Be Excellent To Each Other

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/18/game_age_limits/

Although -

sounds like they're trying to tighten the system up a little at least. Doubt it'll do much to stop the parents buying 'GTA Eye Vee'* for their kids though.



* As heard in Gamestation, where a mother was asking when it was out so she could buy it for her young son, stood next to her.

Last time I was in Gamestation, the guy behind the counter said to the boy holding the game (I forget which) that his mum had to give him the game and had to hand the change back to her.

So blatantly the game was for the child, but no one seemed to care.

The law isn't based on who plays the game though. Its based on who buys it. So everything that happened was completely correct.

I know, but it still takes the piss. As soon as she'd bought the game she gave it to her son to hold.

Games, like guns, are only dangerous when loaded Myps.

Last time I was in Brum's Gamestation the counternerd refused to sell CoD5 to a teenager because he couldn't prove he was 15. Good counternerd.

It is not down to teh retailer to manage parent responcibilites is it?

That's illegal though. Citizen's Rugby-Tackle Arrest!

Aye, anyone I know that works in a games shop takes a perverse pleasure in 'knocking back' kids & telling parents what's in the game. Though it's not uncommon for a parent go off their nut at them when they point out that GTA IV or similar is clearly unsuitable for kids.Tell that to my butt

Okay. Gaywood, Myfinger, games, like guns, are only dangerous when loaded.

I don't think it is yet, is it? They're "guidelines".

They will comply eventually. When the "can't sell cigs to minors" law came about I could still get them anywhere without being asked (was 15 when I started).

A couple of years later and after a couple of stiff fines our local corner shop wanted I.D.

In the states games are really hard to get if you're underage. I used to manage a BBV for about three years and you needed a state I.D or driving license to buy anything 'M'.

I managed to use a rail card to buy an 18 game many years ago. I was very surprised the sales person accepted it, after some convincing from me.

I used to use a Visa Debit card, without a photo, to pay for booze. Quite a few times it was accepted that as I was using a 'credit card' I must be over 18. Staffordians are generally thick though.

WELL PLAYED.

I thought it'd been illegal for years and years to give a product with an inappropriate BBFC rating.

Does it have the same penalties as selling booze and fags?

Thats BBFC ratings which only apply to certain games, rather than Peggle ratings.

Enforcing the 12 certificate is totally stupid though. Telling whether a kid is 15 is hard enough but 12?? It starts to get to the stage where every game purchase would need the child to show ID.

But by the age of twelve they should've had at least 5 offers for a credit card from Capital One, so ID shouldn't be a problem.

I used to work in GAME and i loved knocking kids back from buying games. Also, when parents came to buy GTA or something like that for their kids who were next to them.. I took great pleasure in explaining the graphic violence, swearing and pornography that featured in the game.

This soon put the parents off buying it for thier kids and made them get a proper telling off for lying to them!

The game in question was GTA IV though, which I'm pretty is at least a BBFC 15, probably an 18.

And as the kid's legal guardian that's legally just fine. The law is there to promote parental choice, not to keep the games from kids.



Which bit did you think was illegal? Because none of it is.



It's illegal to sell BBFC certified games underage, or to anyone you suspect to be supplying to anyone underage who they're not the legal guardian of.

PEGI is still technically voluntary but all major retailers treat them the same as BBFC. Report anyone who doesn't.

Quite right. In fact, as it's not for reward or in the course of business, I could go around the centre of Bristol handing out copies of 18 rated films to 5 year olds completely legally.

Eh? I haven't been loaded since I last sold mobile phones to morons.

Back in the days when poor people and children weren't allowed mobile phones, and everyone thought that pay as you go was just a fad. Ah great days... Ah the profit margins! I expect I still have an 8110 somewhere......

Anyway. What?

Turns out it isn't
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8219438.stm

Wow.

That's absolutely fucking brilliant.

How can previous prosecutions stand though? It was an illegal law (or even a non-law?) so surely there's perfect grounds for appeal?

Did anyone check they hadn't crossed their fingers behind their back? Were they laughing like loons at the time? "No no, really, we will, honest"

Before I go nutso and join UKIP, would someone explain why we had to ask the EC (as was) to enact our own law?

We didn't, we just had to tell them about it.

Presumably it'd then go to the back of a queue and eventually have a clerk check it wasn't a breach of EU laws like the Copyright Directive, Human Rights Act, and so on.

Can someone explain why we had to do that, then?

Because we're members of the EU.

Also, did my edit help?

Yes yes, 'Tut, that bloody BikNorton and his editing, especially at the end of pages'

So does that mean little Timmy can go into a shop and buy a copy of GTA EyeVee AND Please Cum Inside My Big Black Bootay 15?

No, because *cough* retailers are going to voluntarily *snigger* reduce their profits *mmph*.

Indeed it does.

It doesn't mean that R18 porn film sellers can legally send them by mail order now, as that's a seperate law. Which they all ignore.

Indies will do it, no way the chains will, PEGI was always voluntary and that was followed to the letter at GAME and Blockbuster at least.

Tru dat. Legal or not, they'd only have to end up on the front of the Daily Mail once and the bad PR would more than cancel out the few quid made on sales.