My EB Games was not IDing for GTA 4 *at all*

[Nephlabobo]

Bought mine at the EB Games in Oshawa. I know for a fact they sold it to underage gamers because the guy beside me was 16 - his 17th bday was two months away.

Anybody get denied?

[QiG]

They must have (wrongly) assumed that anyone at a midnight launch was of age to be there to buy it. Around here we have curfew laws anyway. (I think minors are supposed to be home by 12am).

[johnnypark]

I'd report it. Some people might think it's a shitty thing to do, but with all the controversy and effort to actually enforce ratings, it's pretty awful that they wouldn't. Maybe someone who's almost 17 would be fine, but I wouldn't want a 13 year old playing GTA4 (IE like if I had a son).

www.tellgamestop.com :)

[StrandedBrit]

I got carded twice. Once on preorder and once picking up, @ midnight too. And I'm older than dirt too!

[lbradeen]

I wouldn't report it, don't want to get anyone in trouble and it's the kids parents responsibility to enforce that sort of crap.

[punkmaggit]

Report it. If I were a parent (wait, I am) ...if my child were old enough to independently go out and buy their own stuff, I'd want to be aware of what they were buying. Of course, by the age of 16/17 they should be mature enough to handle GTAIV. <15, I think I would mind.

[necrojustice]

This is obviously a must play game, but not for someone under 17 imo...and apparently many other's opinion.

[munch]

I think it's pretty shitty that gamestop sells a game like this to anyone under 17.

[PenguinMaster]

Were there people under 16 there? I'm curious as to how kids who can't drive are getting over to EB at midnight. I personally don't see anything wrong with 16 year olds buying it. I personally have been playing M-rated games since I was 6 and I got GTA3 when I was 13.

[Nephlabobo]

Were there people under 16 there? I'm curious as to how kids who can't drive are getting over to EB at midnight. I personally don't see anything wrong with 16 year olds buying it. I personally have been playing M-rated games since I was 6 and I got GTA3 when I was 13.

Wasn't at midnight - was this morning at 8am.

[Plinko]

I'd report it. Some people might think it's a shitty thing to do, but with all the controversy and effort to actually enforce ratings, it's pretty awful that they wouldn't. Maybe someone who's almost 17 would be fine, but I wouldn't want a 13 year old playing GTA4 (IE like if I had a son).

www.tellgamestop.com (http://www.tellgamestop.com) :)

Agreed. I'd have been on the phone immediately after I left.

[Arakias]

I think it was funny in the IGN review it said like most multiplayer games its best enjoyed drunk (or something to that extent). i wonder if reviews need to have a ratings level. No 13 year old should read that review and be like, damn! i need to drink so i can truly enjoy this game.

[Hockey37]

I'd report it. Some people might think it's a shitty thing to do, but with all the controversy and effort to actually enforce ratings, it's pretty awful that they wouldn't. Maybe someone who's almost 17 would be fine, but I wouldn't want a 13 year old playing GTA4 (IE like if I had a son).

www.tellgamestop.com (http://www.tellgamestop.com) :)


+1

[lbradeen]

Seeing as game ratings are intended to guide parents and are not the bases of a legal requirement I see no reason to complain. I was shocked when I went in yesterday and a mother was placing a GTA IV preorder for her 13 yr old son but I don't believe that retail employees should be in charge of imposing moral values on people.

If you don't want your kid playing the game then don't let them buy it and if they do then take it away from them. I told my parents not to buy the game for my younger (13yr old) brother because it's definitely inappropriate for his age but if he were to scrounge up the $63 to buy it himself i sure wouldn't be pissed at the retail employee.

[DestroVega]

Holy Shit!! call 911!

[prmononoke]

It's not the law, don't report it.

[InuFaye]

OMG, GTA4 WAS SOLD WITHOUT ID!!!!!!!!!!!

:whee::whee::whee::whee::whee::whee::whee::whee:

So what don't be a dick about it. Its just a game.

[depascal22]

You shouldn't report the store. You should report their parents for letting their kids be there at midnight. It was a school night after all. I know my daughter won't be anywhere but home at midnight of any school night. Well, at least until she's old enough to work and then that's the ONLY reason she'll be out that late.

You guys are acting like you never played a M rated game, saw a rated R movie, or listened to an album with explicit lyrics before the age of 17. Is it still that big of a deal?

[The Mana Knight]

Just hope Jack Thompson doesn't hear about this. ;)

IMO, they should card people because I do believe in not selling M-rated games to those under the age of 17, but that's just me. If parents are okay with it, then it's cool.

[Blackout]

At the GS I went to they carded you when you prepaid and carded everyone when they picked up the game. The cops did show up around midnight so I guess they really didn't have a choice. Cops were on the prowl for minors I guess.

[zenprime]

Personally I wish they wouldn't sell M-rated games to underage kids. Not that their should be any law on the books, but that the retailers and the industry would self regulate on this issue to make sure some very restrictive law doesn't come into practice.

[DX]

Personally I wish they wouldn't sell M-rated games to underage kids. Not that their should be any law on the books, but that the retailers and the industry would self regulate on this issue to make sure some very restrictive law doesn't come into practice.

