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Reality check time. Very few people actually pay attention to rating systems period. This is why companies like Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft are reluctant to allow adult rated games on their respective consoles. They are well aware that the general public is pretty damn stupid. These companies would get blamed for a mature game even if they placed a glowing red not for kids sign on the cover.

This is not simply a matter of a bad game rating system either. The same can be said of movies, books, and magazines. Kids can actually go out and buy movies that exceed their age. Hell they can just turn on the cable and find uncensored violence and pornography. Nobody polices print at all. Have you ever seen a ratings stamp on a novel. Have you read some of the magazines on the shelves.

I have worked in grocery retail. In my state it is unlawful for a grocery store to sell alcohol on Sundays. That has been the law for decades. So every person who is of legal age should easily be aware that they cannot be alcohol on that particular day. There are signs all over the liquor sections stating that you cannot purchase these products on that day. This is damn near universal. Any store that carries alcohol that is not a specialty store will have these signs up. What did the employees end up doing on Sunday night well drag four carts full of alcohol back to the shelf. People still put them in the carts and tried to buy them.

This is exactly what happens with violent games. People do not take these ratings seriously. The customer does not take it seriously, the staff does not take them seriously, and the media just ignores the issue. We seem to place ratings on things to make ourselves feel better. Not that we actually intend to use them. Since we obviously do not.

The company is not at fault, and Sony is not at fault. Now if someone is at fault we are all at fault, and to the original poster thank you for taking the time to remedy the immediate situation. That is the best you can do raise awareness since most people tend to be oblivious. Talk to the store manager and make them aware of why it is inappropriate.

I hate to think that our only option at this point is to start fining people, and handing out jail time. However that seems to be the only way ratings will get taken seriously. When people can afford to be oblivious to something they tend to be.

The terrible reality is that the console manufacturers seem to be the only ones setting any standards to keep adult games out of the hands of children. They recently stone walled Manhunt 2 by their own ratings cap. They cannot afford to discontinue mature games from their consoles. Adults need games too, and deserve the right to be able to buy them.