Kids finding it harder to buy M-rated games

by Justin McElroy { May 9th 2008 at 10:28AM }

It's a sad day for those of us who think that a future world entirely populated by desensitized adults trained from birth to be killing machines would be totally sweet. A Federal Trade Commission "undercover shopper" study has found that retailers turned down kids trying to buy M-rated games 80 percent of the time, up 58 percent from the year prior and up from a surprising 16 percent in 2000.

Though the findings are impressive, we don't think retailers should spend too much energy patting themselves on the back. If we saw a 43-year-old FTC agent in a backwards cap and Stone Cold 3:16 T-shirt insisting his name was "Dakota," we probably wouldn't sell M-rated games to him either.

Tags: esrb, ftc, ratings

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Ninjakamster (PSN: Chin-Poh) @ May 9th 2008 10:34AM

You know, I don't even want to punch Jack in the face with my bare fist, I'd have to wear a glove or something.....

Tim The Enchanter @ May 9th 2008 11:13AM

Bwahaha.. looks like someone beat you to it anyway

Shmil @ May 9th 2008 11:23AM

a glove...with brass knuckles

Ninjakamster (PSN: Chin-Poh) @ May 9th 2008 11:33AM

Well, what I meant was that I wouldn't want my bare skin to touch his nasty face, I'd need something to cover my fist. I'm not joking.

But yeah, a glove with some extras (brass knuckles) would be better than a bare first anyways. : )

Juno @ May 9th 2008 10:35AM

Thats good news! Now if we could only find a way to keep those irresponsible parents in check..

PSN: KillaKornbread (the shirt is a lie!) @ May 9th 2008 10:43AM

that was the biggest problem all along. parents buying M rated game for little Johnny to shut him up.

StrangeBum @ May 9th 2008 11:55AM

Most everyone seems to have said the same thing. I have been old enough to purchase them for only two years now, but I remember not having any trouble until recently I started to get carded for buying a game. I did use to look much older however.

But you bring up a good point then Juno, parents are probably the biggest problem today as far as video games go. They don't quite grasp the concept that a game rated 'M' really means it has content not suitable for the youngins. But instead they purchase it for them because it's an easy way to make the kids happy.

TWiNKiE @ May 9th 2008 11:14PM

What ESRB needs is to air a commercial explaining the system.

During the Super Bowl.

StarFoxA @ May 9th 2008 10:39AM

That's good and bad for me, as an underage gamer.

Tim The Enchanter @ May 9th 2008 11:14AM

Nope, that's just good. Trust me, you'll appreciate it when you're no longer under-aged and and the pressure to censor a developer's product decreases because parents finally clue in to actual parenting.

Ted @ May 9th 2008 11:22AM

I'm no longer under age and I still don't appreciate it. I'm angry at the situation in which a game designer's work is threatened by overzealous activists. I don't think the solution is to give in to them by removing the rights of the parents to get their kids the games, because solutions like that rarely stop there. Soon, the current ratings system won't be good enough and they'll want to make it more strict, or to censor their work more severely. Don't think that by bowing down to the anti-video game crowd they will cease to make whiny complaints. The solution is to defend the hobby head-on, and to wait for the minority that is paranoid of games to shrink to extinction.

StarFoxA @ May 9th 2008 11:28AM

That's what I meant, Tim. It's bad for me now because I hate it, but I'll appreciate it later.

Leilock @ May 9th 2008 1:08PM

Re: Ted

Keeping kids from buying M rated games underage is an issue that needed to be approached directly by speaking to the retailers and that has been done and is working well according to this.

I don't think the issue of parents buying games for their underage children can or will be approached through legistation or ESRB, but rather through targeted public service announcements and education addressing the parents themselves. Along with the fact that most brand new parents are from a generation that appreciates games, it will deal a soft blow to ignorance and hopefully hush the issue.

ralphie @ May 9th 2008 10:43AM

Can someone please explain to me where these 10 year olds are getting 65 dollars?

vidGuy @ May 9th 2008 10:45AM

Birthday and holiday gifts, allowances? Part-time jobs for the older teens? Paper routes? By the time I was 10 I had $1000 in my bank account.

ralphie @ May 9th 2008 10:50AM

i don't know man, when i was 10 i got an allowance and birthday cards and what have you. but i would never be able to get in the door with something my parents didn't approve of. and if i did my siblings or my parents would soon catch wind of it. and i grew up in the new york city where it's much easier to get things like video games. it's all about the family.