I agree 100%.

I like the stores whose registers prompt for ID with M rated games. I like this idea because I cant tell you how many times I have had a parent/grandparent come in to buy their kid an M rated game and when I explain the ESRB logo they are in shock. Of course the child forgot to mention that small part.

The bulk of these issues are still bad parenting. I myself bought GTA4 last night and have two small children. They will NOT be watching me play this game. Not because of the violence but because I dont want them repeating what they hear.

[Will]

Id report it. Its stuff like that, that gets this shit into the hands of kids that dont need to be getting it and god knows the parents that dont watch wtf their kids are doing will be the first in line to bitch about the content of games etc etc and make things worse for responsible gamers.

[ajumbaje]

This is obviously a must play game, but not for someone under 17 imo...and apparently many other's opinion.

yea, with you there, its also one of those games you dont want to see a young kid watch you play because its then "ooh, can i play it?" then whatever ensues

[anomynous]

So?

It's a game, and you think that a 16 year old buying the game is horrible? The rating should be 16+ anyway

[rainking187]

So?

It's a game, and you think that a 16 year old buying the game is horrible? The rating should be 16+ anyway

Yeah, I always thought the rating should be more like 15 or 16+. Really what's the big deal? "A sixteen year old playing a game rated 17+? Next thing you know people under 18 will be looking at porn!"

[Fatso2027]

Yeah, I always thought the rating should be more like 15 or 16+. Really what's the big deal? "A sixteen year old playing a game rated 17+? Next thing you know people under 18 will be looking at porn!"
Wait, people under 18 don't watch pron??!!?!?!

[sp00ge]

I agree 100%.

I like the stores whose registers prompt for ID with M rated games. I like this idea because I cant tell you how many times I have had a parent/grandparent come in to buy their kid an M rated game and when I explain the ESRB logo they are in shock. Of course the child forgot to mention that small part.

The bulk of these issues are still bad parenting. I myself bought GTA4 last night and have two small children. They will NOT be watching me play this game. Not because of the violence but because I dont want them repeating what they hear.

Same here. That's the reason I bought mine at midnight, so I'd be able to play it right away. Had I waited to get it until this morning, I would have had to wait until Rachael goes to bed to start it up.

I was able to get a few hours in, and now I'm waiting until bedtime to start it up again. But my reason isn't so much the violence, but the language. She's just now getting to the talking stages, and all we'd need is for her to spout an f-bomb at her birthday party.

But back on topic, Gamestop should have carded. I'd report it. But it should also be on the parents for letting their kid go out that late.

[Samus]

I don't think it's that big of a deal. That may be because I'm 14 - but I play Metal Gear Solid and Grand Theft Auto and thoroughly enjoy it without thinking I'm a gangster/soldier. I'm old enough to know not to go dropping f-bombs in front of adults (not that I swear for the most part when adults aren't around anyway), and it's not like I don't hear this stuff every day in school. The violence is one thing, but as long as you don't have your head not up in space I don't see a problem with it (unless you're excessively playing violent games, that can take a toll on people). And the sexual content? Lol. GTA is milder than a lot of sitcoms.

I think that parents and adults overreact incredibly on these kind of things. There is a severe ignorance and prejudice revolving around games, and parents seem to think that if there kids play violent games they'll instantly gain 200 pounds, drop out of high school, and then go shoot people in school. Video games are the movies of today. Apparently watching hours and hours of T.V. is okay by a parent because they grew up on that, but playing video games is a lesser-activity (even though it is better for your mind in a lot more ways than movies).

[SaraAB]

16 is probably a more reasonable rating, but the rating is what it is and nothing will change that. They should card, but the only reason they should card is so the games industry doesn't get more heat for selling mature rated games, especially from the store that is supposedly the pinnacle of where gamers buy their games and a store that is dedicated to games and is a major player in the games industry. The last thing the games industry needs is more bad publicity.

[Theduck]

I was playing this game earlier and thought to myself, "this is some fucked up shit". As a parent, my kid would never get to play it untill 18.

[ItsTrueItsTrue92]

I let me 5 year old nephew play for a little bit. He ran around and beat up some guy on the street.

[Agent_BBJ]

I would report it. I hate going into gamestop and they are offering preorders of GTA and Metal Gear Solid to 10-12 year olds. This drives me bat shit crazy. Those kids are there by themselves (which is bad parenting) because the borders is right next to gamestop. I am not a parent yet but hope to be one on day and I would not want some guy offering my kid GTA. I love the game and I would probably get it for them if they were 16 but I have seen the preorder shit to little kids to much. Parents need to watch what there kids are playing but fi we do not want certain games banned like in other countries. Retailers need to go by the rating system. Even if game industry wants to be a respected media like books, music , or movies. They need to follow the rating system. Then there would be less shocked parents because the kid would not be able to take the game home in the first place. Then instead of going after the people who created the games, they can go after the retailer that sold it to there kid. Sorry for my long windedness, these issues really push my buttons.

