In a recent study conducted by the Federal Trade Commission only 20 percent of teens under the age of 17 were able to buy M rated video games. Pretty impressive statistic to show all the enraged parents that blame video games for causing violence that only a small percentage of children are able to get their hands on the titles.

The Federal Trade Commission report studied kids’ success at buying tickets to R-rated movies or purchasing R-rated DVDs, mature CDs, and M-rated games. In every case, the FTC found, the success rate had dropped over every previous year it conducted its study.

But nowhere was the drop sharper than with video games.

According to the study, while 20 percent of under-17 kids were able to buy M-rated games in 2008, the number had been 42 percent in 2006 and between 60 percent and more than 80 percent in previous studies.

Also of note is that Gamestop was the lowest offender only allowing 6% of under age kids to purchase M rated games, while Hollywood Video was the worst offender allowing 40%.

One statement I do not agree with is the following:

Of course, the study seems to have been conducted before the April 29 release of Rockstar Games’ record-setting Grand Theft Auto IV, and I would be willing to bet that the numbers of under-17 kids able to buy that M-rated game is higher than the industry-wide numbers reported by the FTC.

Yet another writer trying to throw GTA IV under the bus and I have to disagree whole-heartedly that GTA IV would actually make that stat better. GTA IV was launched to so much hype that video game retailers were specifically instructed to check identification for this game. GTA IV is very hard to get for anyone under 17 as so much awareness has been raised around the games violence and very mature content.

This new statistic just shows to what lengths video game publishers and retailers have gone in order to protect our young youths.

Thank to Princess o for the tip.

[Via Cnet]