ISFE denies neglecting dev views in PEGI ratings

The Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE) says that it doesn’t ignore the views of developers in respect to assigning PEGI age ratings on games.

Yet European association said its twelve board members will hold a board meeting in May and discuss if it should better represent studios’ views.

Earlier today Guillaume de Fondaumiere – chairman of the European Games Developer Federation – took issue with how the game rating decision process is “debated without, really, taking the developer’s perspective into account."

A representative for the ISFE told Develop, however, that the association already takes on board the views of studios in the age rating process.

“It’s important to point out that the ISFE already represents the need for developers,” said the spokesman.

“We do not exclusively represent just publishing bodies – for example, we represent publishers’ internal studios – of which there is a large number of.”

The spokesperson said “age ratings system today is in good shape”, but added the group was happy to explore the issue further.

EGDF chairman de Fondaumiere – also the co-CEO of Heavy Rain studio Quantic Dream – said that it’s time developers were at the “forefront of the debate” on age ratings. He is now lobbying the ISFE to get a seat on the PEGI ratings board.

In response, the ISFE said it will bring the issue up in its next board meeting in May.

“The issue that de Fondaumiere put to us will certainly be on the agenda,” said the representative.

“But the most important step is to sit around a table and discuss this – it’s good to have the broadest discussion possible in this.”