Approached By Minor Gamer

Hi, all!

I had an interesting experience today-- I was coming out of Gamestop with one of my colleagues from work and this kid walks up to us. He says, "Hi, I'm 17 and I'm about to turn 18, and I don't have ID. Can you buy Call of Duty for me?" I guess he was going to give us the money and have us go buy it for him. We had to tell him "no" as we were on our way back to school/work.

I've heard of minors asking adults to buy cigarettes or alcohol, but I've never had them ask me to buy them a game.

Has anybody ever had this happen? What did you do?

in what country do you have to be 18 to buy COD?

in what country do you have to be 18 to buy COD?

kate_jones

He forgot his ID, so I think he is saying hes 17 (which is fine) and almost 18. But he forgot his ID so he cannot get it no mater what. Yeah they NEVER used to card for games, but now they do.

Currently here in CA, a state senator is trying to get a bill passed that would make the sales of M-rated games to minors illegal.

Currently here in CA, a state senator is trying to get a bill passed that would make the sales of M-rated games to minors illegal.

MathMattS

I though minors can't arleady get games that is M. So are they banning the use of video games to a minor now?

Nah, stores around here still don't care. I saw a kid who was clearly like 10 or something buy an M rated game. The kid even asked the worker if he was allowed to buy the game. The worker at first seemed to wonder why he was being asked. Then I guess he realized "oh, right, it's rated M." Then he just asked the kid if his parents knew he was buying it, the kid said yeah. So he rang him through. It was hilarious to see.

I did have kids ask me to buy them cigarettes. I'm always like "no." I've been asked that a few times actually.

I did something along those lines when I was young, to get a copy of Metal Gear Solid for PS1 from woolworths lol... They just wouldn't sell it to me.

[QUOTE="MathMattS"]

Currently here in CA, a state senator is trying to get a bill passed that would make the sales of M-rated games to minors illegal.

shadow13702

I though minors can't arleady get games that is M. So are they banning the use of video games to a minor now?

Right now, it's legal to sell M games to minors-- Gamestop and Wal-Mart just have policies that prohibit them from doing so. But the new bill proposes that the sale of M games to minors be illegal.

[QUOTE="shadow13702"]

[QUOTE="MathMattS"]

Currently here in CA, a state senator is trying to get a bill passed that would make the sales of M-rated games to minors illegal.

MathMattS

I though minors can't arleady get games that is M. So are they banning the use of video games to a minor now?

Right now, it's legal to sell M games to minors-- Gamestop and Wal-Mart just have policies that prohibit them from doing so. But the new bill proposes that the sale of M games to minors be illegal.

i refused based on their poor taste of games. i stood, silently disgusted.

in what country do you have to be 18 to buy COD?

kate_jones

You have to be 18 in the Uk, Ireland and most of the rest of Europe.

My brothers 17 and Iwould reguarly buy him games.....But thats simply because alot of the time I disagree with the ages they put on the games.

For Example my brother has watched the Godfather, Resevoir Dogs and Scarface so I had no problem buying him Grand Theft Auto. Other Games I've got him are Resident Evil 4, Gears etc etc.

Howevr I wouldn't get it for a complete stranger.

Not really. I was never approached by someone younger than me to buy them things that, especially a videogame.

Even if I'm a constant regular at my Gamestop, I still get carded for the mature games every now and then. It's bothersome sometimes, but at the same time, I don't mind it. Despite my age, they are only doing their jobs.

Yeah, in Chicago, stores like Best Buy are pretty strict as far as carding people for games. It is rather annoying, really. I'm well over 17 years old and I get rather annoyed when I get carded for anything--especially games.

I have never had a person come up to me asking me to buy them a game now thats another story for smokes.

I find it ludicrous that places like Gamestop and Walmart have such Policies. Its a game, its not like the kid is gonna walk into an airport and light up the place because he saw it in a game. It should be at the discretion of the parents to control what their kids are playing, not the stores, ESRB, or the government gmaster456

But that's the thing. If a kid's parents lets them play it, they are free to buy it for them. It's not illegal for them to play it. If stores didn't have these policies, then kids can buy the games and play them when they're parents aren't looking. It's easy, especially if it's a handheld game. It's not easy to monitor your kid 24/7 you know. Policies like these help.

Hi, all!

I had an interesting experience today-- I was coming out of Gamestop with one of my colleagues from work and this kid walks up to us. He says, "Hi, I'm 17 and I'm about to turn 18, and I don't have ID. Can you buy Call of Duty for me?" I guess he was going to give us the money and have us go buy it for him. We had to tell him "no" as we were on our way back to school/work.

I've heard of minors asking adults to buy cigarettes or alcohol, but I've never had them ask me to buy them a game.

Has anybody ever had this happen? What did you do?

MathMattS

That's never happened to me.

But a question...did he at least offer you a tip?

I mean, when minors ask adults to buy them booze or tobacco, they don't usually say "will you please buy this for me?" Instead, they'll say something like, I'll pay you ten bucks to buy me that case of beer."

So just out of curiosity, how did your experience go? Did the kid say, "will you buy this game for me please?" Or did the kid instead say, "Hey buddy...I'll give you $15 if you buy that game for me"?

Its illegal here in Britain as well, all games have a PEGI or BBFC rating, I needed myID to buy Batman AA which is a 15 (I was 18 ).I also saw a mom buy her 11 year old kid Saints Row 2.

Its illegal here in Britain as well, all games have a PEGI or BBFC rating, I needed myID to buy Batman AA which is a 15 (I was 18).I also saw a mom buy her 11 year old kid Saints Row 2.

D1zzyCriminal

Conflicting quotes have destroyed my brain....... 'here in Britian', 'mom'.

The horror!!!!!!

