Elder Scrolls IV rating change

[JoeQuaker]

http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=12604&rp=49

I've haven't played this game yet, but I have been keeping an eye on it. I looked up the topless patch for a screenshot... let's just say it's more tame than the National Geographic channel.

Towards the end of the story, I see this

Oblivion packaging already contains warnings for 'Violence' and 'Blood and Gore.'

So it would seem to me this is mostly about boobies.... lord forbid a 13 year old see pixelated boobies. I think the prudishness of things like this is pretty mind-boggling.

[Seldane]

The content causing the ESRB to change the rating involves more detailed depictions of blood and gore than were considered in the original rating, as well as the presence of a locked-out art file or 'skin' that, if accessed through a third party modification to the PC version of the game, allows the user to play with topless versions of female characters," said the ESRB in a release.

Idiots! "Locked out" -- obviously the PATCH adds the new textures, etc. What if someone would make another patch that allows you to mercilessly rape children or something of that nature -- THEN what would happen? Would they change the rating again?

[MonCapitan]

I think changing the rating over boobies is fucking stupid.  It should be M for blood and gore not naked tits.

[ViperD]

While the nudity part did trigger the ESRB to check into the game, the rating change is really because of the blood and gore. It was an over-site by the ESRB when they rated it T. I think most game sites have updated their news with the official response about it.

[JoeQuaker]

Hmm so the story has been updated. Well, I still think that violence, blood and gore were stated to begin with (at least that's what I read the old label said) clear enough for any parent to see, but I haven't actually played this game so I can't say to what degree of violence it really is. The fact that the game would need a rating change just over a patch that has to actually be added, and not an underlying element like hot coffee, makes re-rating this game seem ridiculous. I agree. Perhaps the media exploited the nudity aspect of the story? Imagine my shock (heh-heh).

Tecmos Deception 1 seemed very sadistic and violent to me playing it about 8 years or so ago... I believe it was rated T. But I guess we all know as time goes on, the rating system gets stricter and games become more graphic.
 
I remember picking up Leisure Suit Larry 3 from Babbages when I was about 13 Times have changed for sure...

[Dave Shadoff]

It sounded to me like the "real" models are layered 3-D wireframes - 1 for the body, and 1 for the "clothing", and that a mod could change the opacity of the clothing layer.  I understand this was done also in The Sims 2 - although hackers added shading for the areolas to complete the effect.

I think the change to "M" rating was done because too many people in the USA are too sensitive to this, and somehow think that "technically possible" = "accidentally likely".  They tried to deflect from the political nature of this decision by saying something like, "oh yeah, and on second thought it's more violent than we thought too...".

The really odd thing to me though, is how violence is often deemed less serious than sex in the USA.  It completely baffles me.

One "letter to the editor" of a web news service I often read, states it plainly when referring to the story:
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=31454  (about halfway down the page)

"Subject: Elder Scrolls Oblivion mod makes girls' tops fall off

I really have to laugh. Think about what tits are for, and then explain to me how the sight of them is harmful to children.

Jude Suszko"

[MonCapitan]

While the nudity part did trigger the ESRB to check into the game, the rating change is really because of the blood and gore. It was an over-site by the ESRB when they rated it T. I think most game sites have updated their news with the official response about it.

According to the response by Bethesda Softworks, they stated that they were given an extensive accounting of the content in the game.  I have a copy of the pre-rerated game and it states on the back "Blood and Gore" among other things.  The reason they re-rated the game was because of the digital boobies.  The game should have been rated "M" to begin with, but not because of a bunch of pixelated breasts.

If the ESRB actually played the fucking games they rated, this would not be a problem. 

If I sound a bit harsh, I apologise in advance.  It's just that it really pisses me off that nudity is treated as somehow being worse than violence.  That is an attitude that I vehemently disagree with.

[JoeQuaker]

More of the same...

E3 Expo Bans 'Booth Babes'
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,70075-0.html

Noooooo!!!!!!!

I got to thinking today... hmm E3 2006. Wonder what the booth babes look like this year and I come accross this story. Ok that's it. I've said it before, but I really mean it this time; I officially give up on American society 

[Guile]

hm the game has a guy naked and skined and tortued(db quest) plus you can see the horses, rats etc ass, also don't forget the blood, perfect dark only has blood( no gore or faul language) and is rated mature opposed to 007 being T