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in: European rating systems, Video game rating systems, 5 tiers,
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Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle

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Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle is the German video game ratings authority, established in 1994. It is a participating authority in the International Age Rating Coalition. USK labels are mandatory in all of Germany and the Austrian state of Salzburg.

Ratings[]

USK ab 0 freigegeben
Suitable for all ages. The sign is shown in white. Previously known as Geeignet ohne Altersbeschränkung. Equivalent to EC (which is no longer used) and soft E.
USK ab 6 freigegeben
Suitable for ages 6 and over. The sign is shown in yellow. Previously known as Geeignet ab 6 Jahren. Equivalent to hard E and E10+.
USK ab 12 freigegeben
Suitable for ages 12 and over. The sign is shown in green. Previously known as Geeignet ab 12 Jahren. Equivalent to T.
USK ab 16 freigegeben
Suitable for ages 16 and over. The sign is shown in blue. Previously known as Geeignet ab 16 Jahren. Equivalent to M.
USK ab 18
Suitable only for ages 18 and over. The sign is shown in red, indicating that the product should not be sold to minors. Previously known as Nicht geeignet unter 18 Jahren. Equivalent to AO.

More info on prohibition to minors[]

A USK 18 rating means that the vendor is liable to ensure that he/she doesn't sell such material to a person under 18. Outside of business relations (e.g. parents or adult friends giving the game to their children), there is no such restriction on sales. Advertisement of games rated USK 16 or below is not restricted only if the advertisement itself has no content that is harmful to minors. Games without a USK rating are treated like a USK 18 game.

Additionally the BPjM 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, but the numbers are low.

Only games that are not rated harmful to young people by the BPjM may get a USK rating. Many non-German publishers and developers choose to release edited versions of their games to try to prevent an 18+ rating either fearing the same negative sales impact an AO rating would have in the US, or out of fear that an 18+ title might be indexed by the BPjM.

In 2006, Microsoft chose not to release Gears of War on the German market. Since the game was imported to the German market nonetheless (without any age limit), the BPjM became involved and put the game on the index list. The same applied to the second instalment. Afterwards the rating procedure was revised, and imported games without a USK rating are automatically considered 18+ regardless of content. Gears of War 3 did get classified with a USK 18 rating.

List[]

Note[]

There is some showing on TV & movie titles on IMDb, which is exactly the same rating.

See also[]

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