NIELSEN REPORT: European consumers understand PEGI ratings

Whilst the BBFC-PEGI debate continues to rumble in the wake of the notorious Byron Report, a new report entitled Video Gamers in Europe 2008 from ISFE-Nielsen suggests that European gamers back the current PEGI system.

Across the 15 countries surveyed, 93 per cent of respondents to Nielsen’s survey recognised the PEGI system, and nearly half of all parents questioned found it either ‘extremely useful’ or ‘very useful’.

With about 70 per cent of the top selling games within the major European regions being rated 3+, there is a great variety of games that are suitable not only for the so called ‘hard core gamer’, but actually for the entire family,” ISFE secretary general Patrice Chazerand stated.

Parents have a great choice today when it comes to choosing a game for their kids, it is great to see that PEGI ratings and descriptors are proving to be recognized as a helpful tool by parents.”