Petty reasons for the "M" rating

[pwnzerstick]

I was playing Just Cause 2, and I've noticed that three of the reasons for it's mature rating are: drug reference, language, and sexual themes. Playing through it, I have barley seen any drug reference (a martini and some beer bottles at the most), the language never goes beyond "crap" (double entendre), and I haven't seen any sexual themes anywhere. I'm reminded of how Modern Warfare 2 contained drug reference, where the only thing shown is Soap with a ciggarette for 2 seconds. In Just Cause 2 I could imagine that the game would be rated T if these three reasons were removed, but they seem so petty to have listed, especialy since it is pushing it up to an M rating. Do you think that the smallest amount of drugs or language should always be listed, or that these reasons are so small that they should be removed from the information due to people thinking that the game contains more adult content then it realy does?

 

[pretentiousname01]

The esrb is a bunch of old fogies.

Video games are the newest movies, rock music etc that will corrupt the minds of the youth.

I remember a time when you could not have a man and a woman sitting on the same bed. Without the man having at least one foot on the floor. Or why do you think trains going through tunnels is such a place holder for a sex scene.

Its better to over rate something than underate it then get sued.

 

[Marter]

Whatever reason the first Halo was given. That game should not have been rated "M".

 

[SyphonX]

Considering that they can show damn near anything on TV, such as CSI shows, with only.. "Viewer Discretion Advised".. (right, because parents are going to rush to provide discretion for their child).. and games are forced to do this, is absurd.

CSI shows can sometimes feature rave parties, alcohol, hardcore drug use, vivid rape scenes, mutilation and autopsies, murder, sexual encounters.. Everything. In one episode, all at "viewer discretion advised".

What is that shit? It's insane. But don't worry, showing the top 2 inches of a woman's ass crack is against the rules. My word.

 

[Omikron009]

I've heard that if the violence in a game is realistic, but not quite intense violence, it can still gain an M rating. I asked why Bad Company 2 had an M rating beyond swearing when I got it and it's apparently because of all the physics based violence and death and so forth, so maybe that also applies to Just Cause 2. I still think it's bullshit, of course.

 

[theSovietConnection]

I have barley seen any drug reference

The drug references start getting heavier as you get into the game, you're actually collecting lost drug shipments for one of the factions as part of the mini collect quest.

Anyway,I have to agree with Halo. There really wasn't a whole lot of anything, the only reason I can think of them giving it an M would be the Flood.

 

[Chamale]

When you don't agree with the ratings board, their ratings seem completely stupid. The movie Nothing is rated 18A in the US for a few instances of the word "Fuck" (the box doesn't mention violence), and rated 18A in Canada for a scene where someone is decapitated with a hacksaw.

In video games, the gulf between a high M rating and low M rating seems to be wider than the gulf between a low M rating and a T rating. Compare Battlefield: Bad Company with Bad Company 2, then compare Bad Company 2 to Madworld or Fallout 3.

 

[bassdrum]

Whatever reason the first Halo was given. That game should not have been rated "M".

Well, the first Halo was a little bit more justifiable--it was actually reasonably bloody (granted, the blood was mostly purple, but still). However, Halo 3 was less violent/bloody/profane than the Uncharted franchise, but somehow got slapped with an 'M'.

I can't think of specific examples at the moment (it's late, I'm tired, I'll come up with some later if I can be bothered to), but I've frequently wondered what the hell the ESRB was thinking to rate some games the way they do. All too often, games will be over- or under-rated by the ESRB, and while it's not a problem for me, I can see some tightass parent letting their kid play a game like the first Uncharted that's on the line between T and M--between the reasonably bloody violence and the neck snapping, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch for an overprotective mother or father to force their child to give up gaming.

Basically, the ratings system is a little bit broken (they don't even play the games, they watch a short highlight reel of the most offensive bits). So really, any short reference to drugs, sex, alcohol, etc. can be considered indicative of the whole game if it appears on screen for a few seconds.

 

[apelsz]

Persona 4, for "Language" (nothing beyond shit) and "Alcohol references" (where the people were just drunk of the atmosphere, not alcoholic liquid) and the ever present in JRPGs "Fantasy violence". T at the most.

 

[Eldritch Warlord]

Whatever reason the first Halo was given. That game should not have been rated "M".

I was going to say that. Joe Staten (Bungie's "story guy") apparently thinks that the religious motivations of the Covenant combined with the recent 9/11 terrorist attacks influenced the decision.

Then I guess the sequels were just rated the same out of a sense of tradition or something. Halo: CE is certainly the most deserving of it's M rating out of the entire series.

 

[Irridium]

I remember they re-rated the PC version of Halo 2 to contain "partial nudity" because of Cortana.

I also remember Oblivion was rated from "T" to "M" because of some modders making nude body replacers and because of that one part in the Dark Brotherhood questline.

Spoiler: Dark Brotherhood questline spoilers within

When they find where Lucian Lechance is hiding and hang is corpse upsidown.

People are just freaking way the fuck out right now over a threat that isn't real.

Hopefully it will pass.

 

[pretentiousname01]

I remember they re-rated the PC version of Halo 2 to contain "partial nudity" because of Cortana.

I also remember Oblivion was rated from "T" to "M" because of some modders making nude body replacers and because of that one part in the Dark Brotherhood questline.

Spoiler: Dark Brotherhood questline spoilers within

When they find where Lucian Lechance is hiding and hang is corpse upsidown.

People are just freaking way the fuck out right now over a threat that isn't real.


Hopefully it will pass.

I was under the impression it was because they found things way late in the process. I believe it was the use of genitals in some kinda in game spell or potion. Or I could be totally wrong

 

[Irridium]

I remember they re-rated the PC version of Halo 2 to contain "partial nudity" because of Cortana.

