Responsible Salesmanship

[Kommander]

While Christmas shopping earlier today at a local electronics store I had a rather interesting exchange with a grandmother and a sales dude:

Grandmother: Excuse me I was wondering if you could help me find some games for my grandson?

Sales Dude: Sure what games are you looking for?

Kommander: *Scans grandma, her belt line looks free of armaments, but that's an awfully big purse*

Grandmother: Well he wants Fallout 3 and House of the Dead 3.

Sales Dude: Well how old is he?

Grandmother: 12

Kommander and Sales Dude: NONONONONONO!

Sales Dude: Neither of those are age appropriate for him

Kommander: Fallout 3 is a great game but is really graphic, heads explodey and whatnot.

Sales Dude: And House of the Dead is basically a zombie shooting game. A bad zombie shooting game.

Granmother: Oh...um...perhaps I'll just get him a controller...

Now there are two big points here. The first is that the sales guy could have just given her the games she wanted, resulting in less hassle for him and a rather interesting Christmas for the grandsons family. However he actually did his job and made sure that Grandma did not do anything she might regret later. Kudos for him.

The second is that despite the best efforts of the ESRB people are still buying "Gore Fest 5000" for children and then getting upset at the game companies. This woman had actually been going over the Fallout 3 box for some time when she asked for help. The games rating (M 17+) and description (Blood and gore, intense violence, etc.) are right there on the fragging box. Perhaps the problem is that some members of the older generation still see modern video games as glorified versions of pong and whatnot. I dono. I just wish people would do a bit of research before buying something like that, or at least read the box.

[Fivetoes]

I don't know jack about those or any game, but I will wager the kid has already played them.

[Dedicated_Dad]

I don't know jack about those or any game, but I will wager the kid has already played them.

I think this:



Says it all.

I never thought I'd actually be able to use that pic in a serious thread...

I hate to say it, but it's a losing battle trying to keep kids from that sort of stuff.

No question - he's played it...

DD

[workinwifdakids]

The salesman proved a point I'm constantly screaming about: it is possible (and often not difficult) to both make money and do the right thing! Grandma Moses there still spent the money, and the salesman gets to make money and sleep easy.

There's a definition of citizenship!