[dtcarson]

The only way for a "voluntary" system like the ESRB ratings to work--and keep meddlesome dogooders/controllers like Jack Thompson and Hillary Clinton (it's not just the 'extreme fundamentalist right wing" who wants to tell you how to raise your kids, don't forget "it Takes a Village" and the PMRC)--is for the participants to do what they say they will do. (Personally as a gamer and a parent, I would have no problem with stores being fined by the state for selling M games to underage kids).
Anyway, I bought the SE today at Circuit City--and I got carded. I'm 35.

Parents do need to involve themselves. However, they also don't, can't and shouldn't watch their kids (older kids) every second of every day, and if they educate themselves as to the ratings, and hear "We the industry support you as the parent", that parent wants to know the store won't sell the M-rated game to his 12 year old kid; if the voluntary method isn't enough, that's how the politicians get involved.

I did watch TV as a kid, and played video games (my first all nighter was Defender on the 2600). But I also stayed out till ten at night sometimes running around playing with the kids in the neighbourhood, so it balanced out. Kids--and adults--definitely lead a more sedentary life nowadays, and video games are a part of that (though not the only, nor necessarily the main, part).

I don't think it's bad parenting, necessarily--I think it's mostly ignorant parenting. Which is not the same thing, and ignorant in this case does not necessarily have a negative connotation. Many parents above, say, 35 or 40, still think of video games as Pac-Man and Donkey Kong, which are a far cry from GTA.

Anyway, I got it today, and the "tone" of the game appeals to me a lot more than GTA III did. I like the fact that Niko isn't a straight out bad guy (so far), and while it's violent, the rampant language and sexual comments are much more obvious to me (though I haven't encountered any actual sexual content yet). Definitely a "after the kid goes to bed" game.....like Bioshock, Crackdown, and many other games I have that I don't want him experiencing. When he gets older, but still under the M limit, if there's a game that I think is suitable for him despite being M, I'll gladly buy it for him and play with him.

[reibeatall]

If you report it, you'll get that employee fired. I've had to let go one of my good employees because he was too busy checking out this girl's rack to check her ID. That dumb bastard.

Also, could somebody explain to me the logic that says somebody who's 16 years and 11 months isn't mature enough for this, but if they just turned 17 they are?

[GTzerO]

Oh wow.

As if some 12 year old couldn't pay some guy outside to get it for him. Underage kids will get these games no matter what. I know I've been playing GTA games since I was like 10-11, and it probably has fucked me up, but w/e. I haven't killed anyone.

[hostyl1]

A few comments:

1) I *personally* wouldn't have reported the store. I believe in personal responsibility so that if a kid got a game that their parent did not want them to have, it is up to the parent to do the 'parenting'. I have no idea if the kid was mature enough etc., so I'll leave it to the people best in position to know: the parents.

2) I can understand, though, why someone would report the store. After all, it *is* against GS policy to sell without proof of age, so the store did break (their own) rules.

[phear3d]

they sold to a minor, end of story. the ratings are there for a reason. its upto you OP, whether or not to report the incident or not. but if i witnessed that i would probably report them.

[dtcarson]

The same logic that says someone age 20 and 11 months can't buy a beer, but waiting 30 days and he's suddenly magically mature enough to be able to handle it (a proposition mostly proved wrong by any visit to a college bar).
If you're checking out a girl's rack, you'd *better* card her--make sure she's not like 12.

Of course kids can get these games anyway, just like they can get tobacco/alcohol even though that's illegal, just like people can murder even though that's illegal. That doesn't mean there shouldn't be obstacles/disincentives to those acts. Again, especially if the industry is using "stay off our back, we are handling it ourselves" as an argument.

[depascal22]

Wow. You guys have really gotten old. I'm sure none of you have ever driven while a "little" buzzed, had sex with a drunk girl, or smoked a little weed. You all are so high and mighty that you feel that you have to report a store for selling a M-rated videogame but are you all saints? Give me a break.

[bigdaddybruce44]

Here's the problem. When stuff like this happens, it gives ammo to the anti-game policies that we so loath. It allows politicians to get up on their soapbox and scream, "Kids are buying this game. We need to regulate this industry," completely ignoring the system that is in place, now.

[depascal22]

What have Jack Thompson and the rest of the game haters really done? Is GTAIV less violent than its predecessors? Did anyone have any problem buying the game? No. For all of Jack Thompson's rants, he's accomplished nothing. You guys get your panties in a bunch about that asshole but he does nothing but stir the pot and scare gamers into thinking their "rights" are going to be trampled on.

The same thing happened when 2 Live Crew and NWA started out. Are rap lyrics any less vulgar? Is it harder to buy a rap or metal album? No.

[javeryh]

Also, could somebody explain to me the logic that says somebody who's 16 years and 11 months isn't mature enough for this, but if they just turned 17 they are?

You've got to draw the line somewhere.

My GameStop was carding yesterday when I went to pick it up.

[untouchablemike]

The whole issue with me is that GameStop champions their enforcement of the Ratings system.

Report that shit.

[Derrick1979]

I was in a Gamestop yesterday and the Store Manager was getting bitched out from the District manager because they were not carding people for the game...

They should be careful that could rack up some fines

[xmrblondex]

It's not the law, don't report it.
This.

[hhhdx4]

A lot of the people here will make terrible parents.

