John Penrose

Conservative Party | Weston-super-Mare

Video Games and Photosensitive Epilepsy: - MP calls on Government to lead the world by changing UK law

Weston-super-Mare MP John Penrose is launching a cross-party campaign calling on Government to change the law and make it illegal for video game manufacturers to release non-screen tested products with the potential to trigger photosensitive epileptic seizures - most likely to strike at children and teenagers aged between seven and 19.

According to campaign supporter, global expert on photosensitive epilepsy, Emeritus Professor Graham Harding, former director of the Neurosciences Research Institute at Birmingham’s Aston University who steered the television broadcast industry into adopting pre-screening practices and principles, the move would see the UK leading the world.

Stepping in as campaign industry trail-blazers are Ubisoft, one of the world’s top four game manufacturers, now systematically pre-screening all games in development.

John Penrose’s campaign is prompted by local constituent, Gaye Herford, an NHS dentist who works in Bristol and lives in North Somerset, whose 10-year-old suffered a sudden epileptic seizure playing an electronic computer game on a regular Nintendo handset.

Her son was rushed to hospital and is undergoing neurological tests for latent photosensitive epilepsy triggered by bright flashes and flickering light.

The West Country MP’s campaign will be launched at the House of Commons at 11.30a.m. on Wednesday, December 5 (Room U, Portcullis House - see notes to editors).

As well as Professor Harding and Ubisoft, John Penrose’s drive is backed by MPs Tim Loughton, Shadow Minister for Children and Maria Miller, Shadow Minister for Family Welfare. Epilepsy Action also supports the call for game publishers to test products before release and remove scenes that could potentially trigger a photosensitive seizure.

Parliamentary answers to John Penrose’s written questions have already confirmed there is no legal requirement for computer game publishers to offer warnings that their products could trigger a photosensitive epileptic seizure, nor to pre-screen, identify and remove scenes with a potential to trigger a seizure, before publication.

The Conservative MP has now tabled a parliamentary motion asking Government: to: 

o Recognise photosensitive epileptic seizures can be triggered by electronic games
o Consider making it a legal requirement for computer game publishers to screen-test their products before publication in the UK - and, crucially:-
o Remove scenes that could potentially trigger a seizure, before publication

Says John Penrose: “I was shocked that a single game could possibly trigger such a sudden seizure. And to learn people with dormant photosensitive epilepsy usually develop it between seven and 19 - prime ages for playing computer games.”

The MP continues: “Having approached the Government, it seems they are unaware of the inherent danger. They don’t collect information on the number of epileptic seizures brought on by games and experienced by children or teenagers and are content to leave the use of warnings to publishers on a voluntary basis.  

“While many games manufacturers include warnings in instructions for games, this is not the main issue. It is what’s in the game that counts and that is what needs to be pre-screened and tested – just as television broadcasts are now, thanks hugely to the work of Professor Graham Harding.

“We don’t allow toy makers to sell products that could poison or injure our children. This shouldn’t be any different. We need Government action, now, to change the law so no more young lives are affected by seizures triggered by electronic video games.”   
Says Gaye Herford of Winscombe, North Somerset, who has launched a one-woman crusade to research the issue and pressure game makers to adopt a pre-screening policy as standard: “My youngest, very healthy son, was in bed, early, to complete a level on his new computer game. Moments later, I heard him crying out.

“I found him with his eyes fixed, saying he had multi-coloured bright lights and white flashes going off inside his head and a pain at the top of his head.

“As I held him he was rigid. His look was blank. I could see the left side of his face and his left hand twitching. It was so unexpected. Rushed to hospital, he said he kept seeing screen images on the white walls when he got there. It turned out to be an epileptic seizure, probably triggered by the game he was playing.”

Professor Graham Harding was instrumental in devising pre-screening methods and guidelines for the broadcast industry, adopted by the Independent Television Commission in 1994 and adhered to today.

He developed the Harding Flash and Pattern Analyser, which, with Cambridge Research Systems, has evolved into a computer based, worldwide industry standard analysis system capable of processing television and video material in real time.

Professor Harding says: ”I support this campaign 100%. The UK led the world on broadcast guidelines and should take the initiative and lead the world on pre-screening electronic games. We don’t want a war with manufactures, just for them to be sensible and comply. Existing guidelines and screening processes covering TV could almost be lifted as they are and used by game manufacturers. It could be as easy as that.

“Incredibly, just this June, the 2012 Olympics logo was broadcast on TV without testing. When it was, it failed to meet Ofcom guidelines - more than four seconds of television had breached regulation, triggering at least 30 photosensitive epileptic seizures in individuals.”

After listening to Gaye Herford, campaign trail-blazers Ubisoft, which routinely include warnings in games, have now acquired a licence for the Harding Flash and Pattern Analyser, working with Cambridge Research Systems to adapt the system for Ubisoft to systematically pre-screen and test all its video games, in all formats, in development.
MP John Penrose, Gaye Herford and Prof. Harding consider the response exemplary.