News
European Video Game Federations deepen their relationship and sign cooperation agreement
European Game Developer Federation (EGDF) and Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE) have signed a code of co-operation with the objective of optimising support for the whole video g...
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ISFE hires!
The Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE), is the European trade body representing Europe’s video games industry towards the European institutions and other international organisation...
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Italian market and consumer Report shows that video games market continues to grow and digital performs the strongest
The newly-published market and consumer report on the Italian video games market by IIDEA (Italian Interactive Digital Entertainment Association) in collaboration with ISFE and using data from GSD...
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ISFE supports valuable pitching event for Europe’s video game developers during COVID-19 lockdown
ISFE is delighted to support a 2-day online event, 13-14 May, to get Europe’s game developers in front of a worldwide audience of investors and publishers to facilitate business opportunities du...
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5 tips for parents to manage responsible video gameplay
Video games provide entertainment, education, fitness and, importantly, a means of connecting and socialising with friends. At ISFE, we take our responsibility for the protection of minors extremely s...
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Statement on PEGI Notice to inform about presence of paid random items
Europe’s video games industry is pleased to announce that it will include a new PEGI feature notice on video games that include in-game purchases to inform consumers if those purchases include paid...
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Global video games industry rises to COVID-19 challenge to entertain, connect, educate, donate and communicate public health messaging
#stayhomeplaytogether #PlayApartTogether With the world facing the biggest public health crisis in living memory, the global video games industry is harnessing its reach, its imagination, and...
Read more What the video games sector is doing to support parents during the COVID-19 crisis
With most countries in lockdown and schools closed during the Covid-19 crisis, many will turn to video games to play, to learn, to exercise, and simply to escape our current situation for a while. I...
Read more Video games, network capacity and the Covid-19 crisis
With network capacity a serious concern during the Covid-19 crisis, ISFE explains what impact video game play has on the network and which measures are being taken by video game companies to mitig...
Read more Video games associations across Europe communicate on the coronavirus
Every country, company and individual faces significant challenges during this unprecedented global public health crisis. ISFE and our members across Europe and globally are working hard to galvan...
Read more ISFE welcomes European Commission action to support the economy during the Covid-19 crisis
Every country, company and individual faces significant challenges during this unprecedented global public health crisis. ISFE and our members across Europe and globally are working hard to galvan...
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ISFE applauds UK games industry for publication of census on diversity and launch of initiative to improve equality and inclusivity
ISFE welcomes the UK Interactive Entertainment Association’s (Ukie) publication today of the most authoritative census on diversity in the video games industry to date, along with the laun...
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ISFE endorses UK games industry campaign to get parents to turn family controls on video games
The UK Interactive Entertainment Association (Ukie) has today launched the Get Smart About P.L.A.Y campaign encouraging more parents and carers to use the tools that are provided to manage scr...
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85% of parents have agreement with their children on in-game spending in video games, reveals new survey
85% of parents whose children make in-game purchases have agreements with their children, a significant increase from last year (from 79% in 2018 to 85% in 2019), according to a new GameTrac...
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Games in Schools – Six weeks to understand game-based learning
European Schoolnet (the network of 34 Ministries of Education) and ISFE have teamed up to launch the fifth edition of Games in Schools, a project aimed at training teachers across Europe on the...
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ISFE welcomes German Bundestag’s approval for 50 million euros of funding for video games sector
ISFE welcomes the decision of the German Bundestag to approve a 50 million euro fund in its 2020 Federal budget for the development of video games. In the coming years, there will be 50 million euros...
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Video game industry establishes universal esports principles for fun & fair play
Today, the video game industry, including representatives from across Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, released a unifying set of principles for esports eng...
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ISFE and European Schoolnet launch 5th edition of Games in Schools
ISFE, representing Europe’s video games industry, and European Schoolnet (EUN), the network of 34 Ministries of Education across Europe, have teamed up again to launch the fifth edition of Games...
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French Ruling on Copyright flies in face of established EU law
A French court ruling on 17 September in a case brought by the French consumer group UFC-Que Choisir against Valve found that purchasers of video games on Valve’s digital platform, Steam, are permit...
