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Oblivion's rating gets bumped from "T" to "M"

Queasy

Queasy

Moderator<br>Console Gaming
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In a highly unusual move, the Entertainment Software Ratings Board yesterday changed the rating of a popular Xbox 360 and PC game from T (Teen) to M (Mature) based on hidden and not-so-hidden blood, gore and nudity built into the game.

?Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion? is a critically acclaimed role-playing game that has been a strong seller for the Xbox 360 console and for PC players. While the game?s rating will be changed on boxes currently on store shelves, and younger players may now be required to show ID to purchase the title, it?s unlikely that it will be pulled from sale, since most stores do sell M rated games.

Players will not accidentally stumble across the sexual content in the game, which is not accessible by any means in the Xbox version. The blood and gore, the ESRB said, is stronger in the game than originally represented in the videos submitted for its rating.

Has your family purchased a copy of ?Elder Scrolls?? Are you concerned at all about the ratings change? We?d like to hear from you ? e-mail Heather Newman at hnewman@freepress.com with your thoughts.
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Originally posted by: Whitecloak
I feel it deserves a M rating because some of the quests were really dark.
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Yeah, but stories like these are playing up the boobie mod over the the dark and gorey sidequests.
 
Originally posted by: Queasy
Originally posted by: Whitecloak
I feel it deserves a M rating because some of the quests were really dark.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but stories like these are playing up the boobie mod over the the dark and gorey sidequests.
Click to expand...

Meanwhile, the entire EU is shaking its collective head, then going back to watching thinly veiled lesbian pr0n with a product label on the end. 😛

- M4H
 
Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
Originally posted by: Queasy
Originally posted by: Whitecloak
I feel it deserves a M rating because some of the quests were really dark.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but stories like these are playing up the boobie mod over the the dark and gorey sidequests.
Click to expand...

Meanwhile, the entire EU is shaking its collective head, then going back to watching thinly veiled lesbian pr0n with a product label on the end. 😛

- M4H
Click to expand...

Yes, because God forbid we don't all agree on everything here in America. Oh wait, God doesn't exist in the EU either...never mind.
 
Bethesda's Response
The ESRB has revoked their Teen rating for The Elder Scrolls® IV: Oblivion? for the PC and the Xbox 360 and has assigned the game a new rating of Mature. The ESRB reports that this is due to content in the game that was not fully disclosed when rating the game initially. Bethesda, not its co-publisher, developed the game, handled the ratings application before the ESRB, and stands behind it.

Bethesda will promptly implement the ratings change that the ESRB has ordered for Oblivion. We will not contest the ESRB?s decision to re-rate the game as Mature, nor will we change the game?s content to keep a Teen rating. We believe that this critically acclaimed game is not typical of Mature rated titles, and does not present the central themes of violence that are common to those products.


Bethesda will work with its co-publisher to place new "M" rating stickers on Oblivion packaging now at retail and in warehouses, and will reflect the change in rating on newly manufactured product. No product recall is being directed.

In light of the public comments that are being made about this matter, and to respond to questions we are being asked, we are releasing this statement to be on record about the circumstances giving rise to Oblivion?s change in rating.

Bethesda Softworks made what it believes was a full, accurate, and comprehensive submission on Oblivion to the ESRB months before the game?s release. Bethesda used the ESRB?s application forms and believes it adhered closely to their requirements. Nothing was hidden from the ratings agency. No effort was made by Bethesda to lobby or influence the agency for any particular rating.

The ESRB has concluded that the game deserves a rating of Mature because: 1) partial nudity in the PC version of the game can be created by modders; and 2) the game contains excessive blood and gore that go beyond a Teen rating. The facts are as follows:

There is no nudity in Oblivion without a third party modification. In the PC version of the game only ? this doesn?t apply to the Xbox 360 version ? some modders have used a third party tool to hack into and modify an art archive file to make it possible to create a mesh for a partially nude (topless) female that they add into the game. Bethesda didn?t create a game with nudity and does not intend that nudity appear in Oblivion. There is no nude female character in a section of the game that can be "unlocked." Bethesda can not control tampering with Oblivion by third parties. Bethesda is taking steps to ensure that modders can not continue to hack into Oblivion?s art archives to create partially nude figures.

With regard to violence, Bethesda advised the ESRB during the ratings process that violence and blood effects were "frequent" in the game ? checking the box on the form that is the maximum warning. We further advised that the game contained occasional torture, vulgar acts, and gore. We gave accurate answers and descriptions about the type and frequency of violence that appears in the game. We submitted a 60-page document listing the explicit language, acts, and scenes in the game. Oblivion packaging already contains warnings for "Violence" and "Blood and Gore."

We value the role of the ESRB and believe the rating agency plays a valuable role in regulating our industry. As always, we will continue work in good faith to comply fully with the ESRB?s standards and policies.

We remain enormously proud of Oblivion and the standard of excellence in game development it represents. Oblivion is one of the highest rated games of all time and one of the most popular games available on the Xbox 360 and the PC. We greatly appreciate the understanding and support of our fans
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Originally posted by: bunnyfubbles
Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
Originally posted by: Queasy
Originally posted by: Whitecloak
I feel it deserves a M rating because some of the quests were really dark.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but stories like these are playing up the boobie mod over the the dark and gorey sidequests.
Click to expand...

Meanwhile, the entire EU is shaking its collective head, then going back to watching thinly veiled lesbian pr0n with a product label on the end. 😛

- M4H
Click to expand...

Yes, because God forbid we don't all agree on everything here in America. Oh wait, God doesn't exist.
Click to expand...

Full stop. 😛

- M4H
 
Sounds like a reasonable ratings change. Oblivion deserves an M rating, so do a lot of other games that are rated T.

The real value of an M rating is, it makes it more likely a parent will know what kind of game their kid is playing, which is a good thing.

 
Umm there IS a Sims "nude patch" why doesn't it get an "M"? I can understand the violence part but to mention that part of the decision is because of a mod is stupid.
 
I'm sure someone could create a nude mod for the latest Dora the Explorer game too if they really wanted to, might as well just yank that off the shelves now.
 
i remember when the second TES game came along, Daggerfall. it had boobies everywhere and nobody cared.
 
The boobies arent even good in it. No bouncing and every race has a b-cup. What a jip. Wheres my sxy elf with dd cup titties?
 
Wait a minute, why aren't bare breasts acceptable for teens? Teens love titties!

From what I recall a topless person is acceptable for a PG-13 movie, so why not a Teen rating for a game? Some of the quests are really dark and gruesome though, so I can at least agree a little bit with the rating. I just finished the Dark Brotherhood, creepy stuff.
 
Originally posted by: nakedfrog
There's explicit language in it? None comes to mind in 30 hours of gameplay thus far.
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I've heard a couple damns. About it, lol.

However, the Dark Brotherhood Quests, you know, sneaking into people's houses and murdering them, are worthy of Mature.

However, it seems the breast textures, which you have to mod to get to, are behind this. Which is just retarded.
 
You can only do the mod w/ the PC version. If you're gonna buy a game just to see digital boobies, you need to kill yourself.
 
Originally posted by: Whitecloak
I feel it deserves a M rating because some of the quests were really dark.
Click to expand...

Are you just mad that you don't have a flashlight and can't see or what?
 
This game is boss, I love killing things on hills and watching their body's roll down and bounce off stuff.

The Dark Brotherhood quests are definitely dark, and you can kill a woman in the game then strip her down to her undergarmets...
 
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