Age-rating framework for content needed in India, says gaming body

Age-rating and content description, while not legally mandated, play a crucial commercial role in ensuring the widest access and dissemination of a publisher's gaming content among the public

Don't want to miss the best from Business Standard?

A structured age and content rating system tailored to India’s unique cultural and regulatory gaming landscape is a critical need for the country, said a report by the All India Game Developers’ Forum (AIDGF), in partnership with the Indian Governance and Policy Project (IGAP).

Despite an estimated 425 million gamers and increasing consumption of gaming content, India currently lacks a standardised age-rating framework, unlike other digital contents such as OTT platforms, and frameworks in other nations or regions, said the report.

At present, the demography of Indian gamers includes a large number of participants under the age of 18. Hence, regulated and responsible industry practices across the gaming sector can play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and mental well-being of children, the report said.

“As India’s gaming industry continues to grow at an unprecedented pace, it is imperative to establish a robust framework to protect our younger gamers,” said Roland Landers, spokesperson, AIGDF.

Age-rating and content description, while not legally mandated, plays a crucial commercial role in ensuring the widest access and dissemination of a publisher’s gaming content among the public.

“For instance, unrated games listed on Google’s Play Store are treated as ‘high-maturity’ apps for the purpose of parental controls till they obtain a rating,” the report read.

The report recommends creating an age-rating system tailored specifically for the Indian market, emphasising the need for categories and descriptors that reflect the cultural sensitivities and legal requirements unique to the Indian context.

The most widely used foreign rating frameworks for games are the North American-origin Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and Europe’s Pan European Game Information (PEGI), the report highlighted.