Photo ID Required To Buy/Rent Games In Canada 381
securitas writes "Metro International newspapers Toronto edition reports that Canadian gamers must now provide photo identification to buy computer and video games. The restriction is part of the Retail Council of Canada's Commitment to Parents initiative, in cooperation with the Entertainment Software Association of Canada (ESAC) and the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). The RCC says that it has the support of 90% of game retailers in the voluntary program. Read the RCC video game photo ID press release. There don't seem to be any guidelines for how the program will be implemented - whether it will be a simple flash of a photo ID card (which many teenagers don't have) or a more detailed user database, with its inherent privacy concerns. The Ontario government plans to come up with its own game ratings system after the Ontario Film Review Board gave Manhunt an 'R' rating. More coverage at the CBC and CTV before and after the official announcement."
Uninforcable (Score:3, Informative)
More stupid regulation that can't be controlled or monitored. More excuses to steal from taxpayers. Bah -- it's uninforcable.
Oh wait...
FTA: "It's a voluntary program based on the ratings you already see on the game boxes."
Nevermind.
Only SOME games (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Hey... (Score:1, Informative)
The MPAA movie ratings are "voluntary" now, believe it or not. Just that refusing to submit to MPAA ratings means your movie probably won't run in anything but arthouse theaters.
Just another example of morality enforced at the point of a gun (behind all laws is force -- refuse to obey and see what happens)
Hah. (Score:5, Informative)
I didn't really think about it until reading this story now. Can't say I remember ever hearing that before when in a store like EB.
Teenagers don't have ID cards? (Score:2, Informative)
Can't say for the rest of the world, but in Canada most teenagers have either a school ID, a yearly bus card with photo (at least for the Montreal area) or a medicare card (sun card for Quebec).
Also, as mentionned in other comments, this should be considered a good thing since kids won't be able to buy games they shouldn't be playing. Sure it won't be easily enforceable but isn't it the same thing for other age restricted goods (cigarettes, alcohol and adult magazines)?
Finally, I really don't get the paranoïa about retailers building databases of customers. I don't see why they would use this as a way to get your customer info. Aside from the needs of a system (hardware and software) to collect this information, this would be limited to customers between the ages of 14 and 24 (considering not many people over the age of 24 look underage).
I think most people in the industry will see this as a step in the right direction. At the risk of sounding like a troll (which is NOT my intention), I'd say it's better then restricting the sales to an entire population. At least adults can make a choice to buy a product and even let their kids play if they judge the game appropriate.
LIES. Canadian ID is easy to obtain. (Score:3, Informative)
To keep things in perspective, kids die of hunger all over the world and don't even know what video games are. Therefore, one should feel compelled to suck it up and carry around a piece of plastic in his wallet.
Re:Age verification...no big deal (Score:5, Informative)
this [about.com] is the reason that RadioShack is no longer collecting info, and the reason that the information on the ID shown will not be collected for data mining by game stores either.
Re:I say this everytime, and I always get modded d (Score:2, Informative)
Re:limit access to violent fiction... (Score:1, Informative)
teens without ID ?? (Score:4, Informative)
Strange.
Up here in the colder reaches of North America we have free health care provided by the state. To benefit from this you need your medicare card
or a more detailed user database, with its inherent privacy concerns
Why the database ? Asking for ID to buy/rent a game is no different from asking for ID to get movie tickets or beer. Do movie theatres and convenience shops maintain databases of what movies you see and what brand of beer you buy most often ?
Practical issues put aside, I don't see why this is a problem. Kids are, well, kids. As a society we have a right, and an obligation, to make some decisions about what is acceptable or not for the majority of them. If you want to make a different one for your kids as an individual, go ahead and do it ! go and buy/rent them the game.
Re:Do parents really want this? (Score:1, Informative)
Technically it IS the law in Canada.
You see, each province has a Film Review Board [gov.on.ca] which classifies (or refuses to classify) films according to age brackets. Movie theatres are legally obligated to follow the ratings.