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GameStop: Sell an M-rated game to a minor, enjoy unemployment
8:46 AM on 02.07.2007, Nick Chester 54 comments

GameStop: Sell an M-rated game to a minor, enjoy unemployment photo
     ESRB
If you plan on buying the M-rated classic, Bad Boys: Miami Take Down from your local GameStop, you might want to make sure you bring your ID and a DNA sample to prove it's actually you. Our sources close to the retailer tell us that the company is laying down the law on M-rated title sales to minors, Apprentice style.

In a conference call held late last week, managers were informed of the new, stricter M-rated software sales policy. Selling a game to a minor and getting caught will result in immediate termination. But it gets better -- if an hourly employee sells an M-rated game to a minor, not only will he or she lose their job, but the salaried store manager will be terminated as well, even if they were not present in the store at the time of the sale. Yikes.

The company has always had a policy of not selling M-rated titles to those under the age of 17. But this bold and threatening policy is a new step, no doubt influenced by the recent waves of legislation and related media coverage.

Along with retailers like Circuit City, Best Buy, and Blockbuster Video, GameStop is a member of the ESRB Retail Council. Among efforts to enforce policies and support the ESRB ratings, members are subject to mystery shop audits in which a consumer under the age of 17 will attempt to buy mature rated titles. Results recorded as late as November of last year showed that 65% of the time, M-rated sales policies were enforced. The other 35% of the time resulted in high school shootings and teen pregnancy.

Next page: More gamestop stories




Topher Cantler's Avatar
Topher Cantler at 02/07/2007 09:12
This just in: Employees now required to wear red armbands and walk in unison.
bhive01's Avatar
bhive01 at 02/07/2007 09:41
"The other 35% of the time resulted in high school shootings and teen pregnancy."

++
tazarthayoot's Avatar
tazarthayoot at 02/07/2007 09:46
This isn't a bad thing at all, if anything its these companies taking a step to make sure dumbasses like Jack Thompson can't blame anyone but the parents for their negligence. If the kid can only get Narc and The Guy Game with mommy there with him, then so be it.

And if mommy decides that she is offended by the content of the two games (boobies and drugs, not the fact that they're shitty games), then EB employees should have the right to hit her in the back of the head with a shovel.
-D-'s Avatar
-D- at 02/07/2007 09:52
This is why I'm glad I don't work for that company anymore, and why I also buy my goods from Amazon.
Kif 's Avatar
Kif at 02/07/2007 09:52
1. Get hired at Gamestop
2. Sell as many M-rated games to minors as possible

Dismantle GameStop from the inside!
tazarthayoot's Avatar
tazarthayoot at 02/07/2007 09:53
Kif there's a flaw in that plan.

By step 2, you're fired in the first 20 minutes.
brad drac's Avatar
brad drac at 02/07/2007 10:00
But if everyone does it...

This is harsh. Having to bring ID to buy a game is fucking stupid. As is a 16 year old not being able to buy whatever the hell they want. I'm just glad I don't live in a country where guns are legal, for some strange reason that vastly reduces the number of shootings. I think there might be a connection...
tazarthayoot's Avatar
tazarthayoot at 02/07/2007 10:03
It's the same as going to see a rated R movie, or buying a CD with a parental advisory warning.

If you don't work in retail, you don't realize how many parents and kids don't realize that all this stuff is in effect for a reason. I have parents come in all the time returning cds and dvds they bought for their kids because they didn't like the content in it. As if a movie called Jackass 2 wasn't already a dead giveaway your 12 year old shouldn't see it.

Granted, it is a covering your ass technique, but as I stated, they're doing it to put the responsibility in parents hands, so the only person who can be blamed for their kids playing GTA is mom and dad, not Mr. EB Employee or Mrs. FYE Employee.
Toneman's Avatar
Toneman at 02/07/2007 10:22
Well from my experience, anyone under the age of 18 who goes into a Gamestop is looking for a Naruto game so it really doesn't matter.
Stukodokka's Avatar
Stukodokka at 02/07/2007 10:45
-D-: "This is why I'm glad I don't work for that company anymore, and why I also buy my goods from Amazon."

Agreed, buddy. I enjoyed working at EB Games before the GameStop takeover, but after that it was dreadful. It was not a good environment to work in.

Now I have moved on to buying my games on Amazon as well. They are shipped fast, always sealed, and usually cheaper than the brick and mortar stores.
Glich's Avatar
Glich at 02/07/2007 10:57
The manager thing will never hold up. At lest here in California. At will employment means very little here I used to be a Supervisor for an electronics department its VERY hard to fire someone with out a mountain of documentation of bad acts over time.
scrap's Avatar
scrap at 02/07/2007 11:14
Finally, someone is thinking about the children!
*goes to sell crack at local school playground*
crveck's Avatar
crveck at 02/07/2007 11:44
There is a Notice in my gamestop, Can't Sell games, take reserves on, or even take trade ins on M - Rated games from minors. The reserves has a loop hole though, games such as Halo 3 and GTA IV are still rating pending...

