Video Game and DVD Retailer Association Hails ´Major Improvement´ in Ratings Enforcement by Retailers

ENCINO, Calif., May. 08 /PRNewswire/ --

Federal Trade Commission Cites Significant Progress, EMA Agrees Continued Improvement is Needed

ENCINO, Calif., May 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA), which represents the retailers of video and computer games and DVDs, said that the results of the latest "undercover shopper" survey by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) shows that video game and DVD retailers are continuing to make significant progress in increasing the enforcement of the "Mature" rating for video and computer games and the "R" rating for DVDs.

"Video game and DVD retailers don't want children to be able to purchase or rent video games and DVDs that their parents do not want them to have," noted EMA President Bo Andersen. "As a result, they have made real and significant investments in enforcing the voluntary video game and motion picture ratings in their stores. The FTC's latest 'undercover shopper' survey demonstrates that these investments are producing strong results, as enforcement rates continue to increase."

The FTC's "undercover shopper" survey released today (>) indicates that children the federal agency sent into stores to buy Mature-rated computer and video games were turned down 80% of the time and that those sent into stores to purchase R-rated movies were turned down 53% of the time. The turn-down rate for video games increased from 58% in the previous FTC "undercover shopper" survey, which was released in April 2007, and was up from 16% in the first survey, conducted in 2000. The turn-down rate for R-rated movies increased from 29% in the survey released last year.

"While we are pleased with the progress that has been made in ratings enforcement, retailers still are not where they want to be as an industry," Andersen said. "EMA will continue to work with its members to increase video game and DVD ratings enforcement to even higher levels."

For more information, please contact:

Sean Bersell, Vice President, Public Affairs

Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA)

818-728-8663 or sbersell at entmerch.org