Study: Just 20 percent of under-17 kids can buy 'M'-rated games
Daniel Terdiman
C-Net
May 8, 2008
Although parents'
groups might like the number to be higher, the video
game industry is pretty happy Thursday about a new
government report that, among other things, demonstrated
that only 20 percent of kids under 17 were able to buy
"M"-rated games in the United States.
The Federal Trade Commission report studied kids'
success at being able to buy tickets to R-rated movies
or R-rated DVDs, mature CDs and "M"-rated games. In
every case, the FTC found, the success rate had dropped
over every previous year it had conducted its study.
But nowhere was the drop sharper than with regards to
video games.
According to the study, while 20 percent of under-17
kids were able to buy M-rated games in 2008, the number
had been 42 percent in 2006 and between 60 percent and
more than 80 percent in previous years' studies.
An game rated "M" by the Entertainment Software Rating
Board (ESRB) means it is meant only for people aged 17
and over. An "AO"-rated game is meant only for those 18
and over. The ratings have no legal bearing, but most of
the video game industry--which sponsors the ESRB--abides
by them.
The study surveyed 253 retail stores in the United
States. The best results, the FTC said, were at GameStop
stores, where only 6 percent of under-17s were able to
buy the M-rated games. The worst was Hollywood Video,
where 40 percent succeeded.
At Wal-Mart, the number was 18 percent; At Best Buy, 20
percent; Toys 'R Us, 27 percent; Target, 28 percent;
Kmart, 31 percent; and Circuit City, 38 percent.
It's no surprise that GameStop led the charts for
restricting kids from buying "M"-rated games, as the
retailer generally keeps those games behind the counter.
It is, however, a bit surprising that Wal-Mart fared so
well.
In response, ESRB president Patricia Vance issued a
statement Thursday.
"Video game retailers have clearly stepped up their
efforts to enforce their store policies," Vance wrote,
"and they deserve recognition for these outstanding
results. We commend and applaud retailers for their
strong support of the ESRB ratings, and will continue
working with them to help ensure that these levels of
compliance are sustained if not further increased."
Of course, the study seems to have been conducted before
the April 29 release of Rockstar Games' record-setting
Grand Theft Auto IV, and I would be willing to bet that
the numbers of under-17 kids who were able to buy that
"M"-rated game is higher than the industry-wide numbers
reported by the FTC.
And the timing of the report is interesting because of a
new bill introduced in Congress Wednesday that would
mandate that retailers cannot sell "M"- or "AO"-rated
games to anyone without identification showing their
age.