So Youngins...reserve the RP games that are sure to get an M now, but bring mommy with you to pick it up.
crveck's Avatar
crveck at 02/07/2007 11:56
ALSO, they are doing Secret Shop Calls where the caller asks if their 15 year old kid can come pick up a game (I believe it was a GTA). The secret calls are a waste of time, but this is probably the first time the Secret Shops will actually not be a waste of time. Firing the store manager is a bit extreme if there is just a really stupid 17 year old.
Joseph Leray's Avatar
Joseph Leray at 02/07/2007 12:09
I think that this is a positive thing. Like people said earlier, better retailers and the ESRB rather than restrictive legislation.
Monte's Avatar
Monte at 02/07/2007 12:50
I don't know, the employee firing is something i'm definatly down with, not so sure about the manager thing. I mean, that seems like way too much heat for the manager to take due to the employee's mistake. I mean, the managers have work they have to do, they can't exactly be micro managing there employees, hovering over their shoulder. the most they can do is remind the employee of the store policy, but even then it's up to the employee as to how well he follows that policy. What especially gets me is that the manager is held under the same heat even he wasn't in the store at the time, when he no longer has any actual control over what's going on.

Only reason i can see for going as far as firing a manager is if the manager knowingly allowing he employee to break the policy, knew he was breaking the policy and did not proceed to fire them, or if he himself was breaking the policy. Other than that, i would only see a more minor form of disipline for the manager, not outright firing. The manager doesn't have a high enough amount of control to deserve that much heat.
Ratcliff's Avatar
Ratcliff at 02/07/2007 14:48
Talk about employee appreciation, "You weren't their when your negligent employee screwed up? well sorry but your fired!"
Cory_t_'s Avatar
Cory_t_ at 02/07/2007 15:05
I don't know about the U.S. because I'm rather ignorant regarding laws in other countries, but in Canada this'll never fly. Like Glich said, it takes some serious infractions and several of them to get fired, and even then, most of the time it isn't even worth the headache of an appeal afterwards.
Cory_t_'s Avatar
Cory_t_ at 02/07/2007 15:09
I don't know about the U.S. because I'm rather ignorant regarding laws in other countries, but in Canada this'll never fly. Like Glich said, it takes some serious infractions and several of them to get fired, and even then, most of the time it isn't even worth the headache of an appeal afterwards.
KGETZ3's Avatar
KGETZ3 at 02/07/2007 17:43
Thats not all of it!

I was a holiday temp and now have a very small part time position with EB(whoring rentals and discount!) anyways when I went into work today I saw a new post on the counter.

1) Do NOT sale M rated games to minors!
2) Do NOT accept M rated trade from minors!
3) Do NOT reserve M rated games to minors!

This is straight down from the VP of the Stores.

So I believe ALL of those will result in termination for the employee AND manager!

p.s. I was LOLing hard at the end of the article.
Aetsen's Avatar
Aetsen at 02/07/2007 18:21
Game ratings are serious business.
tazarthayoot's Avatar
tazarthayoot at 02/07/2007 21:06
I talked to two good friends of mine today (both are EB managers), and they both told me they never had a conference call that said this. They have had conference calls where they talked heavily about selling to minors, as well as the minor secret shops, but they've never heard from anyone that they would be fired for doing so.

Nick Chester's Avatar
Nick Chester at 02/07/2007 23:40
Tazart:

I talked two two good friends of mine who told me...oh, just read the article.
tazarthayoot's Avatar
tazarthayoot at 02/08/2007 00:12
I was thinking maybe since their stores were still under the EB name that they didn't get this tidbit, but that just didn't make sense to me. But at the same time I trust these people not to lie to me. Conference calls are srs bizzness man!
Nick Chester's Avatar
Nick Chester at 02/08/2007 00:13
I believe you - check the Kotaku story that links to my post. You'll note a lot of comments from GS/EB employees who confirm this. Tell your buddies so that they don't get canned. :D
questworld's Avatar
questworld at 02/08/2007 01:18
"I don't know, the employee firing is something i'm definatly down with, not so sure about the manager thing. I mean, that seems like way too much heat for the manager to take due to the employee's mistake. I mean, the managers have work they have to do, they can't exactly be micro managing there employees, hovering over their shoulder."

Sounds like the same problem a parent could face with their own children. See, it's not simply about parents being intentionally neglectful. Children can be pretty sneaky too, and how do you police their friends?
questworld's Avatar
questworld at 02/08/2007 01:19
"I don't know, the employee firing is something i'm definatly down with, not so sure about the manager thing. I mean, that seems like way too much heat for the manager to take due to the employee's mistake. I mean, the managers have work they have to do, they can't exactly be micro managing there employees, hovering over their shoulder."

Sounds like the same problem a parent could face with their own children. See, it's not simply about parents being intentionally neglectful. Children can be pretty sneaky too, and how do you police their friends?
BluDesign's Avatar
BluDesign at 02/09/2007 09:47
I do not enjoy shopping at EB, but they are ridiculously close to my apt, and the employees will go out of their way to find me a game if I ask for it.

This good service is balanced out by having to endure listening to them advise customers on which X360 to purchase (Prem or Core), why the PS3 is going to smoke the 360 (this was back in October or so...) and of course, the other customers.

