PlayStation®Network: About Ratings and Parental Controls

The following is an explanation of the age ratings and parental controls available for the games, comics and videos on the PlayStation®Store.

A GUIDE TO AGE RATINGS FOR VIDEO GAMES

All of the games available on the PlayStation®Store are labelled with symbols indicating the age for which they are suitable. Age ratings are not a guide to gaming difficulty. Parents should always check ratings before buying or allowing their children to buy or download games from the PlayStation®Store.

By checking age ratings, and using the parental controls (see below), parents and carers can help to ensure that children are not exposed to inappropriate content and behaviour online. Parents and carers should also monitor their child's online activity.

An explanation of the specific age rating symbols used on the PlayStation®Store for games is set out below.

PAN-EUROPEAN GAMES INFORMATION (PEGI) AGE RATING SYSTEM

PEGI is an age rating system for video and computer games which is used throughout the European Union, with the exception of Germany which has its own age rating system.

The PEGI age ratings are set out below:

So a game with a 12 rating has content which is suitable only for those of 12 years and over, and a game with an 18 rating is suitable for adults only. The rating reflects the existence of certain content, or the intensity of such content, such as nudity or graphic sexual images, which may not be suitable for a certain age group. The rating has nothing to do with the difficulty or playability of the game.

In addition to the PEGI age rating, the PlayStation®Store will also display descriptors indicating the type of content appearing in each game which may concern parents or carers. The age rating of the game reflects the intensity of this content. Depending on the game, there may be a number of such descriptors. The descriptors are:

VIOLENCE

BAD LANGUAGE

FEAR

SEXUAL CONTENT

DRUGS

DISCRIMINATIONS

GAMBLING

ONLINE GAMEPLAY

Many games are suitable for all ages, but parents and carers should always check the rating first to see if it is suitable for the child concerned. To understand what to expect from a game, both the age rating and descriptors should be checked.

For further information, visit www.pegi.info.

Further, the PEGI Online icon appears on sites or portals giving access to games which may be played online against other players. This icon may only be used by online gameplay providers who have committed to uphold certain standards aimed at making online gameplay safer for children. These include measures aimed at keeping gameplay free of illegal and offensive content and to protect the privacy of children when playing games online.

For further information and safe playing tips, visit www.pegionline.eu.

PARENTAL CONTROLS FOR GAMES

The PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) and the PlayStation®3 systems offer a set of parental controls to enable you to restrict access to products with a certain age rating. You can set the parental control level on each of these systems to prevent users of your system from playing or viewing a product with an age rating that is higher than the level set on the system. As explained above, games available on the PlayStation®Store are classified according to the PEGI rating system (except where, by law, another rating system applies). Using the parental controls will allow you to prevent children from playing or viewing content which has an age rating which is higher than the child's age, ensuring that children do not see content that their parents or carers consider inappropriate. The relationship between the relevant rating and the parental control level which can be set on the PSP™ or PS3™ system is as follows:

PARENTAL CONTROL LEVEL 9

PARENTAL CONTROL LEVEL 7

PARENTAL CONTROL LEVEL 5

PARENTAL CONTROL LEVEL 3

PARENTAL CONTROL LEVEL 2

For more information, please refer to the PSP™ or PS3™ Instruction Manual.

In addition, when you set up a sub account for a child on the PlayStation®Network, you will be asked to confirm their date of birth. Sub accounts will not be able to purchase content on the PlayStation®Store which is rated above their registered age. However, once content has been downloaded from the PlayStation®Store to the PSP™ or PS3™, children may be able to access the content if the parental control level on the PSP™ or PS3™ is not set. Please see the PlayStation®Network Terms of Service and User Agreement for more information.

A GUIDE TO AGE RATINGS FOR COMICS

All of the comics available on the PlayStation®Store are labelled with symbols indicating the age for which they are suitable. These are provided by the publisher of the comics and not by the PlayStation®Store. The ratings are purely advisory. Parents should always check ratings before buying or allowing their children to buy or download comics from the PlayStation®Store.

By checking age ratings, and using the parental controls (see below), parents and carers can help to ensure that children are not exposed to inappropriate content online. Parents and carers should also monitor their child's online activity.

The age ratings for the comics available on the PlayStation®Store are set out below:

So a comic with a 12+ rating means the publisher believes the comic has content which is suitable only for those of 12 years and over, and a comic with an 18+ rating is considered suitable for adults only. The rating reflects the existence of certain content, or the intensity of such content, such as nudity or graphic sexual images, which may not be suitable for a certain age group.

In addition to the age rating, the written description of many comics will indicate the type of content appearing in each comic which may concern parents or carers. The age rating of the comic reflects the intensity of this content. The descriptors are: VIOLENCE, BAD LANGUAGE, FEAR, SEXUAL CONTENT, DRUGS AND DISCRIMINATION. Depending on the comic, there may be a number of such descriptors.

Many comics are suitable for all ages, but parents and carers should always check the rating first to see if it is suitable for the child concerned. To understand what to expect from a comic, both the age rating and descriptors should be checked.

PARENTAL CONTROLS FOR COMICS

The PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) and the PlayStation®3 systems offer a set of parental controls to enable you to restrict access to products with a certain age rating. You can set the parental control level on each of these systems to prevent users of your system from playing or viewing a product with an age rating that is higher than the level set on the system. As explained above, comics available on the PlayStation®Store are classified according to a number of age ratings. Using the parental controls will allow you to prevent children from playing or viewing content which has an age rating which is higher than the child's age, ensuring that children do not see content that their parents or carers consider inappropriate. The relationship between the relevant rating and the parental control level which can be set on the PSP™ or PS3™ system is as follows:

PARENTAL CONTROL LEVEL 9

PARENTAL CONTROL LEVEL 8

PARENTAL CONTROL LEVEL 6

PARENTAL CONTROL LEVEL 5

PARENTAL CONTROL LEVEL 4

PARENTAL CONTROL LEVEL 2

For more information, please refer to the PSP™ or PS3™ Instruction Manual.

In addition, when you set up a sub account for a child on the PlayStation®Network, you will be asked to confirm their date of birth. Sub accounts will not be able to purchase content on the PlayStation®Store which is rated above their registered age. However, once content has been downloaded from the PlayStation®Store to the PSP™ or PS3™, children may be able to access the content if the parental control level on the PSP™ or PS3™ is not set. Please see the PlayStation®Network Terms of Service and User Agreement for more information.