[mitsu]

I work at Gamestop, I wasn't working the midnight launch but I was working yesterday when a lot of people were picking up their preorders. We were specifically told to card every single person that was picking up their game, for two reasons- to make sure people weren't under age, and to make sure people were picking up their own preorders. A lot of people were scamming in the area and "picking up for their friends."

[camoor]

Holy Shit!! call 911!

:applause:

[camoor]

A lot of the people here will make terrible parents.

Because we don't think some min-wage sales clerk should be punished for selling a violent video game to some rando's 17-year-old kid?

In one year that 17 year-old will be pressured by the govt to join the army and goto Iraq to fight, but he can't handle a videogame where you shoot guns and use cuss words?

Besides if you're a parent, you hear gunshots/screams coming from the game system and you don't bother checking it out then whose fault is it for letting the kid play the game.

[DX]

Because we don't think some min-wage sales clerk should be punished for selling a violent video game to some rando's 17-year-old kid?

In one year that 17 year-old will be pressured by the govt to join the army and goto Iraq to fight, but he can't handle a videogame where you shoot guns and use cuss words?

Besides if you're a parent, you hear gunshots/screams coming from the game system and you don't bother checking it out then whose fault is it for letting the kid play the game.

If it is store policy and they break said policy they deserve whatever punishment is applicable.

[bigdaddybruce44]

...some people here would make terrible adults...period...and if they are adults, well, we got problems.

[Sharp Katana]

I got carded twice. Once on preorder and once picking up, @ midnight too. And I'm older than dirt too!

haha i know how you feel. I'm nearly 21 and I get carded all the time *shrugs*. 90% of my games are rated M, I only remember not getting carded 2 times (DMC4 & House of the Dead)

[thetoxicone]

On the flip side of the non-carding issue, for some reason the clerk at Sears forced me to give my age when buying two clearance games rated E.

[Rozz]

I'd report it. Some people might think it's a shitty thing to do, but with all the controversy and effort to actually enforce ratings, it's pretty awful that they wouldn't. Maybe someone who's almost 17 would be fine, but I wouldn't want a 13 year old playing GTA4 (IE like if I had a son).

www.tellgamestop.com (http://www.tellgamestop.com) :)

I'm sure that any mature 13 year old won't have a problem playing this game. Only a moron, 13 or 32, would confuse GTA with reality. I think it's a lame thing to report this and that parents should play more of a role in kid's lives than just locking them in the room, playing 360 by themselves all day.

[hhhdx4]

Because we don't think some min-wage sales clerk should be punished for selling a violent video game to some rando's 17-year-old kid?

In one year that 17 year-old will be pressured by the govt to join the army and goto Iraq to fight, but he can't handle a videogame where you shoot guns and use cuss words?

Besides if you're a parent, you hear gunshots/screams coming from the game system and you don't bother checking it out then whose fault is it for letting the kid play the game.

...What in the great name of fuck are you talking about?


If someones not doing their job correctly and breaking company policy they deserve to be reprimanded, my god.

[Rozz]

...What in the great name of fuck are you talking about?


If someones not doing their job correctly and breaking company policy they deserve to be reprimanded, my god.

This is what happens (http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2008/04/28/0428macheteman.html) when you try to be the good guy.

[Slim Gatsby]

This is what happens (http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2008/04/28/0428macheteman.html) when you try to be the good guy.


No, that is what happens when you're dumb enough to call the police during a crime in progress, then interrupt said crime and tell the criminal "Hay I called teh copz LOL.

So, does that article actually have anything to do with the topic, or are you just posting non-sequiturs?

If there is a rating system, it should be enforced. And in my area, it is actually legally mandated (or so I've been told when carded by cashiers) that someone must be over the age of 17 to purchase an M-rated game.

[depascal22]

That has alot to do with the OP. Both are talking about reporting someone for a "crime" and getting attacked because of it.

You think that 17 year old kid you get fired is gonna be happy about it? Think there's a good chance he might figure out who sold him out for not IDing for GTAIV? That's a risk you take when you become the government's bitch.

I'm not condoning violence againts witnesses at all but I understand why it happens. I try not to put myself in a situation where something like that could happen but I sure as hell am not gonna waste my time reporting something that's not even against the law.

[unforeseen]

I feel disrespected when I get carded for buying mature games.

Now let me buy GTA: IV for the underage kids hanging outside the store smoking/drinking their way to oblivion.

[DrazenX]

is "getting carded" just being asked to show your id...

what happens if u dont have an id

do they kick you out, or call the police, or arrest you?

just wondering because i was thinking of biking to gamestop to pick up the game cuz my parents cant drive me there till the weekend

except now im scared to bike there

[bigdaddybruce44]

If you don't have an ID, they simply don't sell you the game.

[ItsTrueItsTrue92]

What is the point of reporting it? Whoever sold you the game didn't do anything to hurt you. The "crime" is already done. There is no point in being a snitch when there is nothing to gain from it.

[camoor]

What is the point of reporting it? Whoever sold you the game didn't do anything to hurt you. The "crime" is already done. There is no point in being a snitch when there is nothing to gain from it.

