Photo ID now required to buy, rent games in Canada
source: Torstar News Service

You already need your photo ID to buy booze or cigarettes and now you’ll need it to rent or buy certain video and computer games.

Canadian retailers and entertainment software makers Thursday were to announce a broad initiative aimed at curbing children’s access to violent and age-restricted games, including asking customers to produce photographic identification in some cases.

Called The Commitment to Parents program, the campaign also aims to help parents make the right choices for their children by providing more information and better staff training in the stores, the Retail Council of Canada said Wednesday.

"The program will allow parents to get more information on the content and age-appropriateness of the games," retail council president Diane Brisebois said in a telephone interview late Wednesday. "It’s a voluntary program based on the ratings you already see on the game boxes."

The retailers’ move, which drew praise from parent and teacher organizations, comes amid growing government scrutiny of the software gaming industry. Earlier this year, the Ontario government took the unusual step of slapping a mandatory "restricted" rating on the game title Manhunt.

"This is a welcome step in the right direction," said Melanie Cishecki, executive director of the advocacy organization Media Watch. "Obviously, it comes under a bit of duress because parents’ groups and educators have been asking retailers for this for some time."

The retailers’ campaign has the support of 90 per cent of the stores that rent or sell video and computer games in Canada, Brisebois said.

It’s also supported by the Entertainment Software Association of Canada, which represents the major video and computer game makers. Software association officials couldn’t be reached yesterday.

Jim Watson, Ontario’s minister of consumer and business affairs, was also expected to be on hand to endorse the effort.

Most major Canadian video and computer game retailers already belong to the U.S.-based Entertainment Software Rating Board, which voluntarily rates the games and suggests stores check customers’ ID. The five ratings, which rank the games from "Early Childhood" to "Mature," also provide descriptive comments, such as "Blood" or "Violence."

All major video and computer game stores in Canada belong to the ratings board, including Blockbuster, Rogers, Best Buy and Wal-Mart.

"This program will make it clear we’re going to be doing everything in our power to enforce those ratings," Brisebois said.

The Ontario government plans to introduce a mandatory ratings system, similar to the one that restricts access to movies, along with hefty fines for retailers that fail to check customers’ ID, steps some other provinces have already taken. The fines under the Ontario Theatres Act range from $25,000 for individuals and a year in jail to $100,000 for corporations.

In the meantime, the retailers’ initiative drew instant praise from parents’ and teachers’ organizations concerned about the amount of violence seen in media by young children.

Despite voluntary ratings and store policies, one of the most popular video games among children in Grades 3 to 6 is Grand Theft Auto, a violent action game rated for age 17-plus, according to a survey for the Canadian Teachers’ Federation.

"Too many children are watching films and playing games that aren’t suitable for them," said federation spokesperson Francine Filion. "This will make parents think twice about it."

Anything that helps raises parents’ level of awareness about what’s in the games is a step forward, said Shari Graydon, a media literacy activist and author.

"Most parents don’t watch or play video games with their children and know very little about them," Graydon said, citing studies that show 50 per cent of children have televisions in their rooms and 25 per cent have their own computers.
posted by tommEE pickles 10/14/2004 04:19:28 PM