I was drawn in to HMV today by the keen prices on the sale board outside for console games but as I reached the games area I was shocked to see what I would describe as two 8-10 year old boys sitting on a stack of man made seating they had made from guitar hero boxes playing the new HALO 3 game (16+ Rated) they were not even tall enough to reach the console! Shop staff walked by and didn’t even question them.
The Pan European Games Information (PEGI) age rating system for interactive games is there to help us determine whether an Xbox® or Xbox 360™ vid
eo game is appropriate for a child.
Its aim is to ensure that minors are not exposed to games that are unsuitable for their particular age group which I would think means in store too. It does this by providing parents with a single age classification system for all games in most European states. PEGI is supported by the major console manufacturers, as well as by publishers and developers of interactive games.
Should a well known brand allow this type of a game to be played in store by underage children?
On my way out I asked what looked like a manager if my 13 yr old son came in to the shop in the week on his own to buy HALO 3 would he be alright to buy it even though it’s a 16+ game. The guy told me it should be fine it depending on who is on the till when he comes in. He didn’t really get any point I was trying to make until I pointed to the small children sitting on guitar hero boxes playing HALO 3 and told him it was bad for HMV and probably worse for the kids! He then tried to back track saying it all depends on what type of a 16+ games it is, then informed me someone must have put it out by mistake, what about the statement it depends who is on the till? Terrible…
Many parents allow kids to play games with a higher age rating but that’s at the parent’s discretion NOT HMV.
