Council of Europe joins PEGI Online with Wild Web Woods
Strasbourg, 10.06. 2008 - The Council of Europe's internet safety game for children, Through the Wild Web Woods, was today awarded the Pan European Game Information Online registration by the Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE).
Available in 14 languages, Wild Web Woods is designed to help children - primarily within the 7 to 10 age range - learn the basic rules of internet safety in an engaging and fun format. The Council of Europe launched the game at the end of 2007 and by now it has reached over 1.7 million unique hits.
"We developed Wild Web Woods as part of the Council of Europe's programme, 'Building a Europe for and with children', which promotes children's rights and their protection from all forms of violence," said Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
"In particular, Wild Web Woods teaches children to protect themselves from unsuitable content on the Internet, which is also the objective of ISFE's PEGI Online initiative. We are therefore delighted to register the game, which now carries the PEGI Online logo," she said.
Patrice Chazerand, Secretary General of ISFE, welcomed the decision: "We are particularly honoured that the Council of Europe has joined PEGI Online and embraced its code of conduct. Wild Web Woods perfectly illustrates what we set out to accomplish, namely to make online gaming a safe and enjoyable experience.
"Moreover, the association with the institution that promotes human rights and protects individuals across 47 European countries will help us to extend the reach of PEGI Online. In particular, it will bring on board providers of online videogames who clearly care about protecting minors and promoting human rights, but have not yet joined our initiative.
"Wild Web Woods is a commendable initiative and we hope many more will follow in the near future. It provides great support to parents who are concerned about the risks posed by unsuitable internet content, " concluded Patrice Chazerand.
PEGI Online, initiated about a year ago by ISFE, is the extension of PEGI, the Pan European Game Information System. Currently used in about 25 countries in Europe and beyond, PEGI protect minors against unsuitable content by helping parents to make informed buying decisions.
Companies that register with PEGI Online commit themselves to offer only games duly classified by established European rating agencies, to ban inappropriate material from their online gaming sites, to ensure appropriate behaviour among users and to provide effective reporting mechanisms.
For more on the Council of Europe children's programme see www.coe.int/children.
Link to the game (14 language versions)
For further information on ISFE, please visit the website: www.isfe.eu
Contacts:
ISFE, Katja Mader - Marketing Manager ISFE, Katja.Mader@isfe.eu tel: +32 2 513 57 77
Council of Europe, Ulvi Akhundlu, Press Officer, Ulvi.Akhundlu@coe.int tel +33 (0)6 61 14 83 16
About ISFE
Established in 1998 and registered in 2002 under Belgian law as an international association with scientific and pedagogical purposes, ISFE (the Interactive Software Federation of Europe) represents the interests of the interactive software sector throughout the 27 EU Member States plus Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Today, ISFE membership comprises 13 major publishers of interactive software as well as 13 interactive software trade associations throughout Europe.
About PEGI
ISFE initiated the Pan European Game Information (PEGI) system (see www.pegi.info) in 2002. Since April 2003, PEGI has been administered independently by the Netherlands Institute for the Classification of Audiovisual Media (NICAM). PEGI provides an age rating recommendation system for videogames intended to inform European parents regarding content that is suitable for their children; As a classification system PEGI supports informed adult choice and does not censor content.
About PEGI Online
Created in 2007, PEGI Online complements the existing PEGI system by creating a trust seal identifying the online game providers committed to the PEGI Online Safety Code. It provides parents with an easy educational tool that allows today's young people to play safely on the internet and protects them against unsuitable gaming content.
Press Release
Council of Europe Press Division
Ref: 421a08
Tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 25 60
Fax:+33 (0)3 88 41 39 11
pressunit@coe.int
internet: www.coe.int/press
A political organisation set up in 1949, the Council of Europe works to promote democracy and human rights continent-wide. It also develops common responses to social, cultural and legal challenges in its 47 member states.
No comments:
Post a Comment