With the latest legislative amendment to the ordinance (No. 15/2021, of 14 January), which regulates the videogram authentication process, PEGI is now officially adopted, and its position as a reliable and responsible age rating system is reinforced. Before this date, video games distributed for sale in Portugal carried PEGI age labels as a self-regulatory effort by the video games industry. PEGI is now the market standard in nearly 40 countries across Europe, and an increasing number of those countries are adopting PEGI in co-regulatory schemes that will ensure a consistent display of age-rating information about video game content.

Tiago Sousa, the general director of the Portuguese video game association, AEPDV, said: “We have had the important support of IGAC in various initiatives. With the adoption of the PEGI system by IGAC as the official age rating classification for video game consumers, parents and players in Portugal can find all the relevant information they need in their local language to enjoy an activity with family and friends.”

PEGI’s Director of Operations, Dirk Bosmans, said: “PEGI is committed to giving parents and consumers the appropriate tools and information so they can make informed decisions when they are buying video games for their children. The age rating system is at the heart of PEGI’s commitment to minor protection, and it is encouraging to see it now officially adopted in Portugal. It gives us the confidence to ensure that PEGI remains reliable and relevant in a quickly evolving market environment.”

About IGAC

In Portugal, IGAC specialises in the protection of copyright and related rights, which competes with several other attributions in the field of cultural activities. In addition to the inspection component, which also includes the technical, financial and management audit of organically integrated entities that depend on the tutelage of Culture, IGAC has among its bodies the Classification Committee, which is responsible for the age rating of works and cultural content, entertainment and artistic performances (film works, theatre, opera and videograms, etc.). It is also responsible for registering literary and artistic works, controlling the distribution of cinematographic works and authenticating videograms.

Contact: IGAC (igacgeral@igac.pt)

About AEPDV

The Association of Video Game Producers and Distributors (AEPDV) is the Portuguese association exclusively dedicated to the representation of companies that produce and distribute video games for consoles, computers, mobile and internet. AEPDV is also concerned with healthy video game practices and supports the PEGI age rating system in all its dimensions so that consumers/parents/ caregivers can acquire the most appropriate content according to the age group to which they are intended. For more information on these and other matters relevant to healthy gameplay, please see www.aepdv.pt .

Contact: AEPDV - Tiago Sousa (tiago.sousa@aepdv.pt)

This article was originally published on the PEGI website and is reproduced here with permission.