The Federal Trade Commission has released the results of its latest nationwide undercover shop of electronic and video game stores. The FTC conducted the shop to collect data on the extent to which retailers prevent children from buying video games that have been rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) as Mature. The FTC also announced a second comment period for an upcoming survey on awareness of and attitudes towards ESRB ratings.
The undercover shop saw a decrease in the number of M-Rated (for Mature) video games sold to unaccompanied children. Video games rated "M" by the ESRB contain content appropriate for those 17 and older. Forty-two percent of the secret shoppers, children between the ages of 13 and 16, who attempted to buy an M-rated video game without a parent were able to purchase one. In the 2003 shop, 69 percent of the shoppers were able to buy one. National sellers were much more likely to restrict sales of M-rated games. Only 35 percent of the secret shoppers were able to purchase such games there. Regional or local sellers sold M-rated games to the shoppers more frequently 63 percent of the time. The shop also marked other improvements by retailers, compared with results from the previous undercover shops by the FTC.
Nationwide Undercover Survey Results:
Was the shopper able to buy the M-rated video game? (Percent Yes)
2000 | 2001 | 2003 | 2005 |
85% | 78% | 69% | 42% |
Did the electronic game store provide information about ratings or ratings enforcement?
(Percent Yes)
2000 | 2001 | 2003 | 2005 |
12% | 26% | 27% | 44% |
Did the cashier or clerk ask the child’s age? (Percent Yes)
2000 | 2001 | 2003 | 2005 |
15% | 21% | 24% | 50% |
2005 Survey Results for National and Local and Regional Retailers (Percent Yes)
| Able to Buy an | Information Posted | Asked Their Age |
National | 35% | 51% | 55% |
Local and Regional | 63% | 23% | 35% |
The shop, conducted between October 2005 and January 2006, involved 406 stores in 43 states selling electronic or video games. Three hundred and six of the stores were national retailers, while the other 100 were local and regional sellers.
The undercover shop is the fourth conducted in connection with the Commission’s reports on the marketing of violent entertainment media to children. The Commission plans to conduct another undercover shop later this year to test whether young shoppers are able to buy tickets to R-rated films at movie theaters, R-rated movies on DVD, explicit-content labeled music recordings, and M-rated video games.
Tech Tags: video+game, FTC, M, ERSB
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