Under the Video Recordings Act, most video games are exempt from
BBFC classification. However, they may lose this exemption - and
therefore require a formal BBFC classification - if they depict, to any
significant extent, gross violence against humans or animals, human
sexual activity, human urinary or excretory functions or genital
organs, or techniques likely to be useful in the commission of
offences. In the early days of video games, the quality of
graphics was so low that, even when 'human' or 'animal' characters were
depicted, they were unlikely to be realistic enough to be covered by
the Act. However, the increasing sophistication of computer
graphics means that nowadays a number of games require classification,
usually because they contain violence against realistic human figures.
In some cases, games may also need to be submitted to the BBFC because
they contain non-interactive video elements (eg trailers or film clips)
that do not enjoy the same exemption as interactive games.
Games that retain their exemption - for example because they do not
feature violence or sex involving realistic human figures - are
classified under the PEGI system, a voluntary pan-European rating
system. In the UK, the system is administered by the Video
Standards Council, who also advise publishers on whether or not their
game requires a formal BBFC classification. For more information
on the Video Standards Council, please visit their website
http://www.videostandards.org.uk/