Computer, console and handheld gaming is now a mass-market leisure activity, with millions of players throughout Europe. In the UK, at least one in three people played a video game in the last year. And many of these players are adults: in fact, the average age of games players is now between 33 and 36-years-old, depending on the source you go with.
While most games are suitable for players of all ages, there is a huge older market and, just like film and video, there are games that are only suitable for people over 18 years old.
It is not a massive proportion of games – in fact, some 12.1% of PEGI age-rated titles released in the UK in 2019 were certified with the 18 recommendation – but it is important that parents and others buying games for children are aware of the content of the games. And that’s where age ratings come in.
PEGI age ratings are one type of information that can help players of all ages make the best choices about the games they play on their own and with their family.
The Video Games Ambassadors network offers advice about careers in games. We also support the Family Video Game Database that offers guidance on finding the right games for your family:
AskAboutGames is run in partnership between the Video Standards Council Rating Board, administrator of the PEGI age rating system in the UK, and Ukie, the trade body for the UK's games and interactive entertainment industry:
