Microsoft greenlights 18-rated games for Windows 8

Microsoft has performed a U-turn on its decision to ban 18-rated games on the Windows 8 app store.

Despite guidelines previously preventing the sale of any games above Mature in the US, the firm’s corporate VP of web services Antoine Leblond told Gizmodo this did not mean classifications above PEGI 16 in Europe would be banned.

Under the previous guidelines, games such as Skyrim, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Mass Effect and Assassin’s Creed would not have been allowed on the store.

PEGI 18 games that could be rated as mature in the US will now likely be given approval, as only games classified as Adult, which can for example refer to scenes of pornography, will not be allowed.

Leblond said that Microsoft would start approving mature classified and 18-rated games from December.

"This is to give developers a heads up that that’s where we’re going," he said.



"So they can have the peace of mind around developing the kinds of games that will have those ratings."