User User name Password  
   
Tuesday 24.11.2009 / 07:50 AM
Search AfterDawn.com:        In English   Suomeksi   På svenska
afterdawn.com > news > oblivion gets 'mature' rating over topless mod
Show topics
News
News

Oblivion gets 'mature' rating over topless mod

4 May 2006 18:06 by James "Dela" Delahunty | 16 comments

Oblivion gets 'mature' rating over topless mod The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, a popular fantasy role-playing game co-published by Take-Two Interactive Software & Bethesda Softworks has had its rating changed due to a mod that makes female characters appear topless and also for "excessive gore". The Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) changed the rating from "teen" to "mature", which brands it only suitable for players aged 17 and over. This is the second time that a modification has resulted in a game developed or published by Take-Two receiving a tougher rating.

The board also said that the detail and intensity of the blood and gore was understated by Bethesda in its initial application. "We don't expect there to be a financial impact," Take-Two spokesman Jim Ankner said. Most copies of this game sold were for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console, whereas the mod is just for the PC version of the game. It was created by a third party to edit an art file in the PC version according to the ESRB.

Take-Two and Bethesda said in April that shipments of Oblivion were over 1.7m worldwide. Shares in Take-Two dipped less than 1 percent in extended trading after the rating board's announcement, then rebounded to $16.33, slightly above its Nasdaq close of $16.31.

Source:
Reuters


For gaming news and other content, please visit Blasteroids.com

Permalink to this article

Get AfterDawn's news to your favourite feed reader! Share this story with your friends!
 

 
Related articles:

  • Los Angeles sues Take-Two Interactive (29 January 2006)
  • Family Media Guide lists top ten violent games of 2005 (30 November 2005)
  • Schwarzenegger signs violent game restriction bill (9 October 2005)
  • First lawsuit filed over GTA minigame mod (28 July 2005)
  • Hot Coffee leaves San Andreas with AO rating (22 July 2005)
  • Hillary Clinton to target Rockstar over San Andreas sex mod (13 July 2005)
  • Investigation into San Andreas 'sex minigames' launched (8 July 2005)
  •  

    « Previous news article
    Nokia and ATI team up for multimedia devices
    Next news article »
    Blu-ray Disc titles delayed to next month
     Post your comment
    Discuss this article! 
    Gaara008 (Newbie) 4 May 2006 18:35 Send private message to this user   
    This is slightly ridiculous... if anyone has ever looked at some custom content for The Sims, it's a little more graphic than just some topless girls... I'm talking about sickos making dildos and sex rugs for your sims to use... and meshed on penises for your male sims...

    I don't see The Sims 2 going past Teen...
    kline958 (Newbie) 4 May 2006 19:00 Send private message to this user   
    Obviously, this is because EA pays for the ESRB's salaries.
    sisph (Junior Member) 4 May 2006 21:35 Send private message to this user   
    So what, are they saying that because a third party can modify a game that it automatically becomes the responsibility of the author?

    Isn't that like saying "I can draw a picture, I can sell you that picture, you can draw a butt on it, and I get in trouble?"

    It would be a problem if the game forces you to play topless women ( i don't think its about violence here). If its a third party mod you have to make a choice to download it and you have to willingly install it and view it. You don't have to play it.

    It'd be nice to have the download come with a warning of explicit material, but there is no legal precedent for having to have a disclamier when sharing software mods is there?

    They could have a mod of Hitler kicking babies but its not the fault of the author (who ultimately gets punished) but of the group who decided to make that mod.
    p4_tt (Senior Member) 5 May 2006 3:19 Send private message to this user   
    Seems like they have it in for Take2 1st Gta: SA now Oblivion i mean as said by Gaara008 The Sims 2 has a few more graphic mods and that's still Teen n ot to mention about a millions more games that has such mods :-/
    hot_ice (Senior Member) 5 May 2006 10:20 Send private message to this user   
    Elder Scrolls looks personally amazing as a game, and it doesn't really matter if the rating is mature unless you are a teen of course.
    esrever (Member) 5 May 2006 14:27 Send private message to this user   
    I just dowloaded and installed the mod simply out of curiosity. I just have to say that those are the saddest breasts I've ever seen. They don't even have nipples. It's like looking at a plastic barbie doll. Oh what is this world coming to. Apparently you have to be over 17 to see a naked plastic barbie doll now.
    borhan9 (AfterDawn Addict) 5 May 2006 23:33 Send private message to this user   
    Well i dont know why a 3rd party can get their hands on the software to make the mods. Well ok the PC version has up the rating but what about other formats.

