FTC: Rating Enforcement Highest Among Video Game Sellers

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The Federal Trade Commission's undercover shopper program found that video game sellers did the best job enforcing age-based ratings.

Only 13 of underage shoppers were able to purchase M-rated video games, while a historic low of 24 percent were able to purchase tickets to R-rated movies. In addition, for the first time since the FTC began its mystery shop program in 2000, music CD retailers turned away more than half of the undercover shoppers. Movie DVD retailers also demonstrated steady improvement, permitting less than one-third of child shoppers to purchase R-rated DVDs and unrated DVDs of movies that had been rated R for theaters.
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No mention of where they went to try and buy a game under the age limit, I've been in a Game Stop and they will hold firm to the law, even if the kid has a fit.
 
Outamyhead said:
No mention of where they went to try and buy a game under the age limit, I've been in a Game Stop and they will hold firm to the law, even if the kid has a fit.
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kids probably got away with it in a larger stores, like walmart, target, k-mart.

during busy times where the clerk was just too lazy or distracted to check.
 
Law? This is a matter of law? I thought these labels were voluntary programs, enforced by company policy (if at all). Am I wrong on this?
 
NLW said:
Law? This is a matter of law? I thought these labels were voluntary programs, enforced by company policy (if at all). Am I wrong on this?
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Not a law ... but the voluntary rating systems were to prevent government intervention and the implementation of a government rating system ... as long as the voluntary systems appear to be working it should keep all but the most ardent nanny staters on the sidelines :cool:
 
That's what I thought...thanks for confirming. I was thrown by the 2nd poster's use of the word "law."
 
Wildace said:
kids probably got away with it in a larger stores, like walmart, target, k-mart.

during busy times where the clerk was just too lazy or distracted to check.
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The Walmart nearest my house has a big sign at the electronics checkstand near the register telling employees to ask for ID for T- and M-rated games. At the corporate level, at least, they're trying.
 
NLW said:
That's what I thought...thanks for confirming. I was thrown by the 2nd poster's use of the word "law."
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All of the current systems (except the restrictions on pornography) are voluntary ... the last government law that I am aware of was the Hays code (for movies) that finally expired in the 70's when the MPAA started rating movies themselves ... comics, software, games, and music were all able to implement their own ratings before the government got enough momentum to get a rating system
 
Any child today that cannot get R/xxx rated games, music, movies, whatever, needs his brains checked.
 
Outamyhead said:
No mention of where they went to try and buy a game under the age limit, I've been in a Game Stop and they will hold firm to the law, even if the kid has a fit.
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Well, they do say in the article, purchases for each of the items are detailed by the stores/theaters they tried. The video games are last on the page.

mysteryshop_figure_6.jpg
 
Wildace said:
kids probably got away with it in a larger stores, like walmart, target, k-mart.

during busy times where the clerk was just too lazy or distracted to check.
Click to expand...

Shouldn't happen at target their registers ask to scan ID just like when you buy alcohol and certain medicine. Game stores like Gamestop ask for ID always as well.

At least that's the way it happens where I live.
 
Wildace said:
kids probably got away with it in a larger stores, like walmart, target, k-mart.

during busy times where the clerk was just too lazy or distracted to check.
Click to expand...

Last I heard, Wal-mart was refusing to even stock m-rated games
 
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