Children
and Teens are Major Consumers of Adult-Rated Video Games
- Mature-rated games are now the fastest growing segment
of the video game industry (Knight-Ridder
Newspapers, 1/5/03). About one-third of video games now purchased are rated
"M," the marketing firm NPD Funworld reports.
- About 40 percent of those who play Mature-rated games are under 18, according to
the Federal Trade Commission. But children under 18 comprise less than 20 percent of the
U.S. population, according to the US Census Bureau.
- 45 percent of all video game players are under the age of 18, according to a Wall
Street Journal survey (10/14/02). That means that of the 146 million gamers in the
United States, 65.7 million are children and teens. 20 million video game players are
12 and under.
- The best-selling game of 2002 was M-rated: Grand Theft Auto III.
- 78 percent of unaccompanied children
ages 13–16 were able to buy Mature-rated
games at retail stores, according to a secret shopper survey conducted by the Federal
Trade Commission in 2001. Even among several of those retail stores with programs in place
to restrict sales, 73 percent of unaccompanied children were able to buy violent,
Mature-rated games.
- 95 percent of teenage boys play video games each month
, according to a survey
conducted by Jupiter Research in April 2003.
- Children are leaving traditional toys and play at younger and younger ages in favor
of electronic entertainment. Toy sales were stagnant in 2001; video game sales were up
43 percent over 2000. (The Washington Post, 2/17/02)
The video game ratings are determined by the video game
industry itself. The Entertainment Software Review Board (ESRB) develops and
maintains the ratings system in total secrecy. Neither the names of the raters nor the
criteria they use to arrive at ratings decisions are available to the public -- or even to
federal regulatory agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission. The ESRB president
is hired by the video game lobbying group, the Interactive Digital Software Association.
The ratings board is funded by video game companies, who can also appeal ratings.
There is no appeal process for parents or consumers who question a ratings
decision.
The main ratings used by the ESRB are:
"E" for everyone (six and above), "T" for Teen (13 and over) and
"M" for Mature (17 and over.) The ESRB definition for Mature games is:
MATURE "M" Content may be suitable
for persons ages 17 and older. May contain mature sexual themes or more intense violence
or language.
For more information on video game ratings, see http://www.lionlamb.org/media_ratings.htm
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