PSN: KillaKornbread (the shirt is a lie!) @ May 9th 2008 10:55AM

when i was around 10 i used to get a shit load of money for my birthday and christmas since i have a very large family. i mean $20+ from like 20 family members adds up real quick, and that was in addition to all i got from my parents. im lucky if half the family remembers my birthday now and even then they dont give out any cash lol. i used to have a nice stash that i could keep almost all year, and this was in the mid-90's.

x876543 @ May 9th 2008 1:58PM

How the fuck did you guys get to keep your money? My parents stole that shit from me. "Oh I'll take that for safekeeping," BULLSHIT! You fucking stole it and spent it on crack and lap dances.

vidGuy @ May 9th 2008 10:44AM

As it should be. Minors, no matter how mature they may think they are, should not be buying M-rated games. The decision to allow those games should come from parents.

PojoMofo @ May 9th 2008 10:44AM

If I never see that picture again, I would live a happy life, thanks Justin for using it so many times it is permentantly burned into my retinas

J @ May 9th 2008 10:44AM

I definitely get carded way more often for buying or renting games than I do buying alchohol. No joke.

vidGuy @ May 9th 2008 10:47AM

Same here. I've been carded EVERY time I've bought an M-rated game and about 80% of the time I rent one. Alcohol it's only about 50%.

NATO_Duke @ May 9th 2008 10:51AM

I get carded for buying games too sometimes. Seems strange, but I guess they are hyper over the issue these days. Strangely, I'm never carded for alcohol. (I'm not blessed with looking younger than I am apparently.)

Shmil @ May 9th 2008 11:01AM

As a 21 year old who looks like he's 17-18 I get carded for fucking everything that requires it. Then I get the "What's your birthday?" question to somehow verify I'm the person on my license. I complain about it now, but in a few years I'll be thankful.

Ted @ May 9th 2008 11:34AM

Well in England it's worst because the alcohol and upper games limit is the same... 18 (rather than 17 for M games and 21 for alcohol as in the US). As a 19 year old, I also get ID'd more regularly for games than for alcohol.

I think the reason is that when you're in a store buying a video game, the staff might not be big gamers so when they see someone in the games section they automatically assume that they are younger than they actually are. The stereotype that only pre-teens and younger teenagers play games is still strong with some people.

Whereas if you're in a pub somewhere, the 'expected' age is higher. Especially if you're with a bunch of mates, and you're already pretty drunk when you walk into the place. Oh, and one also tends to be better dressed when I'm buying alcohol (except at the grocery store; and generally I'm also more likely to get id'd at the grocery store than pub/club) compared to when I'm in a games shop.

Saria the Cat @ May 9th 2008 4:12PM

I was carded at age 17 for a PG-13 movie. I know once I get to be 25 I'll start appreciating the fact that I look like jailbait but so far it's just been annoying.

PSN: KillaKornbread (the shirt is a lie!) @ May 9th 2008 10:48AM

well im of age so im good either way. i know when i went to pick up GTAIV at the midnight launch they told us to have our ID ready when it was our turn in line and if we didnt have it, we would be kicked out of line. i saw a couple people leave after they said that.

now if they kept doing that during regular day to sales is another thing. i know the manager there (GameCrazy) is cool but he does go by the rules; the other employees are about my age (20) though and i could see them selling to minors and not thinking twice about it.

hey_big_dck psn:fuliano626 @ May 9th 2008 11:30AM

i use to just sweer talk the employees who could say no to a innocent looking 10 year old trying to buy gta3 ?

J @ May 9th 2008 10:49AM

Slinging crack. You should ALWAYS buy your crack from kids if you really want to support the video game industry.

Maverick Saturn @ May 9th 2008 10:51AM

Where does this apply? Just America? My brother's little friend just purchased God of war for PSP, Unreal Tournament 3 and GTA4 over the last month at different shops.

Hes 15 ¬_¬ So I guess this applies everywhere BUT London, lol

Saying that, whats stopping people getting someone older to buy for them, like a brother, a mate, an irresponsible parent, or simply just download PC games?

None of it is right, but if you start a chase, might as well finish it, and I don't exactly see how, where or when this will finish.

Chrysee @ May 9th 2008 11:13AM

What's to stop anyone from buying cigarettes/alcohol for minors? I'm pretty sure it's illegal to, but it's kinda hard to enforce.