When I went in to buy my copy of FFVI on the GBA on Tuesday at a different EB out of state, the clerk started digging through the USED GAMES for a copy to sell me when I asked for new. I told him to stop what he was doing and get me a new sealed copy or else I'd call his district manager. I only did so because I knew what he was up to, just like it'd been discussed last week online. Selling used as new. It's pretty convenient anyway that a ZERO day release like FFVI would never be completed in a single day, so there's no way in hell I could've bought a used copy anyway, but it just bugged me all the same.
DrRockso's Avatar
DrRockso at 02/11/2007 13:36
Yowza, thats harsh.

Cant say I disagree, though...
Wack's Avatar
Wack at 02/11/2007 20:50
A 14 year old could walking into a Best Buy purchase Hostel and NOT be able to buy Diablo 2. What is up with that?

In my opinion if a parent does not know what their children are buying they shouldn't be blaming employees. That is not to say that the employee shouldn't have the common sense to realize when the minor's parents wouldn't let the kid buy it.
usakristy's Avatar
usakristy at 09/15/2007 01:17
I do not know about you but I would much rather know what content is in the game than for my under age child bring home a game begin to play it and find that there is some sexual or gore content that I do not agree with. I would much rather put the blame on the parent than the child. If a parent is willing to purchase one of these games for their kid then it is there ass not the employee.
psfreak's Avatar
psfreak at 01/31/2008 21:47
gamestop is doing the right thing and it's about time someone did,as a video game collector and ps2 enthusiast i get sick of the industry getting a bad rap cause some kid who bought a game ( yes there are a select number of games out there no one under 18 should be playing and a ton of really awsome ones for all ages) goes on a rampage after playing someting like postal or theres a gangs shooting after a couple of h.s kids played grand theft auto allnite,the bottom line is that rated mature games are adult entertainment and when kids play them and either get caught by there parents or there parents blame whatever thing there kid did on a rated mature game they should not have had to began with it makes all of us in the gaming community look bad and makes the politicians in washington think all of us are influenced by the games we play making them tens time harder to get,lets not let a few people ruin the fun for all of us.
viralhunter's Avatar
viralhunter at 03/31/2008 17:36
Good, children don't deserve anything from society.
Blake's Avatar
Blake at 03/31/2008 21:15
Well, looks like I'll just be sticking to my Dad's games for a while.

It's a good thing they're doing this though. But why do I have the feeling that this won't be changing too many minds about games being evil...?
TheToiletDuck's Avatar
TheToiletDuck at 04/01/2008 00:08
Pay another ten bucks/ or a bottle of hooch and get a hobo to buy it for you. :P
Cowboy TTop's Avatar
Cowboy TTop at 04/03/2008 09:50
This is a positive step in the right direction. They have to same idea here in the U.K, and if the Byron report this side of the pond has encouraged this move stateside, that's good news.

I've always been of the mind that the seller be required to ask for ID for mature games. It may seem harsh to some, but I think the industry should do its best to protect itself from this potential problem.

I used to work at EB many years ago, and these kinds of sales to kids went on a lot. I used to question this, but my manager didn't care much.
kamakazi's Avatar
kamakazi at 04/03/2008 09:53
Doesnt matter to me about this being 18, i think kids that go into gamestop buy the teen or everyone rated games anyway.....or if ur under 17 then the best thing u can do is bribe the employee to buy the game for you then have him give it to u

SUCKS TO BE UNDER 17 EHHH
Holyetheline's Avatar
Holyetheline at 04/03/2008 15:22
I remember reading about this a while ago... Yeah I'm glad I'm 21 and don't have to worry about any age restrictions on stuff.
Bizznet's Avatar
Bizznet at 04/04/2008 14:54
If anything, it should be at the parents' discretion to "protect the children" from potentially harmful video games. But then again, my Dad used to rent/buy M-rated games for me all the time.
nats's Avatar
nats at 04/06/2008 22:04
I'm glad that they're enforcing the rules more, but I think that firing the manager is extreme. I've always gotten carded when I buy M-rated games. Apparently, I look 15, not 20. o_0

Also, not as an official rule, but employees should to ask parents who they're buying the game for, and if they know that the game is intended for people 17+ when they're obviously not buying it for themselves. I've seen some people do it when a ten year old hands the game over to Mom at the counter, and usually, the parent doesn't buy it. That's one less idiot complaining about violence and sex in video games corrupting children.
Atlas's Avatar
Atlas at 04/06/2008 22:50
They ID me but don't look at my ID. I hold it too far away so they can't read it and put it away quickly. They then assume I am over 17. Been doing it for years. My local Blockbuster thinks I am 19 :). Don't strip me of human rights.
Wry Guy's Avatar
Wry Guy at 04/08/2008 18:30
That keep the ID away so they can't see it bit wouldn't fly where I am. If anyone were to find out about a game being sold to a minor, you seller can actually be sent to jail for 2 years. To anyone who pulls off that kind of crap AWARE of what could happen, fuck off and never shop at my store again.
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