Teen informants sold *GASP* M-rated games!
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Nov 30th 2006 at 9:25PM }
For a fourth straight year Washington state Representative Mary Lou Dickerson sent out her teenage cronies to elicit sales of M-rated games to minors. Not surprisingly, 8 out of 11 (unnamed) retailers sold mature titles to the teens*.Dickerson was also shocked to discover that most retailers were ignoring a new law that she helped pass, which calls on stores to display ratings information. The undercover shoppers only found ratings signs in two of the retail locations they hit up. Best get that whip crackin' Mary Lou.
*We're assuming that the "guilty" parties were specialty retailers, the group which received an 'F' on this year's National Institute on Media and the Family's annual video game report card. More here.
Dickerson in the news:
House Bill 2178 is toilet paper
The Political Game: A brief history of video game legislation
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
jgrey @ Nov 30th 2006 9:32PM
Lower the coming of age to teens i.e. 13. That should solve many of today's problems.
FatalFlak @ Nov 30th 2006 9:34PM
Not a big surprise. I know of many convenience stores which sell alchohol and cigarettes to minors, and rental establishments which rent pornography to minors. It's never a good idea to leave it up to retailers to protect your kids from exposure to these things, the best thing is for parents to understand the ratings and keep a keep an eye on your kids every now and then.
otakucode @ Nov 30th 2006 9:50PM
Aaaaaaand there is still no scientific evidence kids suffer absolutely anything at all negative from playing M rated games, but the idiocy of age discrimination in the games industry rolls on...
Cabcru @ Nov 30th 2006 9:45PM
The worse thing about all this is it'll be the developers who get it in the neck. "Retailers are brainless so you'll have to censor everything you produce!"
Minimoni @ Nov 30th 2006 9:56PM
How hard is it for retailers to just not sell M rated games to minors? Jesus christ.
Sub @ Nov 30th 2006 10:02PM
Wow, teens actually told that lady about this? If I was one of the kids sent in there, I'd lie my face off. But hey, I'm a gamer...
Raz 4 life @ Nov 30th 2006 10:03PM
Is it actually illegal to sell M-rated games to those younger than 17?
ts8lemonade @ Nov 30th 2006 10:10PM
@ 5, the reason I (I work at Gamestop) and many other people will sell an M rated game to anyone is because we don't care. I don't think it causes them any harm and I don't see any reason not to sell it to them.
Alex @ Nov 30th 2006 10:14PM
how the hell do they get away with this? When i bought Dead Rising, i got carded four times in one day, ounce at walmart, twice at best buy, and at a local k-mart. i finally just had an 17-year old friend buy it for me.
Xiath @ Nov 30th 2006 10:19PM
ts8lemonade, it's employees like you, who I love. Back when I was 16 I went to my local gamestop to pick up an M rated game and got carded, went across the street to the EB games in the mall and picked it up with out a single question asked. The guy working their literately said "You guys look 18" and then gave us the game.
Thunder Fist @ Nov 30th 2006 10:21PM
Heh, in Australia, it's only illegal to sell MA rated games to people under 15, and even then I've only ever seen 1 person get carded. Mind you, this was an 8 year old trying to buy GTA: SA...
jgrey @ Nov 30th 2006 10:24PM
If they are serious about solving this, they have to do what UK did with selling alcohol.
In the UK, there was a period of time when those working at a cash till was PERSONALLY prosecuted for selling alcohol to minors. Since then, everyone working in a supermarket are jittery about selling alcohol to anyone who look remotely like un-adult.
Now most supermarkets ask you for an ID if you don't look adult beyond resonable doubt.
AssemblyLineHuman @ Nov 30th 2006 10:25PM
No, it's not actually illegal to sell M-rated games to minors. You could sell one to a toddler and be a-okay legally. Joystiq was using that thing you call "sarcasm."
AssemblyLineHuman @ Nov 30th 2006 10:28PM
jgrey: Unfortunately, America has this whole crazy "Constitution" thing those nutty forefathers thought up a few hundred years ago. Because of that blasted document, our government is helpless when it comes to protecting the American public from the dangers of free expression!
Scott Krueger @ Nov 30th 2006 10:57PM
I'll bet ya that those politician kids get in more trouble than kids playing violent video games. Video Games & Movies don't make bad kids, Parents do.
I allow my son to play any game as long as it doesn't contain nudity. He gets straight A's. I play many of the games with him.
There is the Difference, I spend time with my Kids. I bet the politicians hardly ever see their future murders... I mean Kids.
Splinter @ Nov 30th 2006 11:00PM
Lol, this is funny 2 me cus i am a teenager who lives in Washington, and i have been buying M games since i was 12.
