a kid flips a switch and then the game gets the blame, you don't see the parents saying "I didn't know he was playing that game".  Where do you think a 14 year old kid gets these games from?  he asks his mom if she can buy him that game, which the mom does.  This means that no matter how the rating system is, it's crap, it will do nothing and it's a waste of time.

Look i work at an EB games - and 99% of the time if i tell a parent it may not be suitable for their kids they dont care. I NEVER sell to underage kids, and neither do any of the other guys. Its up to the parents to decide for themselves.. its got nothing to do with retailers, websites, magazines, television or any other form of media - its all on the parents. The problem starts and ends there.

Bigdoggy - you're absolutely right. My cousin has a 15-year-old son, and his missus is always buying 18-rated games for him. But she won't let him watch an 18-rated movie.

I don't know why parents in general haven't caught up yet, but the ratings are given to games according to the same guidelines as movies - so WHY parents seem to think "it doesn't matter because it's only a game" is beyond me.

You can't blame the games or the games industry - they do all they can. You can't really blame the kids, either. The fault lies squarely with irresponsible parents, and - to a lesser extent - an ill-informed media, who are always looking for a bandwagon to jump on. Those two sections of society still seem to think that videogames are purely designed for kids, when in  fact that hasn't been the case for 12 years or more now, since the original PlayStation brought gaming to a wider, largely adult audience.

censorship!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

why is it okay for young adults and children to be oppressed

most of the games are overrated anyway so no need to create new problems.

glad i don't live in the UK.

its such bullcrap.

 i remember playing violent games and i didn't think anything of it. i just thought it was cool. i'm happy i'll be 17 next month.

only place consoles in the kitchen or living, LOL!!!!, have they tried playing video games in a actual kitchen or are these guys hooked on cr@ck or sh1t like that. do they really think a real mom would support her child playing in the kitchen whilst she's cooking, i dodn't think so. when i was a kid i would drive my mom nuts everytime i played in the living room because whilst you play she can't watch tv and mums in generale hate video games. even if mothers play at wii sports i think that it's too dangerouse to do so in a kitchen, i'm glad i'm 27 and live in my own flat

Gordon Browns a tw@t !

Wow,you brits just keep gettin' crap,on how YOU should play YOUR games,which btw are YOUR property.

I totaly agree with shadowrth. took the words right out of my mouth