Welcome

Video games are a hugely popular leisure activity in the UK but at the GRA we appreciate that you will have concerns about which games have content suitable for your children. Here we present information that explains how the PEGI games rating system works and what the symbols mean. It will also show that if everyone keeps to the rules, video games are a bonus to their lives.

Protecting your children from inappropriate content is really a joint task.

The Government have done their bit by introducing new legislation which restricts the sale of games to people who are old enough for the content.

The GRA is responsible for overseeing and applying the rating process in the UK. In addition we have developed an e-learning package that is available to all retailers to use in training their staff. This is to ensure that retail staff understand their responsibilities and that games are not sold to youngsters below the appropriate age.

The most important part of the chain is YOU. In far too many cases inappropriate games have been given to young people, albeit unwittingly, by their parents or often grandparents.

The majority of games are rated 3 and are suitable for children of all ages. A few are considered to be possibly a little bit frightening for younger children and are rated at 7. Here we will seek to explain why other games move into a category that places a legal age restriction on their sale.

However, it is important to remember that some games are designed for an adult audience. If it says 18 on the box it is not because it is difficult to play, it is because the content, often violence, sex and bad language, is more suitable for adults .