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Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (Entertainment Software Self-Regulation, abbreviated USK) is the organisation responsible for video game ratings in Germany.[1] In Austria, it is mandatory in the state of Salzburg, while PEGI is mandatory in Vienna.[2]
Ratings
The USK's official logo, used until August 2010
Until 2003, all of the rating symbols were yellow, with the exception of USK 18 which was red. In 2003, the symbols were redesigned to add colour coding: white for 0, yellow for 6, green for 12, blue for 16 and red for 18. The symbols were again redesigned in 2009.
Description
Symbol
Approved without age restriction in accordance with Art. 14 German Children and Young Persons Protection Act (JuSchG). - Games without age restriction are games which are directly aimed at children and young persons as well as at an adult buyer group.
Approved for children aged 6 and above in accordance with Art. 14 German Children and Young Persons Protection Act (JuSchG). - These games mostly involve family-friendly games which may be more exciting and competitive (e.g. via faster game speeds and more complex tasks)
Approved for children aged 12 and above in accordance with Art. 14 German Children and Young Persons Protection Act (JuSchG). - These games feature much more of a competitive edge. Game scenarios contain little violence, enabling players to distance themselves sufficiently from events.
Approved for children aged 16 and above in accordance with Art. 14 German Children and Young Persons Protection Act (JuSchG). - These games may include acts of violence, war themes, amounts of sexual content, and use of profanity.
Not approved for young persons in accordance with Art. 14 German Children and Young Persons Protection Act (JuSchG). - These games almost always involve violent game concepts and frequently generate a dark and threatening atmosphere. This makes them suitable for adults only. These games often contain brutal, strong bloody violence and/or glorify war and/or human rights violations.
Content descriptors
In January 2023, the USK began using various content descriptors alongside their age ratings. These include descriptors specifying the level of violence, horror, sexual content, profanity and drug and alcohol use.[3]
The consumption of alcohol is portrayed positively or frequently.
Angedeutete Gewalt
Implied violence
Violence is depicted in an abstract and unrealistic manner, with no visible physical contact between characters. No damage or injuries are visible when a character is hit.
Belastende Themen
Burdensome themes
The game deals with emotionally stressful themes such as death, bullying and addiction.
Comic-Gewalt
Comic violence
The game depicts cartoon violence in an unrealistic setting, characterized by unrealistic weapons, exaggerated effects and the disappearance of enemies upon defeat.
Derbe Sprache
Explicit language
The game contains profanity considered particularly harsh or vulgar.
Drastische Gewalt
Explicit violence
The game features violence that is "clearly visualized or overly focused".
Drogen
Drugs
The use of drugs is portrayed positively or frequently.
Druck zum Vielspielen
Pressure to play excessively
The game encourages the player to play frequently and/or for an extended period of time, such as via push notifications, season passes, gifts for returning, and penalizing the player for inactivity.
Düstere Atmosphäre
Dark atmosphere
The game features a dark environment which may frighten some players.
Erhöhte Kaufanreize
Increased incentives to buy
The game puts increased pressure on the player to make microtransactions, such as via multiple virtual currencies, pay-to-win mechanics, and notifying the player of the imminent expiration of limited time offers.
Erhöhte Kommunikationsrisiken
Increased communications risks
The game contains unmoderated chat or does not allow players to block or report one another, which may result in "unwanted, inappropriate or offensive communication."
Fantasy-Gewalt
Fantasy violence
Violence is depicted in a fantastical or futuristic setting that is clearly distinguishable from reality.
Gewalt
Violence
Violence may appear realistic or is the main theme of the game.
Glücksspielthematik
Gambling themes
The game contains gambling elements that may promote a positive attitude towards real-life gambling.
Handlungsdruck
Pressure to act
The game puts direct or indirect pressure on the player to take action via stressful situations such as time limits, boss battles, a high number of opponents, rewards for playing frequently, or limited time offers.
Horror
The game features horror themes and effects.
Kontaktrisiken
Contact risks
The game allows players to display personal information such as real names and locations, which may create the risk of unsecure contact.
Kriegsthematik
War themes
The game is set during wartime, and violence is thus an integral part of gameplay.
Problematische Werbeinhalte
Problematic advertising content
The game contains advertising considered "more relevant to the protection of minors" than the game itself.
Schimpfwörter
Occasional swearing
The game contains profanity.
Schreckmomente
Scary moments
Elements featured in the game may frighten some players.
The game allows players to communicate via voice chat or text. This does not include pre-written messages or emotes.
In-Game-Käufe
In-game purchases
The game features additional content that can be purchased using real money.
In-Game-Käufe + zufällige Objekte
In-game purchases + random objects
The game features loot boxes or other in-game purchases where the player typically does not know what they will receive until after the transaction.
Standortweitergabe
Location sharing
The game allows players to share their locations with each other.
According to the USK itself, the state uses the age-rating symbol to regulate whether a computer game may be publicly supplied to children and young persons. Retailers are obliged to comply with the restrictions indicated by the rating. For example, a game approved for children aged 12 and above may not be sold to a 10-year old. Outside of business relations (e.g. parents or adult friends giving the game to a child or youth) there is no such restriction.[1]
Advertisement of games rated USK 18 or below is not restricted only if the advertisement itself has no content that is harmful to minors.
Distinction from the Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons
Additionally the Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons maintains a List of media harmful to young people (colloquially known as the "Index"). Titles that are on this list may only be sold on request to adults 18 or older, are not to be advertised in any media or put on display in retail stores. German retail stores, mail order and internet vendors tend to sell only games that do have a USK rating, due to the massive restrictions. These games are still sold from vendors outside Germany into the German market.
Video games that are rated by the USK are protected from the indexing process. Many publishers and developers choose to release edited versions of their games to try to receive an USK-18-rating fearing the same negative sales impact an AO rating would have in the US out of fear that an unrated title might be indexed. Games without an USK rating are treated like an indexed game.[citation needed]
Restrictions
Up through 2018, USK had refused to rate games that contained imagery of anti-constitutional groups, including Nazis, Neo-Nazis, and the Ku Klux Klan, as required by Strafgesetzbuch (German code) section 86a, effectively making them unavailable to purchase in retail channels. While Section 86a included a "social adequacy" clause that allowed such images to be used in areas like education, science, and art (including literature and film), video games were not considered as qualifying under that section USK enforced. To publish affected games in Germany, developers and publishers had to strip out and replace objectionable images. One example is Wolfenstein: The New Order, which replaced swastikas on uniforms with a fictional symbol.[5]
In August 2018, USK announced that the German government would relax this Section 86a restriction on video games, as long as the imagery included falls within the "social adequacy" allowance. USK evaluates how relevant imagery is used and reject games they believe fail to meet the social adequacy allowance.[6] In 2019, the simultaneously released Wolfenstein: Youngblood and Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot were the first games allowed to depict Nazi imagery under the "social adequacy clause".[7] Despite being officially rated by USK, major German retailers, such as MediaMarkt, Saturn, and GameStop, refused to sell the uncensored version, offering only the separately sold German version without Nazi imagery and references.[7][8]
**The BBFC still exists as a motion picture rating system. Additionally, it continues to rate video games containing pornographic, or having external video material.