I wouldn't buy it from him, but only because I'd be an elitist bastard and tell him to spend his money on a better game.

*edit* Actually, that's not true. I wouldn't buy it for him anyway since he's underaged. But both of those are my reasons for saying no.

I've had kids outside the supermarket ask me to buy them cigs or booze. I've always just smiled and said 'no, sorry' and walked on. Its never happened with a game before, my reaction would probably be the same though.

I would point and laugh doing this...

Hasn't happend to me personally but some funny stories in here overall. I also think its hilarious some kids want video games as badly as other kids want cigrettes and alcohol. I say if the poor kid wants the game that bad get it for him, let him play it, or better yet make it legal for him to buy it so he doesn't have to petition strangers to do something "illegal" for him. Seriously, who's causing more trouble, the kid in his basement playing video games, or the kids out there getting plastered and sharing lung cancer?

Furthermore there has been a case where preventing a kid from playing a "violent" video game, in this case Halo, a 16 yr old kid murdered both his parents after they wouldn't let him play it even after he went out and was able to buy it with his own money. Hows that for some ironic S#@!. It was on one random news channel or the other but which one exactly escapes me at the moment.

So wheres the violence really coming from the kids or the games they play? Seems to me like a kid who is going to do something like that is going to do it whether he plays halo, or grand theft auto or any other game of the sort or not. You cant blame the game here, because the kid probably would have done the same if they would have kept him from listening to a cd, or watching some other movie he wanted to see, or basically just otherwise telling him no about something on a bad day.

Video games don't kill people, crazy a$$ people kill people.

I might buy it for him if he promised to break his headset/mic in half and never ever play it on Xbox Live.

I'd just laugh in their face. Or I'd ask them why they want the game in the first place... and tell them why they could easily just go find something they could buy and have it be fun.

Aw man, askin' on the way OUT of Gamestop isn't gonna work. The clerks' gonna see that you already cashed out and left, and see the kid outside peerin' through the window lol. You gotta get 'em on the way IN XD

Ratings laws/policies are kinda funny. Though if your parents don't care if you play an M rated game it's an easy fix, just bring them in, problem solved. I've been carded for video games and CD's way back in the day. At the movie theater too. But I've never been carded for buying an R rated DVD. I wonder why they let DVDs slip.

I just put on my mean face when around minors. :evil:

Then I go back to being myself after they are out of view. :D

I regularly get asked by local kids (mostly girls) to buy them alcohol and I always refuse. I've never had a minor ask me to buy a video game though, and I'd probably refuse them because if they're asking me to buy it for them, then that suggests to me that their parent/guardian has obviously already told them "no" - so now they're resorting to asking strangers.

I've seen it happen many a time.

I regularly get asked by local kids (mostly girls) to buy them alcohol and I always refuse. I've never had a minor ask me to buy a video game though, and I'd probably refuse them because if they're asking me to buy it for them, then that suggests to me that their parent/guardian has obviously already told them "no" - so now they're resorting to asking strangers.

KlepticGrooves

[QUOTE="D1zzyCriminal"]

Its illegal here in Britain as well, all games have a PEGI or BBFC rating, I needed myID to buy Batman AA which is a 15 (I was 18).I also saw a mom buy her 11 year old kid Saints Row 2.

MattDistillery

Conflicting quotes have destroyed my brain....... 'here in Britian', 'mom'.

The horror!!!!!!

Some 14 year old asked me to get him Mw2 last November, he handed me £ 58 and I saw a great opportunity.

I brought him a pre owned copy for £ 35 and sneakily became £23 richer :P Of course I didn't stick around for long.

Some 14 year old asked me to get him Mw2 last November, he handed me £ 58 and I saw a great opportunity.

I brought him a pre owned copy for £ 35 and sneakily became £23 richer :P Of course I didn't stick around for long.

hayabusatan

[QUOTE="MathMattS"]

Hi, all!

I had an interesting experience today-- I was coming out of Gamestop with one of my colleagues from work and this kid walks up to us. He says, "Hi, I'm 17 and I'm about to turn 18, and I don't have ID. Can you buy Call of Duty for me?" I guess he was going to give us the money and have us go buy it for him. We had to tell him "no" as we were on our way back to school/work.

I've heard of minors asking adults to buy cigarettes or alcohol, but I've never had them ask me to buy them a game.

Has anybody ever had this happen? What did you do?

MrGeezer

That's never happened to me.

But a question...did he at least offer you a tip?

I mean, when minors ask adults to buy them booze or tobacco, they don't usually say "will you please buy this for me?" Instead, they'll say something like, I'll pay you ten bucks to buy me that case of beer."

So just out of curiosity, how did your experience go? Did the kid say, "will you buy this game for me please?" Or did the kid instead say, "Hey buddy...I'll give you $15 if you buy that game for me"?

No, he didn't offer me a tip. He just asked me if I would buy the game for him. But my friend and I were heading back to school/work, so we didn't buy it for him.

[QUOTE="MattDistillery"]

Conflicting quotes have destroyed my brain....... 'here in Britian', 'mom'.

The horror!!!!!!

EclipXe-Games

Nope, no one who uses the correct English language in the UK should ever spell it "Mom".

should have taken the money and got yourself another game

[QUOTE="hayabusatan"]

Some 14 year old asked me to get him Mw2 last November, he handed me £ 58 and I saw a great opportunity.

I brought him a pre owned copy for £ 35 and sneakily became £23 richer :P Of course I didn't stick around for long.

DarkCatalyst

Um...yea lol, and i bought it for them.

I find it ludicrous that places like Gamestop and Walmart have such Policies. Its a game, its not like the kid is gonna walk into an airport and light up the place because he saw it in a game. It should be at the discretion of the parents to control what their kids are playing, not the stores, ESRB, or the government gmaster456