    This is nothin new GTA as was said before has already gone through this.
    noprobalo (Inactive) 6 May 2006 12:32 Send private message to this user   
    Hillary Clinton, take a bow.

    Politicians have created this problem. They can get a lot more votes from overprotective mothers then underaged gamers if they take a stance againts "immorality" in videogames, so they let crap like this happen.

    No, it isn't justice.
    hot_ice (Senior Member) 6 May 2006 19:58 Send private message to this user   
    This is ridiculous, you go to the movies and the news, you see senseless violence, nobody flinches, you see people eviscerated, discombobulated, heads exploding, no reaction.

    You see a puppy get kicked on tv, everybody gasps all of the sudden. Its the same thing with video games, everybody dies, nobody really cares, nudity is in it, suddenly everybody rallies against it.

    Of course, these are all double standards. Oblivion shouldn't even get mature rating, it depicts fantasy violence.
    heappi (Senior Member) 7 May 2006 5:20 Send private message to this user   
    Out of curiosity: if someone makes a topless mod for "Barbie Horse Adventures" or "Caillou Four Seasons of Fun", would ESRB then hike the ratings from "Everyone" to "Mature" on those titles?
    hot_ice (Senior Member) 7 May 2006 15:22 Send private message to this user   
    Honestly, it doesn't matter either way, because most kids can purchase the games at Walmart without being I.D.'d anyways, there were even reporters that made a case analysis of this and came to the same conclusion.

    They can hike up their ratings to triple M, it won't make a difference because it is not taken seriously anyways.
    ZippyDSM (AfterDawn Addict) 7 May 2006 17:18 Send private message to this user   
    I love this if a company has moeny it can skip out on the "RATEINGS" or get them lowered look at Star wars ep 1-3 why are they PG and not PG13? >>

    Morrwind should be M sicne it had drug use and slavery in it altho at that time games were not under fire,its messed up to change the rateing for them both when they have not changed any out of the box the ESRB needs its bake bone back...
    jagwos42 (Newbie) 7 May 2006 20:25 Send private message to this user   
    i am not voting for hillary clinton now. i was gonna b4 cuz she is married to bill clinton but <noprobalo >
    is right, politicians are messing up my games. good thing i am over 18 and can buy my own games. and <noprobablo> underage gamers CAN vote when they hit 18 mmmmkkayy!
    ZippyDSM (AfterDawn Addict) 7 May 2006 20:29 Send private message to this user   
    jagwos42
    I was going to as well,but shes a do nothing politcaion and to add to it she is now one of THEM 0-o oh well we are better off trying tog et a 3rd party in I liek the green party.
    Chris1000 (Junior Member) 8 May 2006 10:11 Send private message to this user   
    Frankly, I would allow my 7 year old cousin to play Oblivion even with the topless mod. Why? Because walking down the street any day of the week in summer, she is likely to see naked or near naked boobs, and it doesn't hurt her then!
    She also sees more violence on the NEWS than she sees in this game.

    This is more about keeping children and teenagers ignorant of basic bodily functions/desires and anatomy so that they don't get the idea to "Hmm.... Maybe I'll ask Amber if I can touch her titties!"
    ZippyDSM (AfterDawn Addict) 8 May 2006 10:58 Send private message to this user   
    Chris1000
    the US is asinie about sexauilty and so anal about it we cant get enough,its like drugs if it we would leglize for personal use we would remove alot of the troubles that keep us from "winign the war"
    The US needs to take a LESS asain aproch to sexauilty it will never happen,age alws in some contrys like jaapan are 14+ it would be nice to see 16+,and 18 for drinking,but this contry is fcked up when you can go to war at 17 and not drink untill 20ish....

    This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 9 May 2006 7:27

     Post your comment
     

    Subscribe to our newsfeed

    Get the latest headlines delivered directly to your favourite RSS reader or content aggregation service by using the links below.

    AfterDawn.com: News - RSS feed
    Add to Google
    Add to My Yahoo!
    Add to MyMSN

    Search for headlines

    Search through our news archive.

    Last week's most popular software downloads

    Digital video: AfterDawn.com | AfterDawn Forums
    Music: MP3Lizard.com
    Gaming: Blasteroids.com | Blasteroids Forums | Compare game prices
    Software: Software downloads
    Blogs: User profile pages
    RSS feeds: AfterDawn.com News | Software updates | AfterDawn Forums
    International: AfterDawn in Finnish | AfterDawn in Swedish | download.fi
    Navigate: Search | Site map
    About us: About AfterDawn Ltd | Advertise on our sites | Rules, Restrictions, Legal disclaimer & Privacy policy
    Contact us: Send feedback | Contact our media sales team
     
      © 1999-2009 by AfterDawn Ltd.