We’ve been following a story in the UK which pits game publishers against the British government in a struggle over the future of game ratings. The Byron Review, which was released last year, recommended that the BBFC take over the role of rating all games aimed at audience over the age of 12, while the current PEGI body is relegated to rating and screening games for those in the younger demographics.

Microsoft and EA both came out strongly opposed to the new system, stating that two separate ratings boards would cause games to be delayed and potentially more expensive for consumers, while the UK government fired back that they are more than equipped to handle the job and that the publishers are just using scare tactics to protect the status quo.

Today, a few more publishers joined the chorus for keeping things the way they are, as Nintendo, Ubisoft, and Sega have all come out in support for the PEGI. Nintendo UK general manager David Yarton has claimed that PEGI is his company’s preference due to the fact that they have "the ability to assess and rate all game content," while Ubisoft’s Rob Cooper has called the PEGI officials the "best qualified and experienced to do the job."

Addressing issues that call into question whether the BBFC has the proper authority to rate games, Sega Europe CEO Mike Hayes claimed:

"If you look at the PEGI system against the film ratings board in the UK, you will see that PEGI is the only system that has the power to prevent games publishers distributing unsuitable material to children... This power is backed by the entire industry."

As the war of words between the British government and game publishers continue, one must wonder why there is such intense debate over a solution for a non-existent problem. It seems as though the PEGI system works quite well, and adding another layer of bureaucracy would only serve to muddy the waters and cause copious problems when trying to publish games in Europe. Given the fact that the industry is already flagging on that side of the Atlantic, anything that makes games more expensive to produce and market will only serve to further cripple the industry.