Video Game Report Card: Big Retailers Get "A," Specialty Stores "F"

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 30, 2006 - 3:09pm.

Washington - The National Institute on Media and the Family (NIMF) has released its annual "Video Game Report Card," giving large retail stores like Wal-Mart and Best Buy an "A" grade for enforcing video game ratings, while specialty retailers -- which include stores like GameStop and Electronics Boutique -- were given a failing grade.

The NIMF conducts "sting" operations where children under 17 are sent to stores to purchase "M"-rated games, finding this year that large retailers prevented sales on every attempt, while specialty stores "seem more interested in making money than anything else."

The report card gave console makers an "A" for including parental control features on new consoles. Parental were given an "Incomplete" grade, for inadequate involvement in video game buying choices.

"While retailers like Target and Best Buy and game console manufacturers like Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo have made great strides in educating parents on the rating system and installing parental controls on their products, many parents have not followed or used these tools to prevent their kids from playing inappropriate video games," said NIMP president and founder David Walsh.

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http://www.mediafamily.org