These unofficial accessories cannot affect age classifications at the moment. „official“ VR components supported by the publisher (or directly provided with the game) (2),.hardware players can use without the publisher advertising compatibility or providing support (1) and To determine the effect of VR-hardware for classification procedures, it is necessary to differentiate between: Importance of External Accessories for Age Classification Game versions with and without VR functionality might also receive diverging age ratings. For North American ESRB and European PEGI ratings, which are based on content categories, it might be necessary to introduce an additional category for VR functionality. In Germany, the influence of VR on minors can be directly taken into consideration as these ratings do not rely on strict content categories. Virtual reality technology could be considered a relevant classification factor in all rating systems. While ESRB ratings are used in North America, the European standard is the PEGI classification – with the exception of Germany where USK ratings are used. Rating procedures vary across jurisdictions. We have provided an overview of rating procedures in Europe in our Blog. It may be surprising to most people not familiar with game classification that the people in charge of rating rarely play and evaluate the games in their entirety. The question therefor arises whether and how VR functionality should impact the age rating of video games. Shuhei Yoshida, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios, even brought up the idea of a dedicated separate rating system for VR games in a recent interview. Until now, the impact of VR technology on youth protection has not been discussed in legal literature.Īccording to media reports, the European rating body PEGI is considering to re-evaluate the criteria for “fear” and “horror” once VR-technology gains more market relevance. With the Oculus Rift for example, it is possible to play not only current games like “Dying Light”, but also older games, such as the over 10 years old classic “Half Life 2” or the over 4 years old “Euro Truck Simulator 2”. Many games are already specifically designed for use with VR devices, or at least can be used with them. Gamers have the impression of being completely surrounded by the virtual environment. When players move their head, this movement is transposed into the virtual environment. Sensors monitor the players’ movements in real time. Most of these VR systems rely on headsets with built-in displays. Numerous manufacturers already offer VR hardware or have announced products. The games industry is putting intense efforts into the development of games designed for new VR hardware. Technology and Effects of Virtual Reality on Gaming It is yet unclear, however, how exactly the technology affects age ratings for video games. Virtual reality headsets are already used in numerous video games to deliver astonishingly real gaming experiences. The rapid development of virtual reality technology lets players immerse themselves into digital worlds.
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