Jintor
Didn't Get Temp-Banned
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2004
- Messages
- 14,780
- Reaction score
- 16
Picture this. It's 4:10pm. I've gotton off the train near my local EB, happy. My major test for this term is over, i've got money in my pocket, i'm about to go and finally - finally - obtain Half-Life 2: Aftermath.
I walk into EB. Look for the game. Where is it? There it is. I take it, move into line. A smiling attendant moves forward, grabs the game out of my hand, and pushes another box that actually has the dvd in it into my hands. So far, so good.
I move to the front of the queue. "I'd like to buy this game, please" I say. The register biscuit nods, takes the game, and scans it. "34.90, please." he says. I hand him a $50 note. He nods, takes another look at the screen, and says "Oh, and can I see some ID?"
"ID?" I say?
"ID." he says, pointing at the label on the DVD Case. "This game is MA15+. It's illegal for me to sell it to you without you presenting ID."
"Ah, crap." I say, checking rapidly through my wallet, noting the amount of cards that vitally don't have my date of birth on them. "Umm... ah, shit."
And I walk away a broken man.
--------------------------------------------------
So, basically, I guess you need ID to buy games now. Will this stop children obtaining games that they aren't legally allowed to buy? My guess is no. It does inconvenience customers - especially me, since I don't have ID yet, despite being 15, and I didn't plan too for a while. I had always thought that you only required ID for drinking, buying adult stuff, and driving. So making a game MA15+ and requiring ID therefore highly inconveniences me.
Does it inconvenience the people who are going to buy the games but are underage? Yes. But that's assuming these people are going to buy the game. If I were a younger than 15-year-old and I wanted to buy, say, FEAR. I wouldn't buy the game. I'd get it off a friend, or steal it from the internets. Kids are smart like that. Making it difficult for us to give you money is not going to win you friends among legitimate buyers, game retailers. Will I boycott EB? No. They're just doing their job, obeying the letter of the law.
But that's damn fustrating for me.
I walk into EB. Look for the game. Where is it? There it is. I take it, move into line. A smiling attendant moves forward, grabs the game out of my hand, and pushes another box that actually has the dvd in it into my hands. So far, so good.
I move to the front of the queue. "I'd like to buy this game, please" I say. The register biscuit nods, takes the game, and scans it. "34.90, please." he says. I hand him a $50 note. He nods, takes another look at the screen, and says "Oh, and can I see some ID?"
"ID?" I say?
"ID." he says, pointing at the label on the DVD Case. "This game is MA15+. It's illegal for me to sell it to you without you presenting ID."
"Ah, crap." I say, checking rapidly through my wallet, noting the amount of cards that vitally don't have my date of birth on them. "Umm... ah, shit."
And I walk away a broken man.
--------------------------------------------------
So, basically, I guess you need ID to buy games now. Will this stop children obtaining games that they aren't legally allowed to buy? My guess is no. It does inconvenience customers - especially me, since I don't have ID yet, despite being 15, and I didn't plan too for a while. I had always thought that you only required ID for drinking, buying adult stuff, and driving. So making a game MA15+ and requiring ID therefore highly inconveniences me.
Does it inconvenience the people who are going to buy the games but are underage? Yes. But that's assuming these people are going to buy the game. If I were a younger than 15-year-old and I wanted to buy, say, FEAR. I wouldn't buy the game. I'd get it off a friend, or steal it from the internets. Kids are smart like that. Making it difficult for us to give you money is not going to win you friends among legitimate buyers, game retailers. Will I boycott EB? No. They're just doing their job, obeying the letter of the law.
But that's damn fustrating for me.