Apparently the reason is: store policy is store policy

I was just reading about this grad who asked his college newspaper to remove an online piece about a sophmore bar brawl because it was torpedoing his job interviews. Apparently the editor starts ranting about the first amendment, free speech, blah, blah, blah when all the guy was asking for was a favor so he could move on with his life.

I just love the rules is rules crowd :roll:

[hhhdx4]

What is the point of reporting it? Whoever sold you the game didn't do anything to hurt you. The "crime" is already done. There is no point in being a snitch when there is nothing to gain from it.


Or it forces the store to card.


Has anyone here had any responsibility of any kind ever?

[bigdaddybruce44]

Or it forces the store to card.


Has anyone here had any responsibility of any kind ever?

Good question.

[jennie25]

That has alot to do with the OP. Both are talking about reporting someone for a "crime" and getting attacked because of it.

You think that 17 year old kid you get fired is gonna be happy about it? Think there's a good chance he might figure out who sold him out for not IDing for GTAIV? That's a risk you take when you become the government's bitch.

I'm not condoning violence againts witnesses at all but I understand why it happens. I try not to put myself in a situation where something like that could happen but I sure as hell am not gonna waste my time reporting something that's not even against the law.


Ummmm... actually it is a crime in quite a few states and holds up to a 10,000 dollar fine, that is just so we are clear on that! I would report rapestop if I were the OP, not to be a snitch, but to make sure that gamestop had to pay the fine and the GM whom I am sure was there is forced to get screwed by it!

Good question.

I love this question! I am a server at two different resturaunts, and I LOVE carding people, and when I say people, I mean everyone, I don't give a crap if you are 80. Michigan state law says you have to show id when asked to buy alcohol, period, no ID, you don't drink, don't wanna show me, you don't drink, get mad and guess what, I won't serve you. I don't need you to go out smashed, get into a wreck and get me thrown in jail. I have had people get up and leave cuz I carded them. I have had people leave cuz they didn't expect to get carded but did and didn't have their ID and I won't serve them. It's the law in the end and one I do follow, cuz it's my ass on the line! Make sense,? and just so we are on the same page, I do it with a smile and love when people get mad, cuz if you don't tip me, someone else will make up for it, don't worry!

[depascal22]

Has anyone here had any responsibility of any kind ever?

Six year old daughter
Four years in the military
Ten years in various operating rooms and surgical facilities around the country

Yawn......go find another argument. Your preaching is beneath you.


Oh, and about making sure rapestop gets fined. Do you think that corporate will allow that to go against the bottom line? Nope, the manager and clerk probably get fired and certain things in that store get more expensive. Wanna buy something in the 2 for 1 sale? Sorry. This store isn't participating in that promotion. So who are you really screwing over?

Oh, and to top it off. There's not really a way you can compare IDing for alcohol and video games. One definately causes fatalities through drunken driving and domestic abuse. The other might (as in can't be proven) cause fatalities. Both are bad in the hands of retards but I'd much rather have an incident with a guy that's been playing GTA all day than a guy that's been drinking all day. See the difference?

[bigdaddybruce44]

Six year old daughter
Four years in the military
Ten years in various operating rooms and surgical facilities around the country

Yawn......go find another argument. Your preaching is beneath you.

Yawn...good for you. The guy was asking a rhetorical question. I seriously doubt he thought not, one single person had any responsibility. Did it make you feel good to list some stuff we have zero clue if it is true? And if what you you say is true (this is the internet, after all), then you should be ashamed to have such a carefree attitude, especially about rules and laws that have been set up to protect children...

Oh, and to top it off. There's not really a way you can compare IDing for alcohol and video games. One definately causes fatalities through drunken driving and domestic abuse. The other might (as in can't be proven) cause fatalities. Both are bad in the hands of retards but I'd much rather have an incident with a guy that's been playing GTA all day than a guy that's been drinking all day. See the difference?

So, because something is worse, then we should just ignore the other? So, if someone just maims you today on the street, we should let it slide? Because hell, he could have murdered you!

[depascal22]

Yawn...good for you. The guy was asking a rhetorical question. I seriously doubt he thought not, one single person had any responsibility. Did it make you feel good to list some stuff we have zero clue if it is true? And if what you you say is true (this is the internet, after all), then you should be ashamed to have such a carefree attitude, especially about rules and laws that have been set up to protect children...



So, because something is worse, then we should just ignore the other? So, if someone just maims you today on the street, we should let it slide? Because hell, he could have murdered you!

EDIT -- What law did I break concerning my daughter?? Are you just pulling more stuff out of your ass to make you look hard? EDIT


I'm not worried about protecting my daughter unless you're threatening. I've never hid the fact that I have a daughter. And I don't think you seriously want to go down that road.

Did it make me feel good to list a few things I've done? Not really. I'm just tired of you guys trying to preach down on the rest of us. I'm just saying you're no better than us.

And you're taking arguments to their absurdium infinitum. Let's compare selling video games to selling alcohol. That analogy has already been brought up. I never said manslaughter or assault and battery are OK. I just don't see the problem with a 16 year old kid playing GTA.

