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Study: Fewer minors buying M-rated games

  • By Daniel Terdiman, News.com
  • Posted May 8, 2008 10:51 am PT

FTC sting finds just 20 percent of under-17 secret shoppers could purchase age-inappropriate games--less than half the year prior.

From News.com

Only 20 percent of kids under 17 were able to buy "M"-rated games in the United States this year, according to a government report out Thursday.

The Federal Trade Commission report studied kids' success at buying tickets to R-rated movies or purchasing R-rated DVDs, mature CDs, and M-rated games. In every case, the FTC found the success rate had dropped over every previous year it conducted its study.

The FTC's findings, in handy bar-graph form.

The FTC's findings, in handy bar-graph form.

But nowhere was the drop sharper than with games.

According to the study, while 20 percent of under-17 kids were able to buy M-rated games in 2008, the number had been 42 percent in 2006 and between 60 percent and more than 80 percent in previous studies.

A game rated "M" by the Entertainment Software Rating Board is meant only for people aged 17 and over. An "AO"-rated game is meant only for those 18 and over. The ratings have no legal bearing, but most of the gaming industry--which sponsors the ESRB--abides by them.

The study surveyed 253 retail stores in the United States. The best results, the FTC said, were at GameStop stores, where only 6 percent of under-17s were able to buy the M-rated games. The worst was Hollywood Video, where 40 percent succeeded.

At Wal-Mart, the number was 18 percent; at Best Buy, 20 percent; Toys "R" Us, 27 percent; Target, 28 percent; Kmart, 31 percent; and Circuit City, 38 percent.

In response, ESRB president Patricia Vance issued a statement Thursday.

"Video game retailers have clearly stepped up their efforts to enforce their store policies," Vance wrote, "and they deserve recognition for these outstanding results. We commend and applaud retailers for their strong support of the ESRB ratings, and will continue working with them to help ensure that these levels of compliance are sustained if not further increased."

The timing of the report is interesting because of a new bill introduced in Congress Wednesday that would mandate that retailers cannot sell M- or AO-rated games to anyone without identification showing their age.

78 Comments

  • FerretRoffo

    Posted Jun 13, 2009 3:35 pm GMT

    this is why I pirate some games

  • XXMadManVII

    Posted May 12, 2008 8:40 am GMT

    Us gamers will be the only ones who see this report and have it mean something positive. The politictians will find someway to discredit it and toss it aside for a report that suits their best interests....

  • shamarke

    Posted May 12, 2008 12:58 am GMT

    let all kids play what game they want :p

  • AngstOverlord

    Posted May 11, 2008 7:49 am GMT

    While I certainly don't like the idea of being carded to purchase a game I support retailer's efforts to cut down on kids being able to buy M-rated games. With how poorly most parents supervise most of their children it can't hurt to bar them from buying GTA IV with that birthday money from dear Aunt Edna.

    The ESRB is useful for providing guidelines for the uninformed though I don't agree with their methods. The Oblivion incident shouldn't have caused as much fuss as it did... yes, the game did have some content unsuitable for certain family members but to penalize Bethesda for the ESRB's rating mistake was uncalled for.

    I just wish that there was a sister-rating for non-theatrical movies. With games being regulated so strictly it's just sick that much more graphic DVDs have no such stigma. Personally I think The Hills Have Eyes and Hostel would be far more damaging to the psyche of a child. Even most of those crappy old adult Atari games weren't as depraved as Hills. Granted, I have a major issue with that movie anyway. Oh yes, we have content advisories for 'thematic elements', but 'mutant rape' is a'ok!

    Personally I found that way more distressing than Oblivion's hanging corpses.

  • boobush

    Posted May 10, 2008 7:06 am GMT

    The problem lies with the ESRB, the parents and the kids. Because the board should specify ratings, like a rating kind of for adults only, but not be treated that way, so they get released. Then there are the parents, who think their kids are the most mature kids that could exist, since they feed their pet fish and clean their room and so they buy whatever games they want, and though it's a little about that, it's also about not getting sucked in, intelligence, videogames are like Bush's war propaganda, if you're weak minded, you fail to see reality. And last, and least, kids, Mature doesn't mean for you, obey that and you'll give us a break, so you'll have one when you're older.

  • X-RS

    Posted May 9, 2008 8:46 pm GMT

    "MINORS ADDICTIONS TO MUSHROOMS TRIGGERED BY VIDEO GAMES"

    you know thats whatll be said next.
    either that or kids will start but slammin there teachers.

  • Geek12

    Posted May 9, 2008 8:17 pm GMT

    OK time to hate on movies/Dvds. Video games don't deserve it anymore, we've improved better than any other industry.

  • Evinco_DX

    Posted May 9, 2008 7:58 pm GMT

    Good news.

