Anything that simplifies European-wide game releases, and makes it easier for publishers t get games into the hands of gamers, is great news by me.

Having a separate UK body, and another round of hoops to jump through is the last thing game publishers need.

...the British version of the US's ESRB ratings. Different classifications and graphics, but otherwise essentially the same. They have the 3,7,12,16,&18 ratings, we have EC,E,E10,T,M (we also have AO, but that's a black mark--east of the Atlantic, it would be refused classification). They have their advisory icons, we have our advisory notices. As long as it's not too outstanding, it's nothing more than another tool...that'll end up ignored by witless parents, and the government will be left scratching their heads and wondering what went wrong. HINT: some parents can't be taught, some parents don't want to be taught, and some just want to take your lessons and stick them where the sun don't shine.

Under the 1984 Act all Alan Johnson (for it is he) needs to do is to lay an Order in Council detailing the change before both houses. If they don't shoot it down in 40 days it goes through on the nod.

Mine's the one with pedantic bastard written on it...

"For example, a spider, hypodermic needle and fist indicate that a game contains scary content, drug references and violence, respectively."

El Reg must copy these icons ASAP. Most comments could contain large doses of each and be classified as such by the commentard him (or her) self. I've seen plenty of comments where the people were either on drugs, or trolling, or downright scary.

Back on topic, how would GTA 4 rate by this new scheme? There is no nudity by itself (a pair of panties icon?)(or there IS nudity I don't know since I don't own it?) but you have plenty of everything else. Because of that, GTA would not deserve a 18 rate, a 16 rate would be more adequate.

The ESRB gives the following advisories for GTA4 (rated M): Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol, Blood, and Intense Violence.

Correct me if I miss the marks, but the likely scenario for GTA4 east of the Atlantic would be an 18 rating with the following icons:

-a black bar across the top half of a female caricature

-a cartoon balloon filled with symbols commonly seen at the top of a keyboard

-the hypo (as mentioned in the article)

-a bottle of liquor

-a caricature of a limb with a drop coming out of it

-a knife (to signal that the violence is more intense than that shown by the fist icon).

The only one I can't put a discrete icon to is the one for strong sexual content. That one's hard to describe in anything other than words without going over the line.

The symbols are pretty standard and already used quite a bit.

I think GTA4 looks like the top right icons on this page:

http://www.kijkwijzer.nl/index.php?

(with a 16 classification. 18 is in the Netherlands reserved for pr0n)

> hypodermic needle ... indicate that a game contains ... drug references

And thus do our youth become inured to the idea that injecting drugs is the normal way to take them ... well done Our Jacqui (oh she's gone, hasn't she !)

I want one that says "This games too bloody hard for you, old man." It says "3" on the label of all my Spyro games, I should be able to do them...

Bah. Modern technology. You knew where you were in the old days, playing in the yeard with a, a, a breezeblock and a bit of stick.