My first was Prince of Persia: Warrior Within.
Raz 4 life @ Nov 30th 2006 11:06PM
Well I see the problem now. My sarcasm detector came unplugged!
Thrall @ Nov 30th 2006 11:45PM
Scott Krueger: It's people like you in America that make me scared. "I allow my son to play any game as long as it doesn't contain nudity."
Personally I love any kind of video game, but if I were a parent I would rather my kid see some boobies than a man being gutted. But most likely, I would let my kid see both. we have free expression in this country, as long as the game has some sort of purpose or plot I support it.
Most Americans hate nudity, but love violence. What the fuck is up with that? The human body is something to be embraced, you don't see cows wearing clothes.
Kincyr @ Nov 30th 2006 11:51PM
EB Gamestop carded me whenever I bought an 'M' rated game (this was after I turned 17 btw, the first 'M' game I bought was for the GC and that wasn't out until I was 17) yet I never got carded when going into an 'R' rated movie
Fish @ Nov 30th 2006 11:56PM
Mindless Self Indulgence said it best:
"A warning for those of you lazy self absorbed and/or just plain inattentive parents: All the censorship in the world won't make up for bad parenting. If your child is more influenced by our music than by Mommy & Daddy, both you and your offspring have much bigger problems than our lyrics. So before you go hauling us or any other artist into court, look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself if you did the best you could, because if you're considering taking us to court, you didn't."
trentasaurus @ Nov 30th 2006 11:59PM
Assembly line human:
thank you. most people don't seem to understand this whole "freedom" thing.
Earl @ Dec 1st 2006 12:18AM
This is a huge issue in this country: the lack of accountability. If you don't want your kids playing "M" rated games, don't give them money to buy one! If they are 16 with a job and own money? Keep an eye on what games they play every now and then. In other words: don't stop being a parent just because the government has decided to take over part of your job!
Seriously, my Mother raised in a way that for some reason or another I understood the difference between real life and Wolfenstein 3D. This is the first game I remember playing that would have been rated "M," before the rating system. It is retarded to blame another medium for bad/lacking parenting. Remember when Marilyn Manson was the cause of Columbine? Then it was video games? Then we found out the parents had no clue what their kids were doing...
Seriously America, get a f***ing reality check! Stop expecting the government to raise your kids!
Maniaco @ Dec 1st 2006 12:39AM
Reminds me of, you can work in a store be underage and sell alcool and cigarettes, but you can't buy any...and!
You can't buy a lighter in a store if your not 18, but you can drive a car at 16 with a lighter in it...you can even make sex in the car but can't buy a porn.
I'm all the way with #22 Earl...
ill trooper @ Dec 1st 2006 12:39AM
STOP SNITCHING
CakeOrDeath @ Dec 1st 2006 4:04AM
If you sell an age rated product to someone under age in the UK you can get fined up to £5,000.
Anonymouse Rep @ Dec 1st 2006 7:55AM
As mentioned above, it is NOT actually illegal (at this time) to sell M rated games to teenagers. It is, however, the responsibility of the parent to see what's going on with their kids - and then you see how much hell is raised when someone pulls something sneaky like the article mentions.
As an example of (reasonably) responsible parenting, I was in a store yesterday and a mother had her 13 year old sons Christmas list. The kid had probably 20 Xbox 360 games on it. In glancing at the list, I could see at least one game that wasn't appropriate for a 13 year old - Saints Row. I asked her how she (the Mom) felt about dungeon games, and recommended another one on the list, which IS (technically) M rated - Oblivion.
She (the Mom) said that dungeon hacking and slashing is fine with her, and even some minor nudity, since the kids end up seeing that all the time anyway. She did not, however, feel that it was right for her son to be exposed to the language and culture of Saints Row at this age. As she said, when he's 17 or 18, if he wants to buy it then, he's a big boy. At 13, he's not.
Jabrwock @ Dec 1st 2006 10:33AM
I'm not entirely sure how her signage bill is supposed to be enforced. I mean technically it's compelled speech, which is unconstitutional. The ESA might not fight it because they ask retailers to post it anyway, but I can see a specialty retailer getting the law overturned the minute they get a fine.
Vini @ Dec 1st 2006 7:35PM
I'm 14 and I hate it hoe some retailers don't sell M rated games for teenagers. One time I went to GaemStop to buy GTA Liberty City Stories for the PSP and they didn't allow me, I got so pissed, they said you needed parents permission bla blah blah. I get A's in High School, 'm a good kid, and I was never violent. But my parents get mad at me when I play Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, or GTA on my PS2.