The Parents Television Council criticized retailers this week for what they say is an “abysmal” performance enforcing the ESRB’s ratings (via Gamasutra).
In an a recent “action alert,” the group reported that 19 percent of their secret shoppers aged 12 to 16 were able to purchase M-rated games in 14 markets across the U.S. The PTC sent 109 secret shoppers to stores including GameStop, Toys R Us and Target.
According to the group’s breakdown, their shoppers were able to purchase M-rated game in 56 percent of Kmart/Sears stores. The second highest total Blockbuster with 33 percent. While the group criticized the ESRB, the overall results are down from the 35 percent that were able to purchase the games in 2008.
