USA: Fewer Stores Selling M-Rated Games to Underage Buyers

The US Federal Trade Commissions most recent 'Secret Shopper' report - based on sending consumers into video game, DVD and music outlets to buy games rated above their age range - is showing the North American retail is taking its responsibilities to heart.

The data reveals that the 2008 survey saw an overall average of 80% of teens refused sale of M-rated games, "a major improvement from all prior surveys". The 2006 survey showed 58% were barred.

According to the FTC's own information, "With regard to M-rated video games, Game Stop rejected an impressive 94% of underage shoppers, while Wal-Mart and Best Buy spurned 80% of them.

"Some stores had very different results for different media. For example, while Best Buy rejected 80% of underage buyers of video games, it turned away underage shoppers for PAL music only 47% of the time, R-rated movie DVDs only 38% of the time, and Unrated movie DVDs only 17% of the time.

"Similarly, Target refused to sell M-rated games to underage buyers 71% of the time, but refused sales of PAL music only 40% of the time, R-rated movie DVDs only 35% of the time, and Unrated movie DVDs in only 23% of the cases."

Seems to us that ESRB's game rating system actually is working... which is a slap in the face (but a soft one) for those politicians wanting to see more draconian controls put into place. Yes, we're looking at you Joe Lieberman, Joseph Lentol and let's not forget Governor Eliot Spitzer... who might want to take his personal frustrations out virtually say in GTA IV.

^{Source: FTC}