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ISFE responds to UK’s DCMS Committee findings on video game sector
. In response to today’s findings by the UK's DCMS Committee report on immersive and addictive technologies, ISFE CEO Simon Little said: “As an industry we take the welfare of our players,...
Read more Esports developers, publishers and industry leaders join forces with ISFE to create a united voice for esports in Europe
Games Makers And Creators Take The Lead For Their Players, Their Fans and Their Businesses In the Video Games Industry ISFE, the Brussels-based organisation representing Europe’s video games...
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EU Video Games Industry is worth €21bn
With the world’s biggest video games event, gamescom, taking place this week in Cologne, ISFE launches the first edition of its new annual “Key Facts” publication, celebrating the fastest grow...
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Video Game Industry Commitments to Further Inform Consumer Purchase
Today several major video game companies announced new initiatives to help consumers make informed choices about their purchases. The initiatives were announced today at a workshop hosted by the Feder...
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Disputed Gaming Disorder classification is unjustified: Europe’s video games industry reacts to WHA adoption of ICD-11
In the absence of robust scientific evidence, the European video games industry (ISFE) calls on Member States of the World Health Assembly (the decision-making arm of the World Health Organisation), t...
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Europe’s video games industry welcomes Danish Gambling Autority decision to block illegal skin-betting websites
ISFE, the association representing the European video games industry, welcomes the recent decision by the Danish Gambling Authority to request that telecoms companies block 15 illegal skin-betting...
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ISFE welcomes Roblox as a member
Today, ISFE, representing the European video games industry, welcomes Roblox as a new member. Roblox’s mission is to bring the world together through play. Every month, more than 80 million peopl...
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ZeniMax Europe joins ISFE
Today, ISFE, representing the European video games industry, welcomes ZeniMax Europe Ltd as a new member. ZeniMax Europe Ltd., a subsidiary of ZeniMax Media Inc., publishes original interactive ent...
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Statement regarding EA’s decision to stop sale of FIFA points in Belgium
Today, EA announced their decision to discontinue sale of FIFA Points in Belgium to comply with requests from local authorities.ISFE, representing the video games industry across Europe, continu...
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Today the video games sector in the Netherlands launched an awareness campaign directed towards parents on fun, safe and responsible gameplay
The campaign “Rule the Game” is launching today by ISFE member NVPI Interactief. ISFE and PEGI are partners of the campaign. As video games have become an integral part of the life of our c...
Read more ISFE statement on the recent dialogue between the World Health Organization and the video games sector
“ISFE welcomes the first meeting ever between the WHO and the video games sector that took place in December 2018, to discuss the positive impact that video games have on players and on society...
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Creativity Works! urges policymakers to support future proof solutions in negotiations on DCD
Brussels, 3 January 2019 Ahead of the upcoming technical meeting on the Directive for Digital Content (DCD), Creativity Works!, a leading European coalition of the cultural and creative sector...
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AEVI presents ‘The Good Gamer’, an initiative to promote social responsibility and values of gaming
The Spanish industry wants to lead the narrative on the positive values of video games through the launching of a project that includes a pioneering digital content multimedia platform in...
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Strong industry concern on the ePrivacy Regulation – ISFE signs joint letter
Brussels, 28 November 2018 - Ahead of the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council meeting of 4 December, businesses from across all sectors of the European economy would like to reitera...
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Today the video games sector in Belgium launched an awareness campaign directed towards parents on safe and responsible gameplay
The campaign Speel het Slim / Jouez Malin was launched in the presence of the Minister of Digital Agenda Alexander De Croo. Video games have become an integral part of the life of our children. Th...
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ISFE Board elects Olaf Coenen, Electronic Arts as its new Chair
16 November 2018 At its Board meeting in Berlin on 14 November 2018, the ISFE Board elected its new Chair, Olaf Coenen, Vice President International Publishing for Europe, Latin America and Asia at...
