RF Generation Message Board

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/704/704734p1.html

Basically: "Oblivion Rating Switched to Mature
An unlockable topless skin prompts the ESRB to switch its label."

And here is exactly what the article says:

"May 3, 2006 - In a surprise move from the ESRB, the rating for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion has been changed from Teen to Mature, reflecting, among other things, the discovery of a locked skin allowing players to make their on-screen female heroes topless. A third-party modification unlocks the skin in the PC version.



The Entertainment Software Ratings Board, which manages parental advisory ratings for videogames sold in the United States, also found Oblivion contained "more detailed depictions of blood and gore than were considered in the original rating."

According to an ESRB Parental Advisory today, Bethesda will soon provide a patch which removes the topless skin from the PC version of Oblivion. The new rating, however, applies to both the PC and Xbox 360 versions of the game.

The rating change echoes, albeit in less dramatic form, the ESRB's reaction to the notorious "Hot Coffee" content locked in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The group changed the hit title's rating to Adults Only in reaction to the hidden sexual content, prompting several major retailers to pull the title from shelves until a Rockstar released a patched, Mature-rated version.

The Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association, a games retail organization, was quick to congratulate its members on their response to Oblivion's new rating.

"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," commented IEMA president Hal Halpin.

According to the IEMA, many retailers have already taken action. "When we were notified of the game's ratings change today, we alerted our member company representatives who communicated to their stores the change in the game's rating," said Halpin. "The effective change in sales policy was immediate. In fact, several major retailers changed the cash register prompt tied to the bar code of the game (a technology which prompts cashiers to ask for ID)."

Bethesda did not offer comment at the time of this writing.

Games rated "M" for Mature are intended for sale only to those 17 or older. Oblivion's previous rating of "T" for Teen indicated the title was appropriate for players age 13 and up."

And so it begins, well continues, well yeah. Stupid Rockstar, oh well, I'm 18 now so it doesn't matter.

Good job Rockstar thanks for screwing the industry over!!!!!!!!!!! Now please go make the 15th GTA to be released!!!!!!

Who cares?

It has already been out for awhile.
T rated versions are still going to be available.
And they are going to "patch" new versions to keep the T rating.

Hot Coffee was a HUGE joke.
This is just stupid.

I didn't realise that a new M rated "patched" version was released for GTA.
That means 3 variatiosn for that game bare minimum for those paying attention ;)
Same for Elder Scrolls now ;)

I think it's pathetic that these games receive a different rating based on content that can only be unlocked by third party, aftermarket hacks/mods.  

Are most people smart enough, or even patient enough, to bother using these hacks just to see pixelated boobs?  My life just isn't that boring.

The funny thing is there's a sex mini game that's readily available in God of War but that's only rated M but they changed the rating for GTA when a they discovered that you could download a Mod for hot coffee.

Well god of war only has boobies and, once you start the game, a shaking table. Hot Coffee has everything out in the open, at least animation wise. But it is true, there're nude patches for lots of PC games, Tomb Raider, Morrowind, Sims etc.