  • peeweeshift

    Posted May 9, 2008 1:13 pm GMT

    lol the minors have grown up, gamestop clerks check id's, and they warn parents now too. i found out it so funny to see kids turned back with their san anddreas purchases as their mom walks out the door yelling at them

  • Proust

    Posted May 9, 2008 11:34 am GMT

    Too bad. A good dose of violent video games is part of the childhood experience.

  • necronaux

    Posted May 9, 2008 11:18 am GMT

    Great, getting carded for buying video games. Now they'll be fake IDs, not to show age 21 for alcohol, but 17 to buy M rated games (I don't ever remember seeing an AO rating). Government intervention is getting a little ridiculous (e.g. I just got carded in wal-mart, I was buying a 2-pack of superglue).

  • Hvac0120

    Posted May 9, 2008 8:21 am GMT

    Hopefully this will at least stop politicians from "banning" M and AO rated games. It seems that their cause is to prevent these types of games from even releasing. I believe a law requiring ID at purchase will put the pressure on retail to keep their employees in line so that nobody gets fined.

  • Merl57

    Posted May 9, 2008 7:28 am GMT

    this is great news but I doubt the ignorant people trying to pass anti game legislation will take this into account.

  • dragonsama

    Posted May 9, 2008 6:41 am GMT

    Awesome! Kids do not need to be playing M rated games. The less Whiny Bratty E-thug 12 year olds in my on-line games of Metal Gear Online, GTA4, and Halo3 the better!!!!

  • asimplerapper

    Posted May 9, 2008 6:24 am GMT

    Quite good news.

  • Chris_555_TK

    Posted May 8, 2008 9:19 pm GMT

    Hmm, looks like more parents are paying attention to their bratty kids.

  • AvIdGaMeR444

    Posted May 8, 2008 7:42 pm GMT

    Thank God! Where would this world be if there weren't fewer minors buying M-rated games? We've got poverty, war, famine, murder. The final straw would be if there were more minors buying M-rated games. That would be the worst atrocity of mankind...

  • lamprey263

    Posted May 8, 2008 7:01 pm GMT

    Don't politicians try to legally mandate that M-rated games require purchasers to be ast least 18 years of age? Despite the 17+ age designation?

  • Z00Mbite

    Posted May 8, 2008 6:16 pm GMT

    Makes me really happy that I'm turning 17 this sunday!

  • speedjunkie4

    Posted May 8, 2008 6:07 pm GMT

    The US goverment got a clear fact shoved down thier throats. One that the goverment proably will attack anyway.

  • mwa

    Posted May 8, 2008 5:26 pm GMT

    good. this shows that the ratings system works and should put to rest all those politicians who want to keep everyone else from buying M rated games.

  • Somebody89

    Posted May 8, 2008 5:18 pm GMT

    Maybe its because a lot of parents now a days just buy whatever game their whining toddler wants. Which explains the flood of children on gears and the sudden takeover of Halo because of them.

  • Vash67

    Posted May 8, 2008 4:32 pm GMT

    I really don't know why they included Unrated DVDs. With DVDs sales becoming very important to the overall success of a movie, a lot of DVDs are coming out with "Unrated" versions. If you add 5 minutes of content that a 10 year old could watch, then adding the unrated label is just excessive. And stopping said 10 year old to buy said DVD is just silly. But overall, kudos to stores for stepping up.

  • Ryodude

    Posted May 8, 2008 3:54 pm GMT

    I work for Toys R Us. This was really cool news. Now why doesn't this news make it to TV? Let the news shows comment on that after they finish trying to slander gaming.

  • rfarmer52

    Posted May 8, 2008 3:46 pm GMT

    Something else people don't really realize, with the exception of a FEW states there is NO legal action anyone can take to stop the sales of M rated games or R rated movies to anyone under the age of 17. These are internal company control policies that are self enforced. The MPAA and ESRB are simply ment to be guidlines for P-A-R-E-N-T-S! So it always pisses me off when i see a parent buying a kid a game like GTA and not really understanding what they are doing.

  • Sushiisownage

    Posted May 8, 2008 3:38 pm GMT

    I'm not exactly thrilled about them saying that games that are M are made for 17 and up. Its just a rating, wow I've been playing M rated games and watching R rated movies since I was a little kid. Yet Im not a violent person and I don't swear.

  • cn31672

    Posted May 8, 2008 3:34 pm GMT

    I guess I just don't believe that violent video games make bad kids, I still think that poor parenting makes bad kids. If parents took more accountability for what their kids do instead of blaming pop culture, the kids might not be so F*UK*D UP!!!!!

  • a1gaius

    Posted May 8, 2008 3:30 pm GMT

    until GTA IV came out...

