Concern over game adverts

ADVERTISEMENTS in computer-game magazines aimed at children are giving cause for concern, the Advertising Standards Authority said yesterday.

The industry watchdog found there were problems with 10 out of 25 publications examined in a 1993 survey.

'Typically, these problems stemmed from advertisements for expensive electrical products featured in computer- games magazines,' the authority said in its annual report. 'Those titles which did give rise to concern will be subject to close scrutiny in 1994.'

The report added: 'We discovered that some publications, reaching readers as young as eight, contained advertisements for products well beyond that age group's average spending capacity. This revived concerns about 'pester power' used on parents.'