NASHVILLE — Video game retailers sold mature-rated video games to minors 36 percent of the time, according to a study by the Parents Television Council (PTC) to determine whether age restriction policies were being enforced.
When a woman confronted a comics store manager with the news that his store had sold an M-rated game to a 12-year-old, the manager replied, “Lady, do you have any idea how many kids we have in here every day buying games? Do you think we have the time to look at each and every purchase?”
Tim Winter, president of the PTC, said the study shows retailers are failing to prevent children from purchasing violent and sexually graphic video games at least one-third of the time.
“Any failure rate is problematic, but the failure rate we’re seeing is downright pathetic,” Winter said. “Similar to age restrictions on alcohol, tobacco, pornography and other products that are potentially harmful to children, parents deserve a reasonable expectation that age restrictions for adult entertainment products will be enforced at the retail level.”
The study, conducted mainly since May, followed a study released that month by the Federal Trade Commission. That study found that retailers sold M-rated video games to minors 20 percent of the time.
Children who participated in the study were instructed to enter the store, find an M-rated game and attempt to purchase it with cash, PTC said, though, they were instructed not to lie or misrepresent themselves. When games were purchased, the adult who had waited outside the store would return the game and ask for a refund.
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