The Federal Trade Commission reported Thursday that unauthorized video game sales of Mature-rated titles declined from last year due to stronger enforcement efforts by retailers. Still, the undercover investigation found massive room for improvement as nearly a majority of video game specialty stores (42%) improperly sold M-rated games to minors. The good news: that’s down from 69% in 2003, the last time the survey was conducted.
Surprisingly, national retail chains were more likely than the specialty stores to enforce the restrictions. 35% of national chains sold M-rated content improperly to minors. The worst culprits: 63% of regional and local sellers. Half of all the stores surveyed also asked the child’s age when they tried to make a purchase, an increase from 24 percent in 2003. This news comes on the heels of Congressional and state action against violent video games. We’ll continue to keep you informed on this ongoing issue.
