The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) was a British organisation that represented the interests of video game publishers.
From 1994 to 2003 they voluntarily rated video games released in the UK that were exempt from legal classification by the BBFC. Their ratings were widely seen throughout Europe during this time, until the launch of the PEGI system in 2003.
History[]
The ELSPA was founded in 1989 as the European Leisure Software Publishers Association. Around 2002, the organisation changed its name to the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association, reflecting that their primary concerns were now video game development in the United Kingdom and not mainland Europe.
Games were assigned one of four age categories: 3+, 11+, 15+, and 18+ to show that the game was inappropriate for audiences younger than that age. Initially the ratings were shown as four tick boxes for each of the categories with unsuitable ones being crossed out. This system was simplified in 1999. Though primarily used in the UK, these ratings were often seen on games sold across Europe, especially in territories which had no national video game rating system of their own.
In 2003, PEGI was established providing a unified European video game rating system, eliminating the need for the ELSPA's voluntarily ratings and as a result, they were retired.
Today, the ELSPA is known as the Association for UK Interactive Entertainment (UKIE), after a relaunch in 2010, and continues in its goal supporting the UK video game industry.
Ratings[]
| Icon | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ||
| 3+ | ||
| Content OK for Ages 3+ | Spyro the Dragon | |
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| 11+ | ||
| Content OK for Ages 11+ | MediEvil | |
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| 15+ | ||
| Content OK for Ages 15+ | Primal | |
| ||
| 18+ | ||
| Content OK for Ages 18+ | Die Hard Trilogy | |
Ratings history[]
| 3+ | 11+ | 15+ | 18+ | |
| 1994–1999 | 
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| 1999–2003 |
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