The Federal Trade Commission has conducted an undercover shopper study and found that 87% of attempted purchases of Mature-rated games by children under the age of 17 were prevented. The statistic marks "an all-time high" in the video game industry, blasting past other entertainment including music labeled with a Parental Advisory, R-rated movie tickets, and R-rated (and up) DVDs.
It's good to know the ESRB is doing it's job, but I have to hand it to the people on the front lines. I visited my local Gamestop the other day and watched an employee do his job and warn a parent about the violent content in Grand Theft Auto IV, all while the parent impatiently tapped their foot and repeatedly said they didn't care.
Michael Gallagher, president of the Entertainment Software Association said that "The ESRB is the gold standard in entertainment ratings," and that "this is the fourth report that has video game retailers performing the best in this important category." I sure hope people stop pointing the finger at video games, a constitutionally protected art form, and start looking at themselves.
