APRIL 28, 2008 • Singapore put into place a new video game rating system. Retail boxes will now have to carry either Age Advisory or M18 stickers if they meet certain requirements. Games with moderate amounts of violence and/or sex will receive the Age Advisory rating intended for those age 16 and above. Titles containing strong language, realistic violence, or blatant sexual material get the M18 rating for those age 18 and older. Games that don’t fall into either category are approved for general consumption and do not require a rating. Retailers are not required to verify customer age, but are encouraged not to sell rated games to underage minors.
Impact: We’re surprised Singapore’s government took this long to put a video game ratings system in place. The island country is well know for actively policing its notion of a civil society. Yet Singapore is fast becoming more than a viable market for selling games. With Electronic Arts opening a major regional headquarters there, and other publishers undertaking the same, it makes sense for Singapore to start flexing its regulatory muscles. Implementing a rating system is one way to spell out that the nation will not abide by an anything-goes policy toward the games industry.
