Nintendo Switch Drink Driving Game Rated 3+ Pulled from eShop. The game should be resubmitted under 16 + Rating as required by PEGI.
However, in an unexpected twist, the Need for Spirit Drink & Drive Simulator which is offered on the Nintendo Switch eShop was removed from sale only days after it launched on 15th October. A PEGI 3+ rated game that gave players the chance to assume their roles as delivery men with addiction taking them through dangerous tracks transporting alco drinks.
Billed as an immersive dram driving simulator, it included many challenges such as a simulation of the drunk vision which raised the alarm and possibly influenced younger participants. Initially, the game was tagged with a PEGI 3+ rating implying suitability for play by persons of all ages despite its content. Nonetheless, PEGI regulations indicate that games containing any reference to the usage of legal drugs, drinking, or smoking should receive PEGI 16 or PEGI 18 ratings based on the amount of intensity involved.
PEGI was drawn to this distinction as its mandate is videogame content. According to PEGI, “Need for Spirit Drink and Drive Simulator” is being reviewed on its age rating appropriateness. Upon completion of its evaluation, PEGI immediately changed the game’s rating to PEGI 16, meaning its content shouldn’t be watched by minors.
The game was taken down straight after it got downgraded with such a low rating. PEGI made it clear that if a rating of a game changes above one age category, the game is discontinued in the retailers’ store and should be submitted again with proper adjustment of rating. This strict mechanism guarantees the effectiveness of parental control tools that prevent minors from accessing inappropriate content.
This raises questions about the rating process and the responsibility of the game developers and distributors in regard to the “Need for Spirit Drink & Drive simulator”. In order to allay the fears of public outcry, publisher Instamarketing&Game asserted that their game presented a comical take on a grave issue and by no means fostered actual drunk driving practice. Nonetheless, this explanation has not restricted the game’s rescore from PEGI.
However, so far Nintendo hasn’t said a word about the inaccurate PEGI 3+ rating for The Sims on the eShop. Industry insiders and players eagerly waited to know how Nixon reacted to such an unexpected development.
“Need for Spirit Drink and Drive” was quickly reassessed and removed from the Nintendo Switch eShop emphasizing the essentialness of correct content rating in the video games business. With more and more players playing a wide variety of game, rating them appropriately so that young audience does not access inappropriate content.
