Developer and Ratings Board Clash Over Oblivion

The epic RPG has been re-rated as suitable for mature gamers only.

The ESRB, which rates games in the US has changed the rating of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion to M for mature. The reason is that modders have managed to create topless characters in the game and the violence is bloodier than it previously thought.

"Rating changes are extraordinarily rare, but if ever one does occur, ESRB recognizes that parents must be made aware of the change as quickly as possible so they are certain to have the most current and accurate information," said ESRB president Patricia Vance.

Hal Halpin, president of the Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association added, "The pace at which the IEMA retailers reacted to the change in the ESRB rating for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion today stands as testament to the effectiveness and commitment to the industry's self-regulatory efforts."

Clearly the US industry is trying to show effective management compared to the ridiculous GTA Hot Coffee storm in a teacup, but at whose expense? Bethesda is not happy and has fired off a strong response to the rating change and the implications it has hidden elements of the game. Here are some extracts from its statement.

"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."

"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."

"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 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."

It looks an awful lot like Bethesda has become a political pawn for the ESRB to tinker with to avoid a repeat of the Hot Coffee scandal.

Source: Next-Gen