Limitcast Episode 35 - The Great FFXIII Debate
Gamer Limit Review: Final Fantasy XIII
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Gamer Limit Review: Mega Man 10
An undercover operation conducted by a British Trading Standards agency has exposed a number of video game retailers selling 18-rated games to minors. According to Dundee council, out of sixteen retailers visited by a covert 14 year-old volunteer, twelve were perfectly happy to sell them the titles without any form of questioning.
The project, commencing last week, is designed to examine the extent to which certificates affect buying patterns and how retailers themselves react to the laws put into place – obviously not a great start for video game retail. Not a great start at all.
Although the twelve shops in question have yet to be named, the Trading Standards agency did provide the names of those who passed the test – Gamestation, GAME, PC World and WH Smith – not that actually abiding by the laws put into place should be seen as any kind of achievement.
This news should only put further, more intense pressure on retailers to prevent these adult-rated games from falling into the hands of children, if only so the industry can have a leg to stand on when it comes to the constant barrage of ”games make kids violent” arguments that we are currently witnessing.
Source: MCV UK
This happens everywhere. The only retail chain I’ve ever purchased games from that has consistently asked me for identification to confirm my age has been GameStop. Granted I am 20-years old, but this goes back to when I was 15 and 16 as well, when I first started gaming hardcore.
Wow, it sounds like they really need to pick it up over there. I was carded all the way up to around age 21 for M rated games.
@Tim
Really? I was never carded in my life for a game where I lived.
I never got carded….I always bought at Walmart though until I moved into a big city w/ a Gamestop.
The Gamestop where I like always asks for proof of age when buying an 18+
It’s even more difficult to govern when parents buy the games for their young children, which happens all the time in my local Game store.
Just bought an 18 and got ID’d today, being 23 wasn’t entirely overwhelmed at it, but I guess getting old I have to take comfort in being mistaken for a youth.
Wal-mart’s and Gamestops have always asked for my ID. Its said to see so many chains tarnish the video game retail’s image.