Children running to their nearest GameStop to buy GTA IV should think twice. A recent survey conducted by the Federal Trade Commission revealed that overall, 80% of underage shoppers were denied purchase of M-rated video games.

This is an improvement over a 2006 FTC survey, which indicated that a mere 42% were not allowed to make such purchases. The results are part of a larger nationwide survey on retailers’ vigilance against unaccompanied children purchasing CDs with the Parental Advisory Label, M-rated video games, tickets to R-rated movies, R-rated DVDs, and unrated DVDs that were R-rated in theaters.

In terms of M-rated games, the survey gathered data from eight major retail chains: Toys R Us, Wal-Mart, Hollywood Video, GameStop/EB Games, Kmart, Circuit City, Target, and Best Buy.

The results revealed that GameStop was the most stringent, refusing sales of M-rated titles to minors 96% of the time, followed by Wal-Mart’s 82%. On the other hand, the biggest offender was Hollywood Video, which turned down sales to minors only 60% of the time, followed by Circuit City with 62%.

Source: FTC.gov via Gamasutra.com

“No Wii’ing Here”

We thought corporate rogering had hit its peak with the Toys’R'Us “bend-over” bundle, which forced desperate parents to fork out $700 for a Wii shoved in with ten mostly cack games, all at full price. But now an independent retailer has gone one step further – they have taken orders and done a runner.

Up to 2,500 people are thought to be affected by the scam run by Ozone Electronics in Oldham, UK, who guaranteed a Wii would be delivered to customers by mid-December.

So far no-one appears to have got one. Ozone have since closed up shop, turned on the answer-phone and shut down their website, leaving the beleaguered web host to post a message about how affected peeps might be able to get their money back.

In hindsight, we may well pour scorn on the fact that Ozone guaranteed Wii’s at a time when Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime had already admitted there wouldn’t be enough, or indeed because they took the payment in advance. but we don’t suspect the average parent was looking beyond the fact their kids really wanted one.

Perhaps this, along with all the other examples of retailers raping the popularity of the Wii, will coax Reggie to organise some better distribution next year.

Meanwhile, the UK’s trading standards watchdog is attempting to trace the owners. Surprisingly, no one’s picking up the phone.

Read up on the victims.