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Kalia
Eager Tradesman
Joined: 07 Jan 2005
Posts: 30
Location: Arizona |
| Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion - ESRB Rating Changed to Mature @ |
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Slashdot carried a snippet from a <a href="http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=12604&rp=49">larger article at Game Daily</a> indicating that the rating for Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion has been changed from "T"een to "M"ature. They likened it to the McDonald's coffee scandal of several years ago. <blockquote><em>The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has just sent word that the rating assigned to Bethesda's and 2K Games' The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion has been changed from T (Teen 13+) to M (Mature 17+). "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.</em></blockquote>Read the whole article <a href="http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=12604&rp=49" target="_blank">here</a>. |
Wed May 03, 2006 10:02 pm |
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Guest
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They should change to rating to C for CRAP  |
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Wed May 03, 2006 10:03 pm |
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Guest
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*the |
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Wed May 03, 2006 10:04 pm |
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Mike Russo
Guest
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By "Hot Coffee", they're referring to the user mod for GTA: San Andreas which unlocked sexual content, not the tort case where McDonald's was held liable for serving its coffee at close to 200 degrees (the case is often brought up to suggest how bad the tort system really is, but in fact the coffee was known to the company to be a scalding hazard). |
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Wed May 03, 2006 10:08 pm |
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Moriendor
Black Ring Leader
Joined: 19 Jul 2001
Posts: 1306
Location: Germany |
Well, I think that the "tittage" argument is pretty silly (just like with GTA: SA) since 1) you need to mod the game first, i.e. you have to knowingly and willingly unlock the content and 2) I don't think that digital boobies really negatively affect people and especially not people of age 13+. I was playing the hell out of Sam Fox Strip Poker on C64 when I was 12 or something like that and I don't really recall passing out or anything when I got to the final "level"  .
However, the "more detailed depictions of blood and gore" is a different story and I think that the decision to up the game to "M" is justified. There's some pretty disturbing stuff happening towards the end of the Dark Brotherhood quest line that definitely made me wonder for a moment how in the world Oblivion scored a "T" rating. Nothing that's really disgusting (like Soldier of Fortune-type of disgusting) but still bad enough to make you kind of wonder about the original rating. |
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Wed May 03, 2006 10:35 pm |
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Moxie
Eager Tradesman
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 38
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Yeah, am I the only one surprised to find out it wasn't already M? The game isn't overly gory, but there's a lot of blood splatters and macabre body parts the Necromancers have laying around.
I'd agree that bare, non-sexualized breasts aren't a concern and are a far-cry from the simulated intercourse of Hot Coffee. Latent skins that went unused also seem a lot different than an entire gameplay system hidden in the code. I wonder if the Oblivion skins were nipple-less if it would be a problem. I'd hope that developers don't have to start worrying about people just modding their characters with flesh tones and having to be responsible.
It does surprise me that violence gets off easy.
Finally, why is it that only San Andreas and Oblivion get hit like this. Do people only target top-selling titles with these changes. It's too coincidental that only two big-sellers would be forced to change ratings. Beyond the fact that greater exposure allows for greater evaluation, it seems like these moves are backed by those who just want to show that games in general are bad. |
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Wed May 03, 2006 11:40 pm |
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Kalia
Eager Tradesman
Joined: 07 Jan 2005
Posts: 30
Location: Arizona |
I edited the coffee reference to correctly reflect the GTA fiasco. Thanks for the correction.  |
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Thu May 04, 2006 12:08 am |
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Sid Fynch
Eager Tradesman
Joined: 02 Apr 2006
Posts: 29
Location: Chiba, Japan |
Why does this American organization, the ESRB, use vague, arbitrary ratings like T and M? Age 13+ to Age 17+? Is there a difference or a point?
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Deep Throat, Faces of Death, Rambo and the Iraq war are all American made. What rating do those get?
_________________
"No one can disgrace us but ourselves."
Josh Billings
"Nature uses as little as possible of anything.”
Johannes Kepler |
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Thu May 04, 2006 12:15 am |
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Moxie
Eager Tradesman
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 38
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I don't think T and M are too vague or arbitrary. There is a certain sense of consistency and I believe the content notes like "comic mischief" and "drug use" make the guides much clearer than movie ratings. Overall, the ESRB has been a decent self-imposed system. The stakes are now getting higher as stores adopt the ratings into how they stock shelves. It's intended to be a courtesy to consumers, but is stressing when it affects art. I think the biggest problem is the lack of a real understanding and philosophy of ethics in an interactive environment.
