BYRON REVIEW: Publishers to stump up for public education

Secretary Of State for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport Andy Burnham has told MCV that the video games industry is expected to fund a parental awareness campaign following the publication of Dr. Tanya Byron’s Review of video games and internet safety.

In the Review, Byron suggested ‘sustained, high-profile and targeted efforts by industry to increase parents’ understanding and use of age-ratings’ – particularly the new statutory ’12’ BBFC classification.

However, when questioned by MCV on whether the Government would provide any financial assistance at a press conference this morning, Burnham said:

Principally, we’re looking for the games industry to take that forward."

Dr. Byron said she was due to hold discussions with the industry on how funding for a public information service would be organised – which seems most likely to fall on the shoulders of UK publishers.

When questioned by MCV, she replied:

"I have talked to industry about how they can enable public information campaigns to be funded, but I haven’t spoken to industry since the publication of this report.

I need to go back and do that again, but this is an industry that clearly wants people to understand there are brilliant games for kids, that they want kids playing, and that there are adult games are for adults.

How the industry takes that forward is a matter for discussion."