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BOOSTING CREATIVE EUROPE – A JOINT CALL FROM 80 ORGANISATIONS
Ahead of the vote that took place on 14 November in the plenary session of the European Parliament on the next EU Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027, ISFE, together with 79 other cultur...
Read more German Federal budget includes 50 million euros for games funding for the first time
Berlin, 8 November 2018 – A historical step for games funding in Germany: the federal budget for 2019 includes 50 million euros for the introduction of a games fund to promote computer game develop...
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CULTURAL AND CREATIVE SECTORS’ CALL TO BOOST CREATIVE EUROPE
Ahead of the Budget Committee vote this afternoon in the European Parliament on the next EU Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027, ISFE and 58 other cultural and creative content industrie...
Read more Creativity Works! urges policymakers to support future proof solutions in negotiations on DCD
Ahead of this week’s technical meeting on the Directive for Digital Content (DCD), Creativity Works, a leading European coalition of the cultural and creative sectors in which ISFE is part of, woul...
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Statement on the declaration by gambling authorities regarding “blurring lines between gambling and gaming”
We welcome the opportunity to dialogue with different organisations regarding concerns related to the “blurring of lines between gambling and gaming”. The video games sector has a strong tra...
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ISFE participates in an expert seminar on serious games in education
On 12th September, 2018, ISFE participated in an expert seminar entitled “Evidence-based development of serious games for the educational sector: challenges and perspectives” organised by Europea...
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Press Release: Video Games drive innovation in Europe – A Force for Good
During a two-day exhibition in the European Parliament on 4-5 September, politicians across Europe discovered and experienced innovation in videogames and how these benefit society.The event, sponsore...
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Research: majority of parents control child’s in-game spending
New research by Ipsos in the UK, France, Germany and Spain shows that around 2 in 5 parents of gaming children indicate that their child spends money in-game. The vast majority (8 in 10) of those pare...
Read moreGlobal coalition expresses concerns on the inclusion of gaming in the WHO ICD-11 list
In view of the publication by the WHO of the so-called ICD-11 list, organisations representing video game publishers and developers across the world would like to express their concern. “Video ga...
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The future of the ePR: joint industry letter
In a letter to all member states of the European Union, a broad industry coalition including ISFE is asking them to cautiously examine the draft ePrivacy Regulation (ePR) ahead of the 8th of June TTE...
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GDPR Comes Into Force Today
Today, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force. The GDPR represents the biggest change in EU data privacy law in a generation. It unifies Europe’s fragmented data protection l...
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Report by the Belgian Gaming Commission on loot boxes – Statement
ISFE and its Belgian trade association, BEA, have several times over the past few months requested a meeting with the Belgian authorities. As such, we welcome the willingness by the Belgian authoritie...
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Essential Video Game News – New Market Data in France
The video game market grew 18% in France and posted record sales of 4.3 billion* euros. The Union of Video Game Publishers in France (SELL) presents the new edition of Essential Video Game News. It...
Read more Response to EC’s Recommendation on “measures to effectively tackle illegal content online”
With today’s release of the Recommendation on measures to effectively tackle illegal content online, the European Commission endorses a principled approach that will further guide Member States and...
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Scientists Oppose WHO’s Proposed Video Game Action
36 internationally renowned and respected mental health experts, leading social scientists and academics from research centers and universities – including Oxford University, Johns Hopkins Universit...
Read moreBIU and GAME merge into game
The two German games industry associations, BIU and GAME, have joined forces, merging under the new name ‘game – the German Games Industry Association’. The Managing Director of game is Felix F...
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ISFE Statement on Recent Media Reports on Loot Boxes
Following the recent media coverage about the ongoing investigation into loot boxes recently launched by Belgian Gambling Commission, ISFE has had confirmation that the Belgian Gambling Commission has...
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ISFE Welcomes Agreement on Geoblocking Proposal Agreement
ISFE welcomes the agreement reached by the European Parliament on the 20th of November to support the mandate given by the Member States to the Estonian Presidency at its COREPER meeting on 16 Novembe...
