PEGI

A child with his family playing AstroPlayroom on Playstation

Play smart, check PEGI. For 20 years, SELL has been working with gamers and parents to promote responsible video game use.

Since it was founded twenty years ago, the SELL (Syndicat des Éditeurs de Logiciels de Loisirs) has never ceased to assume its responsibilities in the face of ever-growing numbers of consumers.

In 2003, at the instigation of ISFE (Interactive Software Federation of Europe), the SELL developed a system for classifying video games according to their content: the PEGI (Pan European Game Information) system. Managed by an independent body, the PEGI system ensures that consumers are provided with understandable and accurate information, whatever their level of familiarity with video games. A service of public interest recognised in 2007 by the European Commission and in 2014 by the French government. A decision that formalised ten years of constructive work to provide gamers with clear information.

As well as establishing and promoting the PEGI classification, the SELL has been supporting and participating in the PédaGoJeux collective since 2008, tasked with better explaining video games to parents, gamers and educators.

Pictograms

The PEGI pictograms appear on the front and back of the packaging and indicate one of the following age groups: 3, 7, 12, 16 and 18. They give a reliable indication of the suitability of the content of the game in terms of protecting minors. The age classification does not take into account the level of difficulty or skills required to play a game.

Icons indicating the ages associated with PEGI symbols

Descriptors

The descriptors on the back of the packaging indicate the main reasons why a game has been assigned a particular age rating. There are eight descriptors: foul language, discrimination, drugs, fear, gambling, sex, violence and integrated purchases.

PEGI icon indicating bad language warning

Descriptors

Coarse Language

The game contains coarse language. This descriptor may appear on games rated PEGI 12 (mild coarseness), PEGI 16 (sexual swearing or profanity) or PEGI 18 (sexual swearing or profanity).

Descriptors

Discrimination

The game contains ethnic, religious, nationalistic, gender or other stereotypes that may encourage hatred. This content is always limited to the PEGI 18 classification (and likely to infringe national criminal legislation).

Descriptors

Drugs

The game refers to or describes the use of illegal drugs, alcohol or tobacco. Games with this content descriptor are always rated PEGI 16 or PEGI 18.

Descriptors

Fear

This descriptor may appear on PEGI 7 games if they contain images or sounds likely to frighten or frighten young children, or on PEGI 12 games if they contain horrifying sounds or effects (but without any violent content).

Descriptors

Games of chance

The game presents content that encourages or teaches gambling. These game simulations concern games of chance that normally take place in casinos or gaming halls. Games with this type of content are classified PEGI 12, PEGI 16 or PEGI 18.

Descriptors

Sex

This descriptor may accompany a PEGI 12 rating if the game contains sexual positions or innuendo, a PEGI 16 rating if it contains nudity or sex without visible genitalia or a PEGI 18 rating if it contains explicit sexual activity. Scenes of nudity in a non-sexual environment do not require a specific age rating and this descriptor is not necessary.

Descriptors

Violence

The game contains scenes of violence. In games rated PEGI 7, scenes of violence may be neither realistic nor detailed. Games rated PEGI 12 may contain violence in an imaginary environment or unrealistic violence in relation to human characters, whereas games rated PEGI 16 or 18 contain increasingly realistic scenes of violence.

PEGI icon indicating the integrated purchase warning

Descriptors

Integrated purchasing

The game offers players the opportunity to purchase virtual goods or services with real money. These purchases include, but are not limited to, extra levels, skins and themes, surprise items, music, in-game virtual money, annual subscriptions and updates (e.g. to remove adverts).

For minors, certain competitions and games organised by Paris Games Week exhibitors require authorisation signed by parents.

Authorisations can be downloaded from the exhibitors' websites or signed at the show.

Created in 2003, PEGI is a system for classifying video games by age, drawn up by ISFE (Interactive Software Federation of Europe). Present in 38 European countries, it now brings together more than 2,100 game publishers and developers and has classified more than 31,000 games and millions of mobile applications.

The PEGI rating system enables parents across Europe to make informed decisions when buying a video game. Since 2003, it has replaced a number of national rating systems with a single system that is now used in the majority of European countries.

The system is supported by console manufacturers Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo, as well as video game publishers and developers. Since December 2015, the PEGI system has also been approved by the French Ministry of the Interior.

You can find the PEGI logos on every demonstration stand at Paris Games Week, as well as additional information in the Family section with Pédagojeux.

More information on https://pegi.info/
Follow PEGI on Twitter: https://twitter.com/pegi_rating
Download the PEGI application on Google Play Store or iOS AppStore

PédaGoJeux