  • ocdog45

    Posted May 8, 2008 3:27 pm GMT

    this is a good thing IMO.

  • belwyrm

    Posted May 8, 2008 3:21 pm GMT

    I was standing behind some kid in line at Gamestop, not really paying any attention, and the clerk asked me if it was ok for the kid to buy the game.....made me feel old......I said yeah....lucky kid..... didn't even know him

  • crackman64

    Posted May 8, 2008 3:18 pm GMT

    Should shut up Jack Thompson but i'm a bit disturbed by treating games as dangerous substances in a way.

  • tommygun981

    Posted May 8, 2008 3:11 pm GMT

    haha ya the rating system pretty much sucks haha im 15 and am not able to buy myself M rated games, luckily my parents dont really care anymore and i have a 17 year old sis who bought gta4 haha

  • ChuckNorris82

    Posted May 8, 2008 3:06 pm GMT

    Good, so now I don't have to worry bout little kiddies annoying me on sweet @$% Mature games!!! BOO YAAAA..............I forgot about their parents buying it for them....................................F%#&............

  • rfarmer52

    Posted May 8, 2008 3:03 pm GMT

    Another interesting thing that should really be noticed is that the number of R-Rated Movie Tickets is MUCH higher... why no public outcry?

  • paullywog

    Posted May 8, 2008 2:56 pm GMT

    eh, whatever. i'm 17 so i can buy what i want, though i feel the pain of those kids trying to buy m rated games.

  • dinodefender

    Posted May 8, 2008 2:53 pm GMT

    ok. but why not have m games in a seperate section?

  • okassar

    Posted May 8, 2008 2:48 pm GMT

    Fewer minors buying the games,how about getting them from their parents and playing them?

  • Lauryn2000

    Posted May 8, 2008 2:39 pm GMT

    The parent is so clueless when they "buy" the game,they become appalled and shocked when they hear lil Johnny's videogame,screaming out F-Bombs like it's going out of style.
    Example:
    Buying Scarface,The Sopranos or The Godfather game for a 10 year old and thinking it's like Mario is NOT good parenting.Didn't they see the movie(s)?????

  • cooldude03

    Posted May 8, 2008 2:38 pm GMT

    Maybe study should say "minors playing parents M rated games". That's were my son gets his gets his games. The thing is he understands the difference between video games and real life. Because I do my part as a parent instead of blaming pop culture for not raising him for me.

  • sybillium1

    Posted May 8, 2008 2:37 pm GMT

    and yet everytime I play CoD4 or any other FPS I always come across those 7 year old kids pwning or getting pwned one way or the other. Parents really need to start taking responsibility for their kids actions rather then blame the government and waste our tax dollars on another pointless bill.

  • Not2Nys

    Posted May 8, 2008 2:37 pm GMT

    this whole thing is stupid imo... Half the time they bring a parent to buy them the games anyway so... this is just stupid...

  • Generic_Dude

    Posted May 8, 2008 2:28 pm GMT

    Good... as a person who played Mortal Kombat before coming of age, I'm aware that it's kindof a bummer and that many great games carry an M-rating (almost none carrying an AO-rating are any good, if that's any consolation), but it's for the good of the industry. Frankly, if they keep letting minors buy these games, something will happen and there won't be any left when they're old enough to legitimately buy them. If you're mature enough to handle the content, then ask a trusted adult to help you out. If they agree, they'll probably oblige.

  • bush66

    Posted May 8, 2008 2:27 pm GMT

    Maybe these stats will calm all those politicians who make worthless game laws for attention.

  • GatCloudX

    Posted May 8, 2008 2:11 pm GMT

    thats because gamestop wont let you without a parent

  • Vuud

    Posted May 8, 2008 1:52 pm GMT

    Maybe the headline should say "More minors have access to warez than ever"

  • TheVinster

    Posted May 8, 2008 1:45 pm GMT

    When I was a minor, M-rated games ruined my brain. Now I sit in front of the TV playing GTA. Maybe some day I'll go outside and kill someone, I'm obviously brainwashed.

  • jaredcrazy3232

    Posted May 8, 2008 1:42 pm GMT

    but where can u even get AO games in the first place. not to mention the game is either porn or just not well made. on top of that can anyone name a currently sold AO game that exist (leisure suit larry mega "somthin' or other", and those real sex games don't count)?

  • Killer2401

    Posted May 8, 2008 1:39 pm GMT

    I can walk into best buy, pick up an M-rated game, and walk next to my dad in the check out lane and no one stops me from getting it. How many people went out and bought Halo 3 first day that were underage?

  • nightwraith40k

    Posted May 8, 2008 1:25 pm GMT

    Yea GTA is talked largely at schools and parents are getting it for them

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