With PEGI in use in approximately 40 countries it is vital that the system and the underlying classification criteria stay in tune with social, technical and content-related developments as well as game distribution models and related services. The PEGI Experts Group, which includes four academics from European universities and technology experts from the gaming sector, is responsible for ensuring these criteria are kept up-to-date. This also includes analyzing market-related data, developing white papers on market changes, and dealing with specific reports on issues such as incorrect game classification.
“The Pan-European Game Information (PEGI) is a model example of autoregulation, an effective system of information that helps consumers make informed choices. An invitation to join the prestigious group of experts is, of course, a nice recognition of my work, but it is also an opportunity to work closely with an organization that has strong ties to business and to very interesting and dynamically changing market,” says Mirosław Filiciak, Director of the Institute of Humanities, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences in Warsaw, at SWPS University.
“When PEGI was established, its goal was to develop a game rating system, based on content analysis, which would help parents make informed purchasing decisions, for example related to the level of violence contained in a give game. However, nowadays the gaming market is completely different and issues that should be taken into consideration extend beyond the game content, for example payment solutions, mechanisms forcing players to play regularly, and various risks related to online communication. This is an interesting conceptual challenge,” concludes Professor Filiciak.
The Pan-European Game Information (PEGI) age rating system was established to help European parents make informed decisions on buying computer games. It was launched in the spring of 2003 and replaced a number of national age rating systems with a single system now used throughout most of Europe, in more than 35 countries (Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldavia, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom).
The system is supported by the major console manufacturers, publishers, and developers of interactive games throughout Europe. The age rating system was developed by the Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE).
The day-to-day management, supervision and development of the PEGI system was handed to PEGI s.a., an independent, not-for-profit company with a social purpose established under Belgian law.
Mirosław Filiciak – is a media expert interested in the relationship between new media and cultural participation. His research interests include the Internet, computer games, transformation of television, contemporary culture, and informal distribution of information. He collaborates with numerous public cultural institutions, businesses and NGOs. He is also the co-creator of Kultura 2.0 [Culture 2.0], a project devoted to cultural transformations in the digital era as well as Medialab, the first Polish initiative combining social activism, art and technology. He was the principal investigator on numerous research projects, including “Młodzi i media” [Youth and Media], “Tajni kulturalni” [Secret Agents of Culture], and “Obiegi kultury” [The Circuits of Culture]. Full bio ».