Comment From Inside the Game Sales Industry (Score 1) 341
I work for an unnamed company that is merging with GameStop very soon. I also am a manager that has to sell these games on a daily basis. Here Is scenarios of what I go through all day long. (Note our company has had a policy of no M rated games sold to under 17 on penalty of termination for quite some time).
10 Year-old child brings up a copy of Grand theft Auto (any version). I Want to buy this, the child states. I reply, Do you have a parent with you? One second s/he is out in the car.
Adult (not nessesarrily parent) walks in annoyed that they have to enter our store. What game did you want? they ask the child. This one! This one!
Sir/Ma'am just so you know this game is rated M for Graphic violence, offensive language, Sexual situations, blood & gore, and is not appropriete for most minors.
Responses: 90% s/he has played games like these before, or has seen worse on T.V.
8% Thanks, I'll make decisions about what my child should be seeing.
2% Really... No you aren't getting this game.
Over any given day I could expect to have at least 10 -30 of conversations like this in an 8 hour shift. Note we are open 10 - 9pm and I'm in an hour early to open.
Another scenario:
The 16 year old goes out gets one of his 18 year old buddies who comes in gets id'd and buy the game. No sooner than the sale is done he give the game and the change to his younger counterpart. Since the person we sold the game to was of age there isn't a damn thing I can do about it except ask them to leave.
It gets worse when I have parents of one of the kid's friends vouching for one that isnt their child and then getting the game. We then see the parent come back in 22% of the time screaming about how we could sell crud like this to their impressionable youth.
A law like this...
All its going to do is make it a gamble for retailers to sell games to anyone.
10 Year-old child brings up a copy of Grand theft Auto (any version). I Want to buy this, the child states. I reply, Do you have a parent with you? One second s/he is out in the car.
Adult (not nessesarrily parent) walks in annoyed that they have to enter our store. What game did you want? they ask the child. This one! This one!
Sir/Ma'am just so you know this game is rated M for Graphic violence, offensive language, Sexual situations, blood & gore, and is not appropriete for most minors.
Responses: 90% s/he has played games like these before, or has seen worse on T.V.
8% Thanks, I'll make decisions about what my child should be seeing.
2% Really... No you aren't getting this game.
Over any given day I could expect to have at least 10 -30 of conversations like this in an 8 hour shift. Note we are open 10 - 9pm and I'm in an hour early to open.
Another scenario:
The 16 year old goes out gets one of his 18 year old buddies who comes in gets id'd and buy the game. No sooner than the sale is done he give the game and the change to his younger counterpart. Since the person we sold the game to was of age there isn't a damn thing I can do about it except ask them to leave.
It gets worse when I have parents of one of the kid's friends vouching for one that isnt their child and then getting the game. We then see the parent come back in 22% of the time screaming about how we could sell crud like this to their impressionable youth.
A law like this...
All its going to do is make it a gamble for retailers to sell games to anyone.