Maverick Saturn @ May 9th 2008 11:25AM

True, but its easier with them, in England, its been banned indoors, so its a turn off, tax has been added to alcohol, its been banned from public transport and most pubs, bars etc stop selling it to anyone already or nearly drunk.

Minors still get hold of it, but with the law tightening its grip on it, its been made a hassle for adults alone, let alone minors.

Games are different, you can't exactly ban GTA from public transport, or from pubs and places of entertainment.

To be entirely honest, the government here has more important things to worry about then games, such as binge drinkers, smokers, terrorists, and gang warfare going on. The talk hasn't been about gaming, but about people carrying knives, GTA4 is the last thing on anyones mind believe me, you only have to take a look at the metro in the mornings, on the public comments page, people put stuff like:

"I don't know why people are moaning about games, GTA isn't responsible for all the crime, women bringe drinking and stripping in the middle of the streets and Amy Winehouse followers smoking and doing crack"

Brodie-san @ May 9th 2008 10:54AM

Who's the homeless guy with GTAIV on the 360?

;)

jsutcliffe @ May 9th 2008 10:58AM

Someone needs to 'shop a thumbs-up onto that image. Yessir.

DangerMouse @ May 9th 2008 11:23AM

http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/4562/ass1rk0.gif

jsutcliffe @ May 9th 2008 12:40PM

I was thinking more like a fake JT endorsement, since he's not looking at the product with disguts, but thanks for the attempt :)

DangerMouse @ May 9th 2008 1:20PM

I had that in mind when i started, but i'm limited to Paint. :(

tmacairjordan87 @ May 9th 2008 10:59AM

While this doesn't affect me anymore I'd be pretty pissed if it did, although I guess I could have just had my parents get the game for me.

I played mature games as far back as the first Doom on super nes when I was around 6 and up until I was 18 with no mental problems. I don't recall ever getting urges to wipe out an entire school or anything like that. GTA 3 didn't make me want to kill hookers or hate the police.

I never knew anyone else who couldn't handle these games around my age at the time either, so it's not like I was the only one ahead of my age group in maturity. Then again back in the early 90s, america and american families weren't as pussified as they are now.

I think in this day and age it's just the problem of a few assholes ruining it for the majority.

DonatoM3 @ May 9th 2008 11:45AM

I work with a woman who bases what she'll let her kids play more on content than the actual rating. Like if GTA IV had a M rating just for violence she'd get it, but because of the strong sexual themes she won't let them play it yet. You have to respect parents who try to do the right thing. She does the same with movies. The ratings system need to emphasize what gave the game that rating more than just putting a letter on it.

Dan @ May 9th 2008 11:09AM

What a coincidence. Yesterday was the very first time I was ever asked my age before buying a game. It was probably because I was buying GTA IV, the game everyone knows is evil, but it was still strange. I guess I shouldn't be upset if people think I look at least ten years younger than I actually am.

robert @ May 9th 2008 11:19AM

i'm so sick of that centrino ad hijacking my browser whenever i try to get to the comments...

anyway, i'm over 30 and got carded for GTA when i bought it.

Maverick Saturn @ May 9th 2008 11:26AM

Fight back! :)

Kewlrats @ May 9th 2008 11:29AM

Every time I see Wacko Jacko's mug, I think: "Wow... spitting image of John Stewart + 20 years".

JakubK666 (Ninja Defence Force) @ May 9th 2008 11:31AM

You guys do realise that the JT pick is photoshopped?

And if I need to play M-rated games, I ask my mum.

JakubK666 (Ninja Defence Force) @ May 9th 2008 11:31AM

*pic

Yes those typos piss me off badly.

Eric @ May 9th 2008 11:33AM

Thompson's a tool

Arno @ May 9th 2008 11:48AM

Good! Some of these games just aren't for kids.

ChaoZ @ May 9th 2008 12:42PM

It depends if, like Hollywood, they will water down games just to get a T rating.

Thr3e2wenty8 @ May 9th 2008 1:52PM

Ok, so as a Hockey fan I kept hearing that "you have to ignore Sean Avery so he won't be a distraction" and as a football fan "you can't allow TOs/85's/Shockeys/... antics to be a distraction" so why are we paying attention to JT? (yeah, I just did that - I did the media thing and used Jack Thompson as his initials like he is that important and well known to all) Ignore him.

I am happier about KIDS having problems buying gmaes designed for me.
But its bound to happen that DAD buys the game for DAD and KID finds it and plays it. MAKING DAD HAVE TO BE RESPONSIBLE. YAY! WE ALL WIN!