A number of publishers have responded to calls from UK culture minister Margaret Hodge for the games industry to work together to find the best solution to videogame age ratings.

Discussing the findings of the Byron report in an interview with In Stock Magazine, Hodge said that she would like to see a “consensus from the industry as to how best we protect the interests of children”.

“We have said that we accept her [Byron] recommendations in full,” Hodge continued, adding that if the games industry was not happy with the plans proposed, which include greatly extending the British Board of Film Classification’s remit to rate videogames in the UK, it should suggest alternatives.

Responding to Hodge’s comments, a number of publishers have come out in support of the Pan-European Games Information classification system.

 “The PEGI age ratings system is favored by Nintendo,” said David Yarnton, the company’s UK general manager. “It has the ability to assess and rate all game content and does not rely on a sample of game play to form its decisions. The fact that there is also an EC proposal for member states to adopt PEGI only adds further weight to the solid arguments and facts for its UK adoption as the sole system of choice for games ratings.”

David Solari, vice president and general manager of Codemasters online, said, “Online and persistent gaming is the future and we need a ratings system which can keep up and flex with this rapidly growing and evolving entertainment medium. I believe PEGI is the system to do this.”

Andy Payne, chairman of Mastertonic, added, “Mastertronic feels that the games industry needs a pan-European rating system which understands the intrinsic nuances of our entertainment medium with specific reference to child protection. But such a system must be legally enforceable. To that end, PEGI fits the bill in terms of its approach and delivery, it just needs some legal teeth in the UK to make it the obvious choice over and above all other options."