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Geoblocking Regulation: No Benefit to EU Gamers
On 27 October, EU Member State representatives will, at a COREPER meeting, try to come to an agreement on the controversial Geoblocking Regulation, which has been presented as a cornerstone of the Dig...
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European copyright infringements study lacks understanding of industry sales and economics
In a study commissioned by the European Commission in 2015, the Ecorys research firm quizzically concluded that copyright infringement does little to displace legitimate sales of copyrighted works (ex...
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PEGI Annual Report 2015
PEGI S.A. has published its annual report, including detailed information about the procedures of the PEGI system and the international IARC project, the organisational structure, and an overview of...
Read more Proposed Geo-blocking Regulation: Cross-sectoral Letter
In a cross-sectoral letter about the ongoing trilogue negotiations on the proposed Geo-blocking Regulation, companies are asking to exclude intangible digital content and audiovisual services from the...
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EP Showcase: No Games Without Data
On the 11th and 12th of April, ISFE organised a showcase event called No Games Without Data in the European Parliament, hosted by MEPs Axel Voss (EPP) and Victor Negrescu (S&D). The goal of th...
Read more ICDP issues joint letter on e-privacy regulation
In a letter to the members of the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee, the Industry Coalition for Data Protection (ICDP), of which ISFE is a member, asks them to evaluate the impact of...
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The New Faces of Gaming
The classic gaming demographic of a man, in his 20s, using a games console or computer, is still a key component of the market and shows no sign of losing interest in the medium. However, insight...
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Structured Stakeholder Dialogue on the Implementation of the GDPR
The Industry Coalition for Data Protection (ICDP), of which ISFE is a member, addressed a letter to the Article 29 Working Party regarding the need for a structured, inclusive, open and ongoing consul...
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ICDP Welcomes Privacy Shield and Encourages Official Adoption
The Industry Coalition for Data Protection (ICDP), of which ISFE is a member, welcomes the presentation of an updated draft EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Adequacy Decision from the European Commission to Mem...
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BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe Joins ISFE
ISFE is pleased to welcome BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe S.A.S as a member. The company has a long-standing history in game publishing & distribution and is known from a wide variety of PC, co...
Read moreGameTrack Q4 2015 Digest
SFE and IpsosMediaCT have published a digest of GameTrack data (France, Germany, Spain, UK) from the fourth quarter of 2015, with a few figures added for the full year 2015. Reports from previous q...
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Games In Schools 3rd Round – Registration opening!
The 3rd (and updated) round of the Games in Schools MOOC starts on 18 April on the European Schoolnet Academy! Why use computer games in class? How to find and use games with pedagogical focus? Jo...
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Third Round for Games In Schools MOOC
In the context of Safer Internet Day, ISFE is happy to announce a third round of the online Games In Schools course for teachers, following a successful second edition which took place in the Su...
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Microsoft, Nintendo Implement IARC System
PEGI S.A. today announced that Microsoft has begun deploying the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) rating system to administer the familiar PEGI rating symbols for all games and apps in the Wi...
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ISFE welcomes important legal victory for Nintendo in Italy
ISFE is very pleased to report that its member company, Nintendo, has won an important civil case before the First Instance Tribunal of Milan against an importer and seller of devices that c...
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ISFE signs joint industry letter on Safe Harbour
ISFE has co-signed a joint industry letter to European Commission President Juncker following the Court of Justice of the European Union’s recent invalidation of the EU Safe Harbour Decision. The...
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Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Joins ISFE
ISFE announced today that Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, (WBIE) has joined as a member. A subsidiary of the global entertainment company Warner Bros. Entertainment, WBIE publishes and distrib...
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ISFE report by Deloitte illustrates economic impact of new business models
On Tuesday 15th of September, ISFE organised a high-level event at the Microsoft Executive Briefing Center in Brussels to present the findings of a report by Deloitte that shows how European games c...
Read moreDigital Purchases Initiative: Joint Industry Letter to European Commission
On Thursday 9 July, a group of digital associations including ISFE sent an open letter to European Commissioner Jourova (Justice), with copies to Commissioners Ansip (Digital Single Market), Bienk...
