What a difference a year makes.

In its 2005 Annual Video Game Report Card the National Institute on Media & Family gave the ESRB a big, red  F for accuracy of video game ratings. And it didn't stand for "fine."

That was in the wake of the Hot Coffee scandal, of course. This time around the game industry did far better in the eyes of Dr. David Walsh's organization, earning B's for "Ratings Education" and "Retailer Policies."

Console makers scored an A for their system's built-in parental controls, and big box retailers grabbed their own A for ratings enforcement. Specialty game retailers, however, were tagged with an F.

NIMF spanked parents with an "incomplete" grade, saying moms and dads of young gamers "could be, and should be, doing a lot better..."

The report card is being released today at a Washington, D.C. news conference jointly held by NIMF executive director Dr. David Walsh and Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), a longtime supporter of the the organization and its work.

GamePolitics, however, snuck into the principal's office for an advance peek at the grades. Highlights include unexpected kudos for the video game business:

This year we acknowledge the strides taken by... the industry. For example, the major retailers have made real progress in fulfilling their commitment to restrict the sale of mature-themed games.

Industry representatives have also been willing to participate in meaningful discussions, including a national summit we co-hosted this fall.

In the report NIMF acknowledges the increasingly important role of video games in modern youth culture:

The fact is video games are here to stay. Increasingly, they play a large role in the lives of young people.

But the watchdog organization found a significant divide between how parents and kids view gaming:

Parents are falling behind... this year’s parental survey uncovered an alarming gap between what kids say about the role of video games in their lives and what parents are willing to admit... This much is certain: too many of us do not seem to exercise enough control.

While lauding big box retailers such as Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Target, the NIMF report card slams specialty video game retailers, although none are named specifically. Explaining the F awarded to game shops, NIMF said:

Unfortunately, specialty stores seem more interested in making money than anything else. Despite years of scrutiny and repeated promises to clean up their act, it is still far too easy for kids to purchase inappropriate games at such stores.

To be fair, NIMF's secret shopper survey data is based on a relatively low sample size. And, without naming specific specialty retailers, it's difficult to place the failing grade in any sort of context.

NIMF also expresses concerns about game addiction and the contribution of excessive gaming to childhood obesity. The report card calls for more research, saying:

Last year we said that every child who plays video games is undertaking a powerful developmental experiment - the results of which we don't understand... We need more research on the ways interactive entertainment affects child health an development.

The recent National Summit on Video Games, Youth and Public Policy comes in for prominent mention. The report card promises that in coming weeks summit participants will release a "ten-year plan" to limit underage access to violent and sexually-explicit video games.

While the failing grade will surely provoke outrage among specialty game retailers, the 2006 report card isn't likely to send shockwaves through the industry the way last year's harsh criticism of the ESRB did.

Readers can download the 2006 Video Game Report Card here.