European video game content ratings body PEGI has admitted the arrival of virtual reality could force it to rethink its ratings system.
Speaking to MCV, PEGI operations director Dirk Bosmans explained the organization will need to reassess the current system in order to better classify VR titles, specifically those featuring elements of horror.
“PEGI should examine the coming wave of VR products using the current questionnaire, but reserve the right to reassess certain elements – more specifically the criteria around fear and horror – once a broader range of products hits the market in the coming period of time,” said Bosmans.
Bosmans’ comments echo those of Sony’s Worldwide Studio’s president, Shuhei Yoshida, who recently told Digital Spy that a new system might be needed to classify any VR games that could cause “trauma.”
“The power of the medium is so much so that, in the future, the industry will probably come up with slightly different ratings so that we can communicate to consumers what kind of contents are inside,” said Yoshida.
“It’s early days but it’s important, because we don’t want to handcuff the creativity of developers. But it’s a challenge for the future, as the media is so powerful, something could potentially cause trauma to people when they try that, because they’ve played something really awful.”