Kids Can Buy Adult Games: Survey Shocker

did this survey show, which retailers were doing this, because i suspect that the majority of these sales would bw coming in from independant retailers rather than actual game stores, ie gametstop. as the indies would be less likely to turn away a sale but i may be wrong.

I'd really like to be able to add something clever and constructive here.
Alas the only thing I can think of is "like, duhhhh!"

You're wrong.

I suspect that the number of "independent" stores is infintesimal and to the best of my knowedge large chain stores dominate the retail videogame market. (tyrion prolly has the numbers somewhere) In any event, chain stores are likely staffed by minimum wagers who only quote store policy when it serves their own interest and put about as much thought into their actions as you do in one of your typical posts.

did the report also say they can download porn for free off the net, along with iraq beheading videos and that s**ts free!! now when they say kids we all know they mean 13 to 15 year olds hardly the same as an 8 year old kid, they are TEENAGERS!!

hey teens need a hobby after a night of sex, drugs, fags and booze, let them play what they want and leave them alone these dogooders should piss off and get a real job.

hi James

Thanks for that productive input there.

Perhaps you can share more of your thoughs on how sales of 18-rated videogames should be policed and monitored in regard to minors ('under-18s') as it seems that you have a good grasp on the situation...

Isn't the ESRB rating the equivalent to our PEGI?
More a guide for parents, and not legally binding?

Unfortunately, I don't have access to those figures. There's usually a Chart Track round up in MCV in the early part of a new year, but I can't find the one from this year. Plus they'd only be UK figures and the survey is in the US.

Maybe NPD publish a similar round up, but I cant remember having seen one recently.

Right on.

Well, I can say, in my area at least, that independent videogame retailers are nonexistent. Even if I could find one, the percentage of sales compared to the large chain stores would be close to insignificant. They simply cannot compete. Even the small, dingy ones that buy and sell used games are chained.

perhaps im looking at it from a UK perspective then as our major retailers, chain stores, supermarkets etc are very good in the prevention of selling to minors in all things from entertainment to alcohol and it tends to be the indies and corner stores that need the policing and monitoring.

but if whatever stores are allowing this to happen stopped doing this then perhaps more mature rated games would get a easier time??

Major chain stores might do a better job of restricting sales to minors, even here. Independent shops just don't exist over here, at least there aren't enough of them to have any statistically significant effect on these figures. Also, the ratings here in the 'States aren't legally binding in any real way as far as I know, local and state laws may vary, subject to terms and conditions, all rights reserved, past returns are no indicator of future performance...

So yeah, you might be suffering from an Anglocentric perspective.

As to the effects of all this. IMNSHO, you could add up all the dodgy sales to minors on one hand and it wouldn't even compare to the number of sales to parents for their minor children. I just don't think its that major of an issue, except as a flag to rally the intolerance troops around. I don't really think that M rated games in general are having a hard time, many of the best selling titles are M rated, I also don't think that this has any effect on AO games not being welcome on consoles. Its an image thing for the console manufacturer, not the devs or retailers.

actually what I meant to say was they class kids as 13 to 17 year olds, how many studies are done on selling 18r dvd's to under 17 year olds? you can join the army at 16 but god forbid you play an 18 rated video game.

people who conduct these studies obviously have no sense of perception or common sense, what a complete waste of money and effort, no I can hardly see a shop selling manhunt to a 10 year old kid, a16 year old kid yeh probably, so they discover this and publish in a report a child was sold manhunt and the dailymail has an orgasm and prints horror stories again......my advice is NOTHING should be done, and no more reports should be written, teenagers have been buying or getting mates to buy beer and fags for ages. doing studies aint going to help anyone but those who conduct these reports and have their own agenda. how many people here watched a freddy kruger flim when they were under 18??? lets do a study on that and find 99% of the population did also....and that helps who?