Half as many kids purchasing M-rated games in 2008
Category: Industry, Posted: 05/08/2008 at 10:49AM CDT by Eddie Inzauto, Senior Writer
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has just published the results of a study that shows a 22% decrease in underage purchases of M-rated videogames in 2008. With the recent release of everyone's favorite whipping boy, Grand Theft Auto 4, videogames have been under particularly heavy fire from the mainstream media as of late, so this report comes as great news for the industry.
Only 20% of the FTC's secret shoppers were successful in purchasing M-rated games this year, compared to 42% in 2006, and 69% in 2003. Of all of the retailers surveyed, Game Stop/EB Games performed best, turning away a praiseworthy 94% of shoppers. Walmart stopped 82% from making purchases, followed by Best Buy with an 80% rejection rate.
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The study encompassed a variety of rated material, including R- and unrated movie tickets and DVDs. Of all media types, only R-rated DVDs showed as steep a decline in underage purchases as videogames. The following chart presents a full breakdown:
[via ftc.gov]
- Persona 3 FES 05/14/2008
- The World Ends With You 05/12/2008
- Grand Theft Auto IV 05/11/2008
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- Mario Kart Wii 04/25/2008
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I've been carded almost every time I've bought an M rated game from Best Buy, and I'm 21.
I just turned 17, but the guy still tells my mom everything in the game and asks if I am allowed to buy it.
We can lose our jobs and at the same time cause our managers to get fired if M rated games are sold at GameStop. I'm not surprised the percentage is so low, GS is extremely strict about this issue.
Blockbuster ftw, they don't give a crap (or at least the employees don't)