Study Finds Games Stores Still Selling to Minors

A study funded by the National Institute on Media and the Family (NIMF) has found that almost half of all games retailers are still selling 'M'-rated games to kids. "The two-month undercover survey, which covered 60 US retailers, found that underage teens were able to buy games rated M for Mature (17+) at 46 percent of stores, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune ... the findings of the survey still put the game industry ahead of many other entertainment sectors, including the movie and music industries."

Well...

[Macthorpe]

Seeing as the ratings are a guideline not a law, and it's up to parents to enforce the guidelines they want to enforce, I am going to have to join in the calls of 'So what?'

The only way to sort out this out would be for people to stop assuming that games are for kids - but who knows when that's going to be.

IDs?

[4D6963]

The two-month undercover survey [...] found that underage teens were able to buy games rated M for Mature (17+) at 46 percent of stores

How are they supposed to enforce that anyways? By asking kids their ID? How are you supposed to tell a 17-year old who looks like he's 14 from a 14 year old who looks like he's 17?

Priorities

[ACS Solver]

Yeah... always good to see people getting their priorities right. How about trying to fight the problem of shops selling booze to kids?

And yes I know this is a study by a group studying media.

Re:IDs?

[Shadowplay00]

Hate to knock down a strawman, but many 17 year olds have a driver's license.

This is not intended to contradict the "so what?" crowd...ultimately ratings are only useful as a way for non-gaming parents to filter what their kids can play.

Re:IDs?

[kermit1221]

I think you missed the part about "guidelines, not law". It's not currently illegal for the store to sell these games to minors. Apparently there are some working towards making the video game rating systems law, at least in California at this point.

The fun part is that (so I've read) the law would impose fines of thousands of dollars as well as charging the offender with a felony of some sort, for selling Mature video games to minors. It seems the penalty for (first offense) selling alcohol to minors is a fine of about three hundred dollars.

Re:IDs?

[4D6963]

My point was, how are you gonna require an ID from a 17 year old?

Re:IDs?

[Bodrius]

I think the problem is that makes a huge assumption: if you are 17 ==> you have a driver license.

Other countries have national ID cards that also apply to minors, so it is reasonable to expect you have some state ID with you.
But if there is no legal requirement an ID, and you have no need for a driver license (i.e.: you do not own/drive a car), assuming you magically have a driver license does not follow. For minors, that situation is far more likely.

Not sure it is a big deal - but it reminds me of the 'solution' that e-businesses came up of saying Adult Verification ==> Credit Card. Because obviously that did not introduce risks to a kids uneducated on financial responsability, and the concept of an adult citizen without a car, credit cards and a good amount of debt is unthinkable.