Survey: Half of Stores Sold M-Rated Titles to Minors

[Junaid Alam]

Survey: Half of Stores Sold M-Rated Titles to Minors

A two-month covert survey of more than 60 stores across the country reveals that almost half of them sold M-rated titles to customers under 18.

The East County Youth Coalition, in conjunction with the National Institute on Media and Family as well as other self-described youth advocate organizations, carried out the survey.

The findings dovetail with another survey taken last year by the groups.

The coalition urged retailers to follow the rating system, which is devised by the ESRB, and give employees formal training on the importance of not selling M-rated games to minors.

The survey comes amid increasingly loud calls from Congress for the ESRB to operate more strictly and, in particular, reconsider its M rating for the controversial Wii and PS2 title Manhunt 2.

Source: Gamesindustry.biz [http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=30887]


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[sturryz]

Why is manhunt 2 so controversial if the rating boards and such already killed it?

 

[Sylocat]

I fail to see a problem here.

The fact that anyone wants the ESRB to operate MORE strictly than they already do is a sign that our country is run by a bunch of Salem-Witch-Trials-era puritans. If ratings boards operate any more strictly than they do now we'll be well into "The Handmaid's Tale" territory.

 

[CarlosYenrac]

call me dumb if you will, but i still fail to see how stores selling m-rated games to under 18's (btw, isn't M 17+?) has anything to do with the ESRB.....

i bought cigarettes when i was underage, does that mean the attorney-general is at fault, since HE decided they should only be sold to people over 18?

p.s. of course miami jack will see this as vindication

 

[GrowlersAtSea]

That's not too surprising.

In all my years of gaming (including a nice number of years after the ESRB rating system while I was underage) I've only once ever been asked for ID (ironically when I was 20), and at a Best Buy, no less. I used to sometimes get someone else to come with me or buy a game for me if I was concerned, but I bought a nice number of M and MA rated games at Toys 'R Us and some local retailers.

I remember reading a similar survey a while back that put the number at 47% of retailers sold M rated games to minors. None of this is a big surprise though, the stores have no legal obligation to enforce rating standards. This does worry me though, since some politicians just love issues like this and the gaming industry is a nice, juicy target, but there's another thread on that matter entirely.