Guidelines presented to retailers of video games

NEW YORK — Religious advocates of corporate responsibility have developed guidelines to help major retailers steer children away from video games containing violence, racist content and sexual themes. Working with companies such as Best Buy, Target, Wal-Mart and Circuit City, the New York-based Christian Brothers Investment Services, which promotes socially responsible and ethical investing, condensed the most effective practices of each corporation into a set of guidelines. The group released its guidelines Dec. 13 in conjunction with other members of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility. In an effort to keep minors away from video games rated “Mature” (M), the coalition is, among other things:

• Urging retailers to post video game sales policies prominently in stores and online.
• Training employees on the video games sales policy.
• Asking retailers to separate M-rated from youth-oriented games.