MCV

I can tell you I'd never have sold age rated games to an underage person when I worked in a supermarket. The risk of a £5,000 and six months in jail is more than enough.

The real problem isn't people willing selling games to underage people, but the intimidation you could be put under by some.

I have worked with people who have served underage people; not because they were flippant about the ratings but because they were genuinely scared that if they refused the sale, the customer could become violent... and it wasn't an idle risk. It has happened to me before.

I fully agree with Ex, once there was a fight in the Game store that I worked at cause we refused to sell a game to a verbaly abusive teen. Also I tell all parents that come into the store what the games content are like yet the still buy the game for their kids then blame us! ><

"Mediocre MPs damage UK economy, education, welfare, life in general really..."

I wish the papers would report on real news or be objective once in a while!

This is ludicrous. Maybe the reason no-one has been prosecuted under this law is because no-one is breaking it? Unless he has evidence that x thousand underage customers have been sold 18+ games, then this story is completely pointless.

The MP clearly needs to get it through his thick skull that children do not buy 18+ games: they can't, no-one will sell it to them. Their irresponsible parents buy the games. If anyone it is the parents who should be punished. But only if we want to live in a society where our government decides how to raise our children, instead of making that decision ourselves...

Huh, I saw several kids being asked for ID when I went shopping for GTA4 this weekend. Non of them had any [ID] and where turned away. I wonder where this report came from.
There must be bugger all in the way of news (not counting earthquakes etc, obviously) if the papers are taking yet another swipe at the games industry instead.

You'd have thought though, BBFC, PEGI, and all those years ago when games where rated by ELSPA, why do they keep coming up with the same old "games are not rated properly" *******s? The papers haven't blamed films for anything for a while. Can't they change their tune just once?

@ Rikki.

I simply wish that was the case but I've seen far too many people serve underage people in the local indie, as well as some of the bigger names.

It's just like alcohol. No matter how tough the restrictions (and that includes the death penalty) people will still do it if they think they can make an unscrupulous buck from the sale.

The majority don't, and with well communicated rules and good supervision, most won't do it accidentally or get away with it if they're willing to flout the rules.

By all means, have a review of procedures and penalties; but they have to look at the violence issue as well.

I work in a computer shop, i have seen countless parents and grand parents buy 12/15/18 games for people younger than that.

On one occasion I have had a grandmother taking an attitude with me because she was over 18. we have enough trouble in the industry without more ineffective laws.

Always a great way of getting your unknown face in the press,an MP that worries about "damaging children",now thats a new one(like the Tin Tin hairdo though,very nice-but dim,Tim).I'm bored of this whole ratings thing,lets give it a rest till GTA V.

Last weekend I saw a dad In Game handed GTA4 by his kid (about 11-12). The Dad got into the que asking his son if his mum had said it was okay for him to have the game!!!

To be fair I spotted it but Game was busy so there was no chance for the staff to catch this fact, should I have said something? maybe. But my point is that on the front AND back of the game is a BBFC 18 rated symbol with associated text Im sure ( I dont have the game so I dont know) but the Dad could have used his own judgement and refuse to buy it for his obviously underaged son.