[hec204]

I am 17 years old, I was denied when I tried to purchase this game at 2 different gamestops because I didn't have "State or government issued ID" like a license, all I had was my school ID which doesn't have anything but my grade, so I didn't have a way to prove my age, so I just asked a friend that had a license to get it for me and low and behold, I had my game 5 minutes later, no matter what they do to enforce things like this, kids will always find a way around them.

[bigdaddybruce44]

EDIT -- What law did I break concerning my daughter?? Are you just pulling more stuff out of your ass to make you look hard? EDITLOL...do you know how to read? I hope I don't find you in any operating room I ever stumble into. I said you should be more concerned about the rules and laws that are set up to protect children...like how they aren't suppose to sell mature content to kids. I really don't know where you got the impression that I said anything about you breaking the law...nor do I understand how that would make me look "hard." I guess, that is the kind of thing you would do to look "hard."

I'm not worried about protecting my daughter unless you're threatening. I've never hid the fact that I have a daughter. And I don't think you seriously want to go down that road. Um...wow...are you insane? Or just hoping to look hard?

Did it make me feel good to list a few things I've done? Not really. I'm just tired of you guys trying to preach down on the rest of us. I'm just saying you're no better than us.I really see little "preaching" in this thread. I do see people concerned about the future of video games. The more stores allow young kids to buy mature content, the more ammunition they give to the anti-game movement. If you want "violent" video games to end up like pornography, just keep ignoring the issue.

I just don't see the problem with a 16 year old kid playing GTA.Neither do I. That would be our perspective as parents. The topic isn't about whether or not children of whatever age should play a certain game. It's about the fact that there are regulations set up, ones that do not allow stores to sell mature games to children.

[depascal22]

Comparing video games to pornography was the best anology you've made and it's not that great. Why not compare video games to music like I did before? They both carry warning labels for explicit content. Both industries went through turmoil about the message to children. I don't see rap music being sold in back rooms with the bongs. People were all up in arms about rap lyrics and wow......they're still as vulgar as ever.

EDIT -- You really don't see the preaching?? You don't see all of you guys sitting there all high and mighty, going report them? Now sir, it's my turn to ask if YOU can read.

[allyourblood]

i say let the kids buy this game, whenever, wherever. then, let's see stringent legislation taking place in order to prevent not only kids from buying these titles, but developers from making them in the first place. then lets see if some of you still don't care.

the point is that if we, as consumers, don't take a tiny bit of responsibility in ensuring the existing purchasing guidelines (which, c'mon, are pretty lax) are adhered to, we're likely going to find various government bodies waving the red flag more and more. it'll only be a matter of time before someone steps in and starts seriously pressuring the game industry to censor themselves, the likes of which we've not yet really seen.

i enjoy all video games, including the very violent ones (like the GTA series). i played Mature-rated titles when i was under the suggested age (back when we had MA-17), but that was under the watchful eye of my parents. i see nothing wrong with a well-adjusted 14-year-old playing GTA, Manhunt, and more. but if he's buying that game on his own, i see that as a problem. not because his parents should have been with him and regulating his purchases (though i feel they should), but because this is going to happen only so many times before it becomes harder to sell violent and mature video games at large.

if you're taking an "i don't care, everyone do what you want, it's not my business"-type of attitude, i think you're part of the problem, and passively contributing to the absurd amount of controversy centering on our hobby.

[bigdaddybruce44]

i say let the kids buy this game, whenever, wherever. then, let's see stringent legislation taking place in order to prevent not only kids from buying these titles, but developers from making them in the first place. then lets see if some of you still don't care.

the point is that if we, as consumers, don't take a tiny bit of responsibility in ensuring the existing purchasing guidelines (which, c'mon, are pretty lax) are adhered to, we're likely going to find various government bodies waving the red flag more and more. it'll only be a matter of time before someone steps in and starts seriously pressuring the game industry to censor themselves, the likes of which we've not yet really seen.

i enjoy all video games, including the very violent ones (like the GTA series). i played Mature-rated titles when i was under the suggested age (back when we had MA-17), but that was under the watchful eye of my parents. i see nothing wrong with a well-adjusted 14-year-old playing GTA, Manhunt, and more. but if he's buying that game on his own, i see that as a problem. not because his parents should have been with him and regulating his purchases (though i feel they should), but because this is going to happen only so many times before it becomes harder to sell violent and mature video games at large.

if you're taking an "i don't care, everyone do what you want, it's not my business"-type of attitude, i think you're part of the problem, and passively contributing to the absurd amount of controversy centering on our hobby.

:applause::applause::applause::applause::applause: :applause::applause:

Exactly. Be part of the solution...not the problem.

Acting like this isn't an issue will only come back to haunt the industry. Yes, much of the legislation against video games has been shot state in various state supreme courts, but that isn't stopping the anti-game politicians and lobbyists. They are going to keep chipping away. And the more crap like this goes on, the more reason we are giving the government to side with them, dissolve the ESRB, and hand over regulation to a clueless Congressional committee. Does anyone really want that?

