Yesterday we asked you what you thought about the age
restrictions on entering websites for "Mature" rated games. We also talked specifically about the ESRB's policy for
"age gates", where the age of the visitor is computed by a series of complex algorithms which determines whether or not
you can access the age restricted site. Well now
GameCloud has found a much more simple but also more
serious method of blocking under-age gamers in use at Activision's site; credit card checks.
In order to access games promoted on their website that have an "M" sticker, a pop-up comes up that requests age
verification and your oh-so-precious credit card number. Here, try it for yourself.
Visit this site and click on a "Mature" rated
game to see the pop-up.
What's strange about it is the fact that there's nothing in their web policy that states they will ask for your credit
card to view "M" rated game sites. Also, promotional sites for games like
Quake 4 and True Crime: New
York City don't require a credit card. Indeed, Gamecloud asks some very pressing questions about this
requirement:
Why is Activision asking for credit card numbers to access product pages that promote "M" rated games when the ESRB and every other publisher only use the required "age gate"? "What is Activision using this credit card info for? How is Activision keeping this information secure, especially when the theats of credit card number fraud and online theft are very real?"
How about some answers Activision?
[Thanks, John Callaham]