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Wooga Newest Member of ISFE
ISFE announced today that Wooga, the Berlin-based company known from mobile games such as Jelly Splash, Agent Alice and Diamond Dash, has joined 13 other major publishers and 17 national trade ass...
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Second Round of ‘Games In Schools’ MOOC Course Kicks Off in May
ISFE is proud to announce that a second round of the online Games In Schools course for teachers will kick off on the 18th of May on the European Schoolnet (EUN) Academy, a platform dedicated to th...
Read more PEGI Expands to Mobile Via New Global Initiative
PEGI announced today the expansion of its rating system to mobile and digital storefronts in Europe, as part of a global initiative with other classification authorities from around the world. The Int...
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Successful 1st Edition of Games in Schools MOOC
The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) of Games in Schools was held between the 27th October and the 31st December 2014. This course, delivered via the European Schoolnet Academy platform, saw an...
Read more ‘Games In Schools’ Launches on European Schoolnet Academy
As part of ISFE's Games in Schools project, a new online coursefor teachers will kick off on the 27th of October via the European Schoolnet (EUN) Academy, a platform dedicated to the online professio...
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Position Paper on the Telecom Single Market
The internet is a key driver of growth in the video game industry and facilitates distribution of content, engagement with customers, multiplayer gameplay and provision of crucial software updates to...
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ISFE Welcomes Gameloft as New Member
ISFE announced today that Gameloft has joined as a member. Gameloft, with headquarters in France and known from games such as Asphalt®, Modern Combat and Order & Chaos Online, joins 12 other majo...
Read moreGameTrack Q1 2014 Digest
ISFE and IpsosMediaCT have published a digest of GameTrack data (France, Germany, Spain, UK) from the first quarter of 2014:...
Read more ICDP Welcomes European Consensus on International Data Transfers
The Industry Coalition for Data Protection (ICDP), which includes ISFE as a member, is glad to see the constructive consensus reached by the European Council on the aspect of international data transf...
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ISFE Welcomes Two New Members
ISFE is pleased to announce that two new members, King (Candy Crush Saga, Farm Heroes Saga) and Supercell (Clash of Clans, Hay Day) have joined the organisation that represents the European video game...
Read more ICDP: EP Vote On Data Protection a Missed Opportunity
The Industry Coalition for Data Protection (ICDP), of which ISFE is a member, responded with regret to the Plenary vote in the European Parliament on the General Data Protection Regulation. According...
Read more CJEU Ruling in Nintendo v PC Box case
The Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) last week handed down its decision in Case C-355/12 (Nintendo v PC Box). ISFE is pleased that the ruling of the CJEU is generally consis...
Read more ICDP Calls For Workable Data Protection Regulation
The Industry Coalition for Data Protection (ICDP), of which ISFE is a member, issued a statement in response to the text adopted during the LIBE Committee (the European Parliament Committee on Civil...
Read moreStudy Shows Value of IP-intensive Industries
Creativity Works!, a coalition of European cultural and creative sectors of which ISFE is a member, has issued a press release in response to the first comprehensive, evidence-based study i...
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Pirates Getting Some of Their Own Medicine
When Greenheart Games launched Game Dev Tycoon in April, a metagame in which you are a game developer trying to grow a successful business, they decided to stay one step ahead of pirates looking for...
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2012 PEGI Annual Report
PEGI S.A. has published its annual report, including detailed information about the procedures of the PEGI system, the organisational structure, new concepts like PEGI for APPS and IARC and an overvi...
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ISFE Celebrates 10th Safer Internet Day
PEGI is a participant and supporter of the 10th edition of Safer Internet Day which is celebrated in more than 60 countries across the world. The topic for 2013 is "Online rights and responsibiliti...
Read more Business Case for Data Protection
Today is European Data Protection Day. As the transition to the online, data-driven economy gathers speed, it’s a good reminder for the business community that we have to earn the trust of the peopl...
