FTC survey finds video game industry best at age-restriction enforcement

It’s commonplace lately to come across an article, an op-ed, or an asinine comment from a political figure demonizing the video game industry. Often, the secondary and unspoken accusation here is that the creators of M-Rated games are somehow predatory. As if these developers are intentionally–and with great malice–trying their damnedest to get decidedly adult content into the hands of youngsters. Anyone and everyone involved with, interested in, or employed by the Video Game industry, please join me at camera three for an over-the-top eye roll.

“Oh brother” is right, Ms. Lemon.

Apparently someone at the FTC was tired of this nonsense too–that’s the Federal Trade Commision, their word carries a bit of weight, I hear. You probably already know that the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a non-profit, self-regulatory body supported by the gaming industry, especially the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). What you will be pleased to find out is this: in a recent, independent FTC survey utilizing undercover (and underage) shoppers, found that in 87% percent of attempted M-rated purchases were prevented. According to a press release from the ESA, that number “exceeds every other entertainment format, including sales of music with parental-advisory labels, R-rated movie tickets, and R-rated and unrated DVDs.”

The video game industry has not only outperformed other entertainment media in compliance by a sizable margin, but that number has been at a steady high since 2010. Numbers are great and all, but information is often so much more pleasing in brightly-colored bar-graph format. Cue the charts!

Comparison of compliance levels across entertainment media.

Oh and what’s this? It looks like the more video-game oriented a business is, the better they have been about restricting M-rated sales.

Walmart, I’m disappointed in you. But that’s nothing new, I guess.

Okay, you’ve heard the numbers, you’ve seen the charts. Now, I’m talking to you, news media, angry op-ed writing folks, and luddite politicians: Lay off the gaming industry, unless you’re prepared to put every other entertainment medium through the ringer first.