EA Applauds Retailers

Electronic Arts, the largest third-party publisher in the industry, has issued a statement in support of the retailers who vowed to enact more stringent enforcement of the ESRB games rating system at their retail outlets.

"While M-rated games are a very small percentage of EA's portfolio, we applaud the decision by retailers to enforce the MSDA rating system," said Larry Probst, CEO of Electronic Arts. "The ESRB rating system provides game fans and parents a clear and useful tool for evaluating content when they purchase interactive entertainment. The decision by these retailers to support that system - to require proof of age when buying M-rated games - adds another layer of clarity and protection."

Earlier this week, retailers such as Kmart and Wal-Mart announced that they would require ID and proof of age from customers before selling video games rated M by the ESRB. The ESRB system, according to its web site, incorporates the following ratings: EC (early childhood), KA (kids to adults), E (everyone), T (teen), M (mature), and A (adult).