Read more Concerns Over Albrecht Draft Report
The Industry Coalition for Data Protection (ICDP), of which ISFE is a member, issued a statement in response to the release of a draft report by the European Parliament on the proposed revision to the...
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World’s Fastest Supercomputer Thanks To Video Games
The world's fastest supercomputer currently resides at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee and it is called “Titan”. The machine derives more than 90% of its power from technology origi...
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GameTrack: Q2 2012 results summary
The latest quarterly results from GameTrack - the new industry‐led study sizing the total games market in Europe (and US from Q3) - show a stable overall size of gamer market, although the dynam...
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Safer Internet Day Competition 2012
In February this year, as part of Safer Internet Day (SID) 2012 celebrations, Insafe launched two competitions. Children and young people were invited to submit posters or short videos promoting the...
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ISFE presents GameTrack to measure entire games market
ISFE has officially presented GameTrack today in London. GameTrack is a new multi-country tracking survey designed to provide a complete view of the video games market. ISFE commissioned Ipsos Media...
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2011 PEGI Annual Report
PEGI S.A. has published its annual report, bringing a complete overview of the PEGI system and its organisation in 2011. The report includes detailed information about the procedures of the PEGI syst...
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Violence in Video Games and Aggression: a Literature Review
The Swedish Media Council, a government agency that aims to reduce the risk of harmful media influences on minors and empower them as conscious media users, has performed a literature review of all t...
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Games Used To Tell News Stories
Gaming mechanics are being used more and more by online media to tell stories, since they manage to illustrate the impact of certain events or actions much better than putting it in plain words. Sarah...
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Successful 2nd edition of Paris Games Week
The second edition of Paris Games Week (21-25 October) saw a 50% increase of visitors. More than 180,000 people attended the show to see the newly announced games. A special family zone was created to...
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DigiWorld Summit 2011 Video Games Seminar – 16 & 17th November
As part of the DigiWorld Programme, the DigiWorld Summit is the annual key event of IDATE, aiming to bring the most important actors of the ICT together for 2 days, to discuss the hottest issues t...
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2010 PEGI Annual Report
PEGI S.A. has published its new annual report, bringing a complete overview of the PEGI system and its organisation in 2010. The report includes detailed information about the procedures of the PEGI s...
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Safer Internet Day 2011
PEGI is a participant and supporter of the 8th edition of Safer Internet Day which is celebrated in more than 60 countries across the world. The topic for 2011 is "our virtual lives" around the sloga...
Read moreInfographic: Gamers in Europe
Here's a quick peek at a few statistics from the European Consumer Survey 2010 released by ISFE...
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ISFE publishes 2010 European Consumer Survey
ISFE has published its 2010 European Consumer Survey, the broadest, most in-depth study of adult gamers and non-gaming parents in Europe. According to the study, conducted in 18 countries among 580...
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PEGI in the UK
16 June 2009 : VSC welcomes UK government decision to grant it new powers to rate video games. The Video Standards Council (VSC) is to become the designated authority for classifying video games i...
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Protecting Human Rights Online: New guidelines for online games and ISP’s
Strasbourg, 03.10.2008.- The Council of Europe has launched, in close cooperation with European online game designers and publishers and Internet service providers, two sets of guidelines which ai...
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PEGI Online Enhances Protection for European Children Playing Online
Brussels, 29th May 2007 - The Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE) has announced the launch of the PEGI Online website. PEGI Online is a system designed to help parents and children iden...
Read moreAlmost 60% of UK Teachers Wants Games in Classroom
13 January 2006 - A MORI Poll investigating teachers’ attitudes to mainstream computer games has revealed that 59% would consider using them in the classroom for educational purposes. The willi...
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PEGI Celebrates First Two Years of Operations
Brussels, December 14, 2004. PEGI, the Pan European Game Information system that provides harmonized age classification of interactive software throughout Europe is poised to celebrate its first t...
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New Pan-European Age Rating System For Video Games
April 24, 2003 – The European Interactive Games industry today announced the launch of the first ever pan-European age rating system for computer and video games, designed to provide rea...
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