Good grades required to buy games?

[Brent]

Saw this on the news today, don't have a link to a story.

A game place here in Dallas has a new policy, they will not sell video games to students under 18 unless they show proof that they have good school grades. If they don't have good grades the store is not going to sell them video games. If they do have good grades the store will sell them video games. Already 12 people have been turned down.

Thoughts?

[Roody]

Is it a privately owned business?

[Comtrad]

Good idea, however I don't think they should regulate kids. That's the parents job.

[Indy]

It might work in the short term, but when you've got a million other stores willing to sell the games to kids, all it's going to do is restrict the amount of business they'll get.

[Izzo]

Wasted effort....they'll just get someone else to buy them...it's pointless.....and as mentioned who are they to dictate behavior?

[Brent]

Is it a privately owned business?

Ya know, they didn't say, but it looked like an EB or Gamestop in the background, could be wrong, i'll try to find a link.

[Brent]

Found it!

http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dw....c9704de6.html

Imagine a video game shop that reinforces good grades instead of undermining them?

Well that's just what we found at one retail store along I-20 where the manager, who happens to be married to a teacher, asks kids about school before making a sale.

He's not exactly a video game MVP but he wants every school-age client to know about another set of letters.

"He needs to be reading a book. He knows how to play Madden before he knows how to do his ABCs and 123s - that's backwards!" said GameStop manager Brandon Scott.

Scott manages a popular GameStop in south Dallas - and started a new policy this summer on his own.

No school-age customer can buy a video game unless an adult confirms that the child's getting good grades in school.

GameStop doesn't endorse or even know about the good-grade rule.

"I'm probably going to get in trouble for this, but to me it's worth it, because the kids understand that somebody cares," said Scott.

So far, parents and other adults like the concept.

"Well it makes sense. Why reward a kid with a game when he's not doing good in school?" said customer Robert Coulter.

So far, Scott has refused about two dozen sales.

But he says most of the students come back later, with good grades, to make a purchase.

And Scott has other unwritten policies.

"They know when they come in here, they do not curse, they do not use the N-word, pull your clothes up," Scott said.

He's even pledged to buy any video for a student on one condition.

"If you give me straight As with your teachers signature, endorsing it and your parent up here, I'll buy you a brand new game," Scott said.

"I was like, man he's going lose his job! But no I don't think so because I think there's got to be a point at which you put the kids and the value of education over the dollar," said Ann Fields.

[Roody]

Ya know, they didn't say, but it looked like an EB or Gamestop in the background, could be wrong, i'll try to find a link.

My view is it's their call if it's privately owned. Can't say I agree with their decision although I think they mean well. I agree with the others in that financially they will take a hit.

[Brent]

According to the poll there most approve of the policy.

[RoscoPColtrane]

sounds like a policy that the kids parents should be making, not the store. I applaud them for making the effort, when i used to work retail i refused to sell a couple games to under aged kids. Stupid ass parents would come in and buy it for them "its a video game how bad can it be".

I had a women return the game (grand theft auto vice city) the next day trying to get her money back. "i can't believe what is in this game" my response was that i told her how "adult" it was after i turned her kid down, she wanted it anyway. I politely showed her our store policy to not return opened games and informed her that game stop would be happy to take it in trade in for around 25 bucks (half of what she payed the day prior). She was pretty heated. then i reminded her that i tried to tell her and she said that i was right and she should have listened. From then on out she came to me for advice on what games to get her kids they were like 10 or so. Kinda funny how something like that will make a repeat shopper out of someone!

All in all we need adults to start acting like adults and parenting their children and these things wouldn't be issues.

[Kyle]

Out of business in a week, haha.

[downhill]

Out of business in a week, haha.

Maybe not a week but I think one can make a guess that it's not in their best interest.

[Joint Chiefs of Staff]

That's the parents job.

Ding Ding Ding

When I was growing my siblings and I couldn't do squat unless we made the honor roll each and every quarter. That meant no girlfriend, no phone calls, no sports, no school dances, no job, no car, no C64 or atari...nothing that was outside of normal school hours. In my parents eyes school was a priorty, everything else was secondary. Trust me, we kept our noses to the books and the honor roll.

[Mad_Haggis]

Buyer beware???

[burple]

Man with a game stop on every corner out here, that will not do much damage. We have at least 8 in Arlington alone and then a couple down the road in Mansfield and so on. . Ultimately the parents need to control the game time of their kids. Him refusing to sell will not stop them once they are home. Good to see somebody who actually cares and puts fourth an effort with good morals though.

[Brent]

I have 2 gamestops inside of 5 miles each in opposite directions, heh