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Parents Ignore Age Ratings?

Posted by Zonk on from the pay-attention! dept.

GamesIndustry.biz has news of a ELSPA-funded research project that indicates that parents do not pay attention to ratings when purchasing games. From the article: "According to Freund, the study found a high awareness of the existence of videogame age ratings both among young gamers and among their parents - but parents tend to 'divorce themselves' from active involvement in deciding what their children play."

2 of 75 comments (clear)

  1. In Australia... by trawg · · Score: 4, Informative

    ... the OFLC (Office of Film and Literature Classification) has just changed the classification markings system for games and movies - they now both use the same markings and have the same rating systems (though video games don't have a 'restricted' rating yet, which means anything harsher than an MA15+ gets refused classification - but that's a whole different kettle of fish).

    Part of the reason for doing this was to make it more obvious for parents when buying games for their kids that they might not be suitable. I guess its for those stupid parents that don't actually excercise critical thinking when they pick up a box of Deathstalker V: The Bloodening. Now they can clearly see its got a red sticker on it and will (theoretically) be more inclined to realise that it is Bad For Kids, because they remember that the red sticker is for grown-ups, because they saw it at the movies.

    I think its a good idea and hopefully those parents that would otherwise blindly buy their kids unsuitable titles will think about it a little bit more.

  2. The usual senario... by MagicDude · · Score: 4, Informative

    Scene: Mother walking through Wal-Mart with 1-3 eight year old brats in tow.

    "Mommy, buy me this" "No"
    "Mommy, buy me this" "No"
    "Mommy, buy me this" "No"
    "Mommy, buy me this" "No"
    "Mommy, buy me this" "No"
    "Mommy, buy me this" "No"
    "Mommy, buy me this" "No"
    "Mommy, buy me this" "No"
    "Mommy, buy me this" "OK!! OK!! Just STFU!!" (Que other shop patrons looking agast at loud use of foul language.)

    Checkout Clerk - "Ma'am, do you know that Grand Theft Auto 3 is a mature rated game, more suitable for kids in their mid to late teens?"
    Mother - "Whatever, as long as they aren't having sex with hookers and then beating the hookers up, it's fine"
    Checkout Clerk - "Well, actually, you..."
    Mother (interupting) - "Tyler, put that lamp down this instant" (runs off with merchandise).