Citrus Insanity said:
Everybody can legally play Modern Warfare 2.
Just not everybody can legally purchase it on their own.
EDIT: Also, that's a pretty flawed poll since M-rated games are for people 17+, so it doesn't make sense to group 17-year-olds with people who aren't old enough to buy it.
Nautical Honors Society said:
Always ignored ratings, but in the good ole US of A you can get an M-Rated game at the age of 17.
Isn't it 18 in other countries?
HG131 said:
In the US, there is no law that you have to be the age of the rating. It's illegal to make that kind of law.
Exactly. The reasoning goes that only in Europe and a few other places is it actually illegal to retail a restricted title to someone below the age of restriction. In the UK, the retailer gets a fine, criminal record and prison term unless they can prove it was a freak accident to the Trading Stadards officer. However, as the method for catching retailers who regularly break the law is to send in under-age customers to by the item, and thus catch them in the act, you DON'T guard against people with fake ID (unless its painfully obvious its a fake to the untrained eye). Thus, there isn't much to be gained from dropping the top bracket of the poll to 17+, because Europeans who are 17 technically can't buy the game.
I believe I read once that a few senators in America wanted to make it so that sales were restricted, but your own Bill of Rights effectively removes the ability to make that law. It might get amended to push one through, but seeing as how you have the other party in office right now, its future may be uncertain.
Anyone have a link to anything that might suggest America is moving towards a more stringent, enforcible ratings system?