Defeated BBFC Defends Record By Citing Ridiculousness
As if to demonstrate the very video game cluelessness that helped PEGI gain control of video game ratings in the UK - control it already wields throughout the rest of Europe - the defeated British Board of Film Classification talked to The Times about how PEGI is "too weak and lenient."
In the ensuing discussion the BBFC cited many of its involvements and supporters, from the banning of Manhunt 2 to Times writer Dr. Tanya Byron's support of BBFC over PEGI - which Dr. Byron has since said had been "strengthened" to match the "high standards" of the film industry.
The BBFC also showed us precisely why it's not equipped to manage games, however, in touting its investigation of a purported recipe on how to make crystal meth within GTA IV. Upon learning of the potential meth recipe, the BBFC sprung into action, but after a series of "crisis talks" with Rockstar and a thorough investigation, the BBFC found that GTA IV did not, despite all logical reasons and their fondest hopes, contain the correct step-by-step instructions to manufacture crystal methamphetamine.
Thank heavens. What if, after losing millions and millions of dollars to Hot Coffee, Rockstar had decided to do the world a solid and let us all know how to make addictive poison? And what if it was only the BBFC standing between your children and oddly-placed drug information that can be found much more readily on the internet?
We can only hope that when Rockstar's next game contains a technique for weaponizing plutonium or hybridizing anthrax strains that the BBFC will send PEGI a memo.
BBFC Says It Investigated Crystal Meth Recipe in GTA IV [GamePolitics]
tiny dancer
Posted to Miscellany on 22 June 2009
· Comments (6)
Other stuff like this: bbfc, gta iv, meth, pegi
This was a great article tiny!
This article reeks of arrogance and American 'Oh the Brits are a sensitive lot' opinion..
You make it sound as though a description of drug production would be completely out of the realm of being included in a Rockstar game..
It is any classification boards duty to not only rate games/movies but also report to relevant authorities any illegal activity that it would contain - and descriptions of drug manufacture would be included in that.. drugs being illegal and all :p
The outdated, useless dinosaurs of the BBFC should be defeated consistently.
They are enjoyment ruining tossmongers of the highest calibre.
Let the yanks play their "sensitive option" they still live in America, how many republican governments have we had lately?
Who is more sensitive after all.
Hey, we have plenty of stupidity-in-bureaucracy on this side of the pond, too. There's enough to go around, methinks, without anyone needing to resort to nationalism to find it.
I played GTA4 and I don't remember anything like that being in there. Did they just make that up to sound cool(?)
Regardless of whether it's there or not, the post is worth it for the picture alone. Too fabulous.