
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, December 10, 1993                   TAG: 9312100206
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B-11   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DOUG LESMERISES
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

THE LOCAL ANGLE

Glenn Lipscomb, manager of King Video, Roanoke: "It's a word-of-mouth sort of thing. Kids hear, `A guy grabs a guy's heart out in this game.' . . . We get a lot of preteens coming in with parents' membership cards. . . . Some parents have said, `I can't believe they'd make something like this.' "

Jeanne Gearhart, co-owner of Movie Express, Roanoke County: "The most popular games are the fight games like `Mortal Kombat' - the bloodier the better. That's what the kids want. The adults who rent, that's what they want, too. It's no longer the chase-around Pac-Man type of games. We do kind of monitor it. We let them know what it involves and leave it up to the parents' discretion. I think it's a good idea to try and rate them so the parents know what their kids are bringing home."

Brookes Beistel, manager of Omnivideo, Roanoke: "Ratings are a good idea, same as movies. Whether the parents pay attention or not is another thing.

Nick Gray, seasonal video game consultant at Toys-R-Us, Roanoke: "Violent games are selling really good. A lady called today about `Mortal Kombat' and asked if it was that graphic. For kids 13 and under, it's a bit much. Eventually, if the government steps in, it's going to be like tobacco and alcohol. You'll have to be 18 or 21 to buy it."

Dan Hankins, a Toys-R-Us shopper from Richlands, who has three sons, ages 7, 10 and 11: "We're very selective in what we let our guys play. `Mortal Kombat,' `Street Fighter,' we don't let them have those just fighting games. Parents should be informed. I don't really know what's in [the games.] It would be helpful to be given a little more information. All you have is the back of the box."

by CNB