This is news that many of us have been waiting for, especially those who have children that own a Windows Phone and frequently play games. Microsoft has announced that they will be pairing with PEGI (Pan-European Game Information) to begin rating games on the Marketplace.
The age ranking will provide a clear indication to parents for better control over what games their children can download and/or play. Developers will be able to submit ratings for their titles via PEGI Express. Chris Lewis, VP IEB, Microsoft EMEA, had this to say:
"At Microsoft, providing parents with the tools to help keep their children safe online is a top priority, and we have made considerable investments in this area both in our Windows environment as well as on the Xbox 360. Given the fast growing popularity of mobile gaming amongst a younger age group, we felt that it was critical to apply those same rigorous standards to our Windows Phone devices as currently apply to Xbox and Games for Windows titles.PEGI continues to play a crucial role in the interactive entertainment sector. As a founding member of PEGI, Microsoft continues its strong commitment to safe entertainment, by working together with PEGI to help developers rate their games quickly and effectively"
There's already a PEGI app available in the Marketplace (which came in the submission blitz), but it would be much more effective if ratings are displayed on game download pages within the Marketplace etc.
Via: WinRumors