[depascal22]

I can point at recent history and I guess that doesn't matter. Face it. You guys are afraid of the government taking away M-rated games. My question to you is, why do you continue to feel this way even though music with explicit lyrics is still prevalent and easy to buy? Remember 2 Live Crew and the Congressional Hearings? Remember people destroying tapes and CDs in the streets? If Trent Lott and the good ole' boys couldn't get the First Amendment then, what makes you think that this is different? The government will screw around for about a decade and then move onto the next "devil to the children". It happens with every form of popular entertainment. Why is this any different?

[bigdaddybruce44]

You guys are afraid of the government taking away M-rated games.And where did we say that? Go, look, and come back...we'll wait...

Now, seeing as you weren't able to find it, let me again explain what we are talking about. As I alluded to in one of my posts, the ultimate goal of the anti-game lobby is to make mature video games akin to pornography. It will be hidden away, never advertised alongside regular media, and a stigma will be formed around it. What will happen then? A lot of developers will simply abandon the mature audience, because the money won't be there anymore.

If Trent Lott and the good ole' boys couldn't get the First Amendment then, what makes you think that this is different?You're making a gross miscalculation if you think only the "good ole' boys" are the ones who go after this kind of content. If you bothered to remember your history, Tipper Gore was one of the leading figures in the fight against explicit lyrics. Today, off the top of my head, Senators Clinton, Schumer, and Lieberman are just some of the national, liberal figures who consistently attack the gaming industry over mature content.

The government will screw around for about a decade and then move onto the next "devil to the children". It happens with every form of popular entertainment. Why is this any different?Terrible, terrible, terrible stance to take. You never assume anything will work out the way it did before. That's a founding principle of any thinker. Past outcomes do not necessarily guarantee future ones. Sitting on your ass and letting things play out is a good way to see things change against your favor.

[rainking187]

I really see little "preaching" in this thread. I do see people concerned about the future of video games. The more stores allow young kids to buy mature content, the more ammunition they give to the anti-game movement. If you want "violent" video games to end up like pornography, just keep ignoring the issue.

End up like pornography? So, easily accessible to everyone then? I don't know what everyone is worried about, people have been bitching about violent video games for years, and as far as I'm aware it hasn't really done a damn thing.

[bigdaddybruce44]

End up like pornography? So, easily accessible to everyone then? I don't know what everyone is worried about, people have been bitching about violent video games for years, and as far as I'm aware it hasn't really done a damn thing.

...which is why some stores no longer put mature games out in the store. You have to ask for them at the counter. More people with their heads in the clouds. Good job. Boy, the future looks bright for this country.

[rainking187]

...which is why some stores no longer put mature games out in the store. You have to ask for them at the counter. More people with their heads in the clouds. Good job. Boy, the future looks bright for this country.

Huh, really? Because I've been buying games for years and I've yet to visit a single store that does that. Which stores exactly are we talking about here?

[sonicsam]

A few months ago I was still 17 and even though games are rated M = 17 or older, they make it so that you have to be 18.
Gamecrazy asked me the other day (when I was buying GTAIV) if I was 17, and that made my day. (Even though I'm 18 already)

[urzishra14]

i got carded at the wal mart i purchased mine at.. although since in UT minor's driver's licenses are inverted and mine is an "adult" one they just had to make sure it was in the landscape opposed to portrait.. i think most states do it this way now i don't know.. anyways yeah he just looked at it said ok and gave me the game.. no big deal..

however.. i don't think i would care if my kid purchased the game at 14 or 15.. shoot i've been playing games since the NES (around 1989 i was born in 1984) .. i was playing street fighter and mortal combat in 93 ( you could say that my generation was the "save our kids" controversy of the time) .. my parents however knew exactly what i was doing and i got the lecture about how games are fantasy and not real..

the thing about it that angers me the most.. most parents wouldn't mind children reading books no matter the subject matter (i read slaughter house five when I was in middle schoool.. it was in the MIDDLE SCHOOL LIBRARY.. if you are unfamiliar with it, it has naughty language/sexual content/violent murders.. not that its a bad book, but the content is decidedly older then middle school (6th-8th grade) but those kinds of things seem perfectly fine by Jack Thomson and the ilk.. but a video game is a "murder simulator".. no i don't care if my kids (presently i have none..) went out to play GTA4.. as long as they knew it was a game, and i would be there regardless (no 12-14 year old of mine would be going to no midnight release of a game..) so anyways.. the point i'm trying to make is.. read some of the content in Edgar Allen Poe and then ask yourself if you want your kids being taught that in 7th grade (which I was)

[snakelda]

At the GS I went to they carded you when you prepaid and carded everyone when they picked up the game. The cops did show up around midnight so I guess they really didn't have a choice. Cops were on the prowl for minors I guess.
I didn't get card and I was there at the midnight launch at walmart. Took less than 5 minutes!I was really tired though.I finished getting out of work.

[depascal22]

Acting like this isn't an issue will only come back to haunt the industry. Yes, much of the legislation against video games has been shot state in various state supreme courts, but that isn't stopping the anti-game politicians and lobbyists. They are going to keep chipping away. And the more crap like this goes on, the more reason we are giving the government to side with them, dissolve the ESRB, and hand over regulation to a clueless Congressional committee. Does anyone really want that?

