Interviews// Tanya Byron, Head Of The Government's Gaming Review

SPOnG: Have you ever had any problems with either of them wanting to play games that you would consider were inappropriate?

Tanya Byron: No…


SPOnG: I suppose they are a little bit too young.

Tanya Byron: Yeah, they’re a bit too young. But certainly, playing games online, sometimes you want to look at what is happening, and how they are managing it, how they understand it, making sure the information they are giving out is appropriate and that type of stuff. But we have dialogues with them about all this and it works okay for us as a family.

I really see the benefits of these games to them individually, in terms of education, learning and development and just in terms of hanging out with their mates. This is how kids play and I’m all for kids playing – play is an essential part of development. But it is about a balance in play, first of all, and it’s also about kids playing with and utilising material that is appropriate for their age and their stage of development. And whether or not the mechanisms in place at the moment are adequate to ensure that that’s happening and that they are effective. That’s what this review is looking at.


SPOnG: You mention the PEGI and BBFC ratings systems for games.

Tanya Byron: Yes…


SPOnG: One issue that seems to come up quite a lot is that of parents buying 15-rated or 18-rated games for their children and not being aware of the fact that they are rated, or not being aware of what those ratings mean.

Tanya Byron: Yes, I think that’s right. And also because there are two systems I think that is confusing – because one is statutory and one isn’t. That’s confusing.


SPOnG: So what does that mean?

Tanya Byron: Exactly! It’s the difference between what, legally, your child could not be sold and what it wouldn’t be illegal for your child to buy, even if they were under the recommended age. How games are classified when you have two systems that work in different ways is confusing.

These are both good systems, please understand. It’s not a criticism of the systems themselves. But you are absolutely right. Many parents are buying a game and looking at the age-rating on the game, in many cases possibly thinking that it is a skill-rating rather than an age-rating.

That’s something that parents can be told by their kids, you know, “oh I know I’m twelve, but I can play a fifteen-game… I played one at my friend’s house and I was fine…” It’s about supporting parents to help them understand the system. And maybe, perhaps, the system itself might have to be streamlined to help parents really understand.


SPOnG: One thing I get quite concerned about, talking to a lot of games retailers and staff in games shops, is that I hear the same story time and time again – which is that they will turn a child away if that child wants to buy a 15 or 18-BBFC rated game… But then the parents will return and buy that game anyway for the child. Do you think it is just part of this more general perception that games are just for kids?

Tanya Byron: It’s a really good point. The word ‘game’ is all about childhood and playing isn’t it? So I think it is partly that. I also think pester power is huge. I think maybe some parents have a real problem with saying no. But it is also not only parents it’s older brothers and sisters and friends doing it as well.

Hasn’t it always been like that? Kids sending their mates in to buy a packet of fags or a can of lager when they couldn’t buy one. With alcohol and cigarettes, in the main, as a society we have got a handle on the fact that you don’t buy these things for young people. That it’s not appropriate for them.

But I think with games, and this isn’t a criticism of the games industry because the games industry produces a whole load of excellent materials that can be used by children and young people, but I think it’s about the industry as well kind of stepping up and saying how they can make it more clear and more understandable. What they would like to see changed. What they can do to help the general public understand that it is not all about the kind of 18-plus, violent-themed games or games with sexual content or whatever.

This is about really great stuff that kids can use. But how can the industry get this message across? You know, for example, do lots of parents know that you can put pin-codes on consoles in a similar way to how you would put a pin-code on your adult channel on your TV? I don’t think many parents are aware of this.