Grand Theft Auto is NOT child appropriate.
A woman and her two sons (ages 9 and 11 I would guess) come up to my express lane. She pays for her things and the one boy (9 ish) has a few things he is using a gift card to buy. I start to ring him up when I am done with her. He has in his purchase Grand Theft Auto. I am of course promed for ID. I could have just hit K1 seeing as he was with his mother, but something inside me had me ask if I could see her ID (she didn't look to young I just forgot I could hit k1). She had forgotten it and just as I was about to she asked why I needed to see it. I explained that the game was of mature content and we can't sell it to anyone under 17. She was a little surprized and the conversation followed...
Her: Really? Why is that
Me: It is rated M for mature content. I can't sell it to them without your consent.
Her: ::::looking worried and glancing at the boys::: I don't even know what the game is about.
Me: I've never played it but from what I've heard it is very graphic, violent and you can pick up prostitutes and such.
Her: :::::EYES WIDE AND JAW DROPS::::
Me: Did you want me to remove it from his purchase? ::death stares from kids::
Her: YES! we will go back and find something else
GUY BEHIND HER: If you look on the corner of the game it has a rating. This game is really not for kids, some M aren't so bad though but you should research them, ask video game geeks like me.
Her: My husband is a police sargent and he always asks me why I buy the kids the games I do and I've had to return a lot of them. Thanks now that I know this I'll make sure to check
::::::::::::::::::Woman Leaves:::::::::::::::::
She comes back about 20 mins later with a Cars racing game and again thanks me repeatedly for informing her of the content of the video game. The 9 year old seems content with the new game but death stares are coming from the 11 year old still.
I can only imagine what the husband would have had to say to his wife if he walked in and saw his boys playing Grand Theft Auto (San.. something or ever edition).
Her: Really? Why is that
Me: It is rated M for mature content. I can't sell it to them without your consent.
Her: ::::looking worried and glancing at the boys::: I don't even know what the game is about.
Me: I've never played it but from what I've heard it is very graphic, violent and you can pick up prostitutes and such.
Her: :::::EYES WIDE AND JAW DROPS::::
Me: Did you want me to remove it from his purchase? ::death stares from kids::
Her: YES! we will go back and find something else
GUY BEHIND HER: If you look on the corner of the game it has a rating. This game is really not for kids, some M aren't so bad though but you should research them, ask video game geeks like me.
Her: My husband is a police sargent and he always asks me why I buy the kids the games I do and I've had to return a lot of them. Thanks now that I know this I'll make sure to check
::::::::::::::::::Woman Leaves:::::::::::::::::
She comes back about 20 mins later with a Cars racing game and again thanks me repeatedly for informing her of the content of the video game. The 9 year old seems content with the new game but death stares are coming from the 11 year old still.
I can only imagine what the husband would have had to say to his wife if he walked in and saw his boys playing Grand Theft Auto (San.. something or ever edition).