As for the films:
Texas Chainsaw Massacre - R (both '74 & '03 versions)
Deep Throat - not sure; if it's rated, it's NC-17, but IMDB doesn't display it
Faces of Death - not rated (bootleg-esque)
Rambo - R
Iraq War - if they make a movie about the combat, it will be R; Gunner Palace was a critical film made by soldiers who lived in one of Sadam's palaces and that was PG-13 (though it used the F-word 43 times, which is the new record for PG-13 movies).
Ratings still don't have laws backing them as the first amendment makes it impossible for them to stick (Librarians fought for and won the right for children to browse porn in public libraries over here). Two laws forbidding the sale of M-rated games to minors have already been struck down and a judge in Michigan stated that games deserve greater speech protections than other media due to their interactive nature. Oklahoma is trying to pass a law that makes buying an M-rated game for a minor criminal and the Video Game Voter network wants me to stand against it. I'm not worried though as it will almost be better if that law gets passed, because it will definitely get overturned by the courts and that will set even greater precedent against similar laws. |
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Thu May 04, 2006 1:34 am |
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Father Omally
Guest
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| Praise be to the fair ESRB! |
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Woe be to the hungry mongrel who seeing two bones but could only have one went in circles of sinful stagnation chasing both in its greed! Bethesda manipulative decievers of what is decided to go the quick route of titillation and the ways of violent instant gratification instead of releasing a quality rpg with depth and now are reaping the fruits of what they have sown.Perhaps now we shall be blessed with a complete game and not suffer the witch to burn with this incomplete work of gaming ungodliness!
Thank you oh sacred ESRB for lighting a holy bonfire under the fannies of sloth within the once great worshipped Bethesda. See how false idols fall before the raging throng of once faithful fans that made them gods of gaming. |
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Thu May 04, 2006 1:50 am |
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TheMadGamer
High Emperor
Joined: 03 May 2002
Posts: 487
Location: Southern California |
quote:
Originally posted by Sid Fynch
Why does this American organization, the ESRB, use vague, arbitrary ratings like T and M? Age 13+ to Age 17+? Is there a difference or a point?
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Deep Throat, Faces of Death, Rambo and the Iraq war are all American made. What rating do those get?
Dumbest post of the day! Congratulations you win the internet! /golfclap
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The Poster Previously Known As NeptiOfPovar |
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Thu May 04, 2006 2:12 am |
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Guest
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| The unrepentent Bethesda blames Modders! |
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What a sad thing it is my Brothers and Sisters of the gaming faith when one reads at Gamespots website of Bethesda's cowardly reply to the honorable ratings change by the ESRB to mature.Instead of taking responsibility for misleading the ESRB they instead blame the Modders for "HACKING" into their art resources to commit foul acts of perverted nudity! Have they not realized that if not for the nudity texture they included on their Oblivion dvds it would not be possible to create such a nude skin in the first place! At least not for awhile since the proper tools of modeling modding divinity have yet to be released by Bethesda.How despicable to blame the modding community for their troubles. Verily i say to you all Bethesda has called down much wrath upon themselves. |
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Thu May 04, 2006 2:58 am |
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Father Omally
Guest
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| The unrepentent Bethesda blames Modders! |
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What a sad thing it is my Brothers and Sisters of the gaming faith when one reads at Gamespots website of Bethesda's cowardly reply to the honorable ratings change by the ESRB to mature.Instead of taking responsibility for misleading the ESRB they instead blame the Modders for "HACKING" into their art resources to commit foul acts of perverted nudity! Have they not realized that if not for the nudity texture they included on their Oblivion dvds it would not be possible to create such a nude skin in the first place! At least not for awhile since the proper tools of modeling modding divinity have yet to be released by Bethesda.How despicable to blame the modding community for their troubles. Verily i say to you all Bethesda has called down much wrath upon themselves. |
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Thu May 04, 2006 2:59 am |
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Guest
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that is bs since modders can already make their own textures and have been for awhile. You don't have to have 3d studio max and the exporter to make a texture. If someone wanted to they could bring one of the nude textures from morrowind and bring it over to Oblivion (which would look a lot better) but I guess noone has bothered yet.
PS. Actually modders can bring some new models into Oblivion already and have done so using Nif Scope to replace models within nif files. |
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Thu May 04, 2006 6:33 am |
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Father Omally
Guest
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| Hark! The Lord of gaming brings us buetiful nudity |
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Tis true and i stand humbly corrected Sir Guest  For the just God of gaming who stands by the faithful has shown me with righteous guidance and his fatherly giving heart of miracles blossoming a website on the eternal internet highway that caters to the interest au natural of full bodied nudity in all its glory and undie garments fragrantly perfumed with heavenly roses from the very gardens of paradise! Truly the Lord of gaming works in mysterious ways rewarding the loyal fans while punishing the piggish sniveling greed of Bethesda who would throw their trusting modding customers in front of a speeding bullet meant for them. |
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Thu May 04, 2006 7:03 am |
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