AGE RATINGS: Codemasters unworried by blunder

Codemasters CEO Rod Cousens has told MCV that he is sure retailers and publishers won’t take advantage of today’s news of a Video Recordings Act loophole – as the video games industry has been self-regulating for decades.

Cousens added that certain MPs who had said unhelpful things about the video games industry” in terms of legislation should now feel a little red faced.

It was revealed today that the 1984 Act is actually unenforceable, meaning retailers that are caught selling adult games or movies to children face no legal penalty.

The loophole arose because the Home Office failed to notify the European Commission of the existence of the Act in 1984. The mistake was not spotted on two subsequent occasions, in 1993 and 1994.

Cousens told MCV:

Actions speak louder than words and the computer and video games industry has a history of being responsive and responsible and has achieved this through self regulation. Just as well.

In their number, there are those MP’s who have made unhelpful pronouncements on this industry. The credibility of those statements should be viewed against a backdrop of their [supposedly] informed status of legislation – with which they should doubtless now be familiar!”