NEWS RELEASE
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B.C. To Take Enforcement Action Against Violent Video Games |
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| VICTORIA
- B.C. is moving forward with a two-stage approach to enforce a
classification system for violent video games, Attorney General Andrew
Petter said today.
"We know that today's families want and need a rating system to help them make informed choices about their children's access to these games," Petter said. "Now, we're putting the tools in place." As a first step, B.C. will immediately submit to the B.C. Film Classification Office those games that are rated the most violent by the entertainment software rating board. The film classification office recently rated the video game Soldier of Fortune as adult, which prohibited the sale or rental of the game to children. "The entertainment software rating board's system is generally well regarded," said Petter. "Using this system to focus on those games that present the greatest risk to children will enable us to move forward with these enforcement measures now." Petter said the second step will be to introduce legislation for a more comprehensive system that could also be based on the entertainment software rating board's system, with modifications to reflect B.C. standards and concerns. The modifications could affect terminology, age categories and content descriptors. "We want to make sure the system is not just adaptable to B.C., but actually reflects community values in this province," said Petter. In addition to legislation, the attorney general said a major public education campaign is planned to help parents, teachers and children to Web-proof and video-proof themselves. "B.C. continues to lead the country to turn off violence in our communities, our schools and our media," Petter said. "Now we're taking direct action to keep graphic violence out of the hands of children." Petter made the announcement after meeting with officials in New York and Washington, D.C., on the marketing and regulation of violent video games. |