Consumer Research

87% of parents are aware of the ESRB rating system
69% of parents are aware of content descriptors
76% of parents regularly check the rating before making a purchase
82% of the time parents agree with the ratings assigned by the ESRB
52% of parents say they "never" allow their children to play M-rated games with another 41% saying they "sometimes" do. Only 5% say they "generally" allow their children to play M-rated games. Parents who only have children under age 13 are more than twice as likely as those who only have children 13 and older to "never" allow their children to play M-rated games.

 

 

For those parents that at least sometimes allow their children to play M-rated games, they consider the following four key factors in making their decision:

• They plan to monitor or play the game with their children.
• They read the information on the game's package to determine if it is appropriate for their children.
• They are confident that their children know it is just a game and it's not real.
• Their children can handle what is in the game without it affecting their behavior.

 

Source: Peter D. Hart Research Associates, Awareness & Use [May 2009] and Validity [November 2005]

 

 

Federal Trade Commission

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has also conducted research about the ESRB rating system. Among their most recent findings:

 

89% of parents are involved in the purchase or rental of a video game for their child

87% of parents are aware of ESRB ratings

73% use ratings "all," "nearly all" or "most of the time" when buying games

87% reported being "very" to "somewhat" satisfied with ESRB ratings

93% said ESRB ratings are "moderately" to "very easy" to understand

 

Source: Federal Trade Commission Report to Congress, "Marketing Violent Entertainment to Children," April 2007.

 

The FTC also conducts nationwide undercover shops of movie theaters and movie, music, and video game retailers.  Their most recent survey found that 80% of individuals under the age of 17 were turned away when trying to purchase or rent M-rated games, “a major improvement from all prior surveys.”

 

Source: Federal Trade Commission nationwide undercover shop results, May 2008 (press release).