Today’s [unsarcastic] You Win award goes out to the United States retailers who have been selling the controversial Grand Theft Auto IV since its release back in April. These establishments have been very successful at following the proper procedures for keeping the game’s adult content out of the hands of underage gamers.
A recent study by Nielson Media Research indicates that as many as 17% of GTAIV‘s audience is under the age of 17 — the cut-off for the ESRB’s "M" rating. That’s what most headlines read, but the fine print indicates that it was only 61% of the 17% who were actually able to purchase the game on their own, without the help of parents, siblings, or other relatives.
Not including the underage gamers who received the game from those people who are supposed to protect them the most diligently, just 10% of GTA "purchasers" were below the 17-year-old threshold, which is the same as saying that 90% were of appropriate age.
That 90% looks pretty good to me, and lines up nicely with previously released FTC data, regardless of the angle at which most news outlets may prefer to slant the numbers. For that, U.S. retailers get the "Social Responsibility" Award.
[Eddie Inzauto]