Here's where you said you're afraid that the government's going to take away your M-rated games. No, you didn't exactly say it but I think we all get the gist of where you're trying to go with this argument. Just because I simplified it doesn't mean I'm wrong.

Your arguments are bland and you keep passing yourself off as a thinker. You're coming off less like a "great thinker" and more like a fascist propagandist or radical extremist. You've preached and talked down to everyone that doesn't share you opinion and it's getting old.

[Slim Gatsby]

Your arguments are bland and you keep passing yourself off as a thinker. You're coming off less like a "great thinker" and more like a fascist propagandist or radical extremist. You've preached and talked down to everyone that doesn't share you opinion and it's getting old.


Sir! Excuse me, Mr. Pot, sir. I have a Samuel Kettle calling for you on Line 2.

[depascal22]

Sir! Excuse me, Mr. Pot, sir. I have a Samuel Kettle calling for you on Line 2.

Fair enough. I'll admit I'm as fair and balanced as Fox News. I would just like an explanation why historical precedents for popular entertainment will all of a sudden be changed just for video games. Alot of people here want to report Gamestop for a silly violation and I just want to know why. I know Gamestop is a crappy company that is after the bottom line but aren't all companies crappy money grubbers?

[SaraAB]

i got carded at the wal mart i purchased mine at.. although since in UT minor's driver's licenses are inverted and mine is an "adult" one they just had to make sure it was in the landscape opposed to portrait.. i think most states do it this way now i don't know.. anyways yeah he just looked at it said ok and gave me the game.. no big deal..

however.. i don't think i would care if my kid purchased the game at 14 or 15.. shoot i've been playing games since the NES (around 1989 i was born in 1984) .. i was playing street fighter and mortal combat in 93 ( you could say that my generation was the "save our kids" controversy of the time) .. my parents however knew exactly what i was doing and i got the lecture about how games are fantasy and not real..

the thing about it that angers me the most.. most parents wouldn't mind children reading books no matter the subject matter (i read slaughter house five when I was in middle schoool.. it was in the MIDDLE SCHOOL LIBRARY.. if you are unfamiliar with it, it has naughty language/sexual content/violent murders.. not that its a bad book, but the content is decidedly older then middle school (6th-8th grade) but those kinds of things seem perfectly fine by Jack Thomson and the ilk.. but a video game is a "murder simulator".. no i don't care if my kids (presently i have none..) went out to play GTA4.. as long as they knew it was a game, and i would be there regardless (no 12-14 year old of mine would be going to no midnight release of a game..) so anyways.. the point i'm trying to make is.. read some of the content in Edgar Allen Poe and then ask yourself if you want your kids being taught that in 7th grade (which I was)


There is nothing from stopping a kid with a library card from taking out any book from the local library here. Even if there was, they could still take a book and sit down with it in the library and read it. Anyone who reads books knows the content is FAR worse than the content in any video game. I recently read a very graphic book, I will not state what it was about but the thought that a kid could get their hands on this type of material at the library without any restrictions is far scarier than the thought of a kid playing an M rated game. Of course the kid would have to have the knowledge to read the book but they are reading younger and younger these days and fictional books aren't exactly that hard to read. Pre teens and teens can pretty much read the same fictional books that adults do.

Everyone is focusing so much on banning violent video games and the violence in video games that society is forgetting that there are other ways for kids to get their hands on violent material and not everything that kids are experiencing is coming from a video game, especially with the push to encourage kids to read in schools. No I am not saying "OMG those evil books they must ban them" but I am just saying that if we are going to put so much blame on video games for causing all these problems they are supposedly causing we need to consider other forms of media as well as being at fault for causing the problems and not focus solely on video games as the root of all evil.

[depascal22]

Books did receive the same treatmant that video games do now. So did movies and music. Every form of popular entertainment gets demonized and then forgotten in a couple years.

[johnnypark]

I was browsing in EB today for the B2G1 sale, and overheard the employees complaining about kids who don't bring ID or are underage (this store is very good about enforcing their policy).

One of the kids who they refused a sale to was standing outside the store, talking to people that walked by, and came in a few minutes later with a homeless guy. The employee pointed a finger, and shouted, "Hey! If you want him to buy you the game, don't even think about it." They didn't make it 5 feet in, the kid was so startled and clearly thought it would work, he just hung his head and walked out.

[BlueLobstah]

I was browsing in EB today for the B2G1 sale, and overheard the employees complaining about kids who don't bring ID or are underage (this store is very good about enforcing their policy).

One of the kids who they refused a sale to was standing outside the store, talking to people that walked by, and came in a few minutes later with a homeless guy. The employee pointed a finger, and shouted, "Hey! If you want him to buy you the game, don't even think about it." They didn't make it 5 feet in, the kid was so startled and clearly thought it would work, he just hung his head and walked out.

Something similar happened to me today while I was browsing for some used titles for the B2G1 sale. This kid kept bugging me about how he forgot his id and didn't know what he was going to do if he couldn't buy an M game, I guess expecting I would "offer" to buy it for him. I beat around the bush long enough until he asked me and I had to flat out tell him no, and to go home and get his id.

I was slightly annoyed, but it wasn't my responsibility.