I also remember Oblivion was rated from "T" to "M" because of some modders making nude body replacers and because of that one part in the Dark Brotherhood questline.

Spoiler: Dark Brotherhood questline spoilers within

When they find where Lucian Lechance is hiding and hang is corpse upsidown.

People are just freaking way the fuck out right now over a threat that isn't real.


Hopefully it will pass.

I was under the impression it was because they found things way late in the process. I believe it was the use of genitals in some kinda in game spell or potion. Or I could be totally wrong

No, the genitals were added in by modders.

As for the potion thing, there was Skooma, which could be considered a drug reference, but it doesn't really do anything and depending how you play the game, there's a chance you'll never encounter it.

 

[Cody211282]

I remember they re-rated the PC version of Halo 2 to contain "partial nudity" because of Cortana.

I also remember Oblivion was rated from "T" to "M" because of some modders making nude body replacers and because of that one part in the Dark Brotherhood questline.

Spoiler: Dark Brotherhood questline spoilers within

When they find where Lucian Lechance is hiding and hang is corpse upsidown.

People are just freaking way the fuck out right now over a threat that isn't real.

Hopefully it will pass.

Wow I didn't know that about ether game, makes you wonder if the ESRB isn't just full of people who don't know how to rate anything.

I couldn't find anything in Mass Effect that you wouldn't be able to see in a PG-13 movie soI have no idea who it was M.

 

[Irridium]

I remember they re-rated the PC version of Halo 2 to contain "partial nudity" because of Cortana.

I also remember Oblivion was rated from "T" to "M" because of some modders making nude body replacers and because of that one part in the Dark Brotherhood questline.

Spoiler: Dark Brotherhood questline spoilers within

When they find where Lucian Lechance is hiding and hang is corpse upsidown.

People are just freaking way the fuck out right now over a threat that isn't real.

Hopefully it will pass.

Wow I didn't know that about ether game, makes you wonder if the ESRB isn't just full of people who don't know how to rate anything.

I couldn't find anything in Mass Effect that you wouldn't be able to see in a PG-13 movie soI have no idea who it was M.

Because of the "sex" scene.

And its worse because its in a game apparently. Even though you don't interact with it at all...

 

[PopeJewish]

I remember they re-rated the PC version of Halo 2 to contain "partial nudity" because of Cortana.

I also remember Oblivion was rated from "T" to "M" because of some modders making nude body replacers and because of that one part in the Dark Brotherhood questline.

Spoiler: Dark Brotherhood questline spoilers within

When they find where Lucian Lechance is hiding and hang is corpse upsidown.

People are just freaking way the fuck out right now over a threat that isn't real.

Hopefully it will pass.

Wow I didn't know that about ether game, makes you wonder if the ESRB isn't just full of people who don't know how to rate anything.

I couldn't find anything in Mass Effect that you wouldn't be able to see in a PG-13 movie soI have no idea who it was M.

Because of the "sex" scene.

And its worse because its in a game apparently. Even though you don't interact with it at all...

yea when the first game came out there were tons of right wingers describing it as interactive pornography with graphically detailed sex scenes with avatars whose every feature, from skin color to breast size, could be changed.

Obviously they were a bunch of tard monkeys who had never so much as seen the game, let alone played it

 

[ddq5]

Rated M for Money. [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RatedMForMoney]
Regardless of Halo: CE's original rating, what would all those adolescents who fancied themselves "hardcore" think if Halo 3 was merely rated Teen? Why, it must be a game for babies and women of course!

In regard to Just Cause 2, I can agree with the M rating due to the way I cackled maniacally whilst slaughtering dozens of both armed and innocents in various creative ways involving explosions, the grappling hook, a plethora of bullets, and fun!

 

[Irridium]

I remember they re-rated the PC version of Halo 2 to contain "partial nudity" because of Cortana.

I also remember Oblivion was rated from "T" to "M" because of some modders making nude body replacers and because of that one part in the Dark Brotherhood questline.

Spoiler: Dark Brotherhood questline spoilers within

When they find where Lucian Lechance is hiding and hang is corpse upsidown.

People are just freaking way the fuck out right now over a threat that isn't real.

Hopefully it will pass.

Wow I didn't know that about ether game, makes you wonder if the ESRB isn't just full of people who don't know how to rate anything.

I couldn't find anything in Mass Effect that you wouldn't be able to see in a PG-13 movie soI have no idea who it was M.

Because of the "sex" scene.

And its worse because its in a game apparently. Even though you don't interact with it at all...

yea when the first game came out there were tons of right wingers describing it as interactive pornography with graphically detailed sex scenes with avatars whose every feature, from skin color to breast size, could be changed.

Obviously they were a bunch of tard monkeys who had never so much as seen the game, let alone played it

Agreed. I can only imagine how sales of the game must have skyrocketed, and everyones disappointment that instead of a sex simulator they got an amazing RPG.

 

[pwnzerstick]

I remember they re-rated the PC version of Halo 2 to contain "partial nudity" because of Cortana.

I also remember Oblivion was rated from "T" to "M" because of some modders making nude body replacers and because of that one part in the Dark Brotherhood questline.

Spoiler: Dark Brotherhood questline spoilers within

When they find where Lucian Lechance is hiding and hang is corpse upsidown.

People are just freaking way the fuck out right now over a threat that isn't real.

Hopefully it will pass.

Wow I didn't know that about ether game, makes you wonder if the ESRB isn't just full of people who don't know how to rate anything.

I couldn't find anything in Mass Effect that you wouldn't be able to see in a PG-13 movie soI have no idea who it was M.

You don't need to wonder, its a part time job that any overprotective right wing mom can sign up for with no experience, and the best part is that they just watch videos of the games instead of playing them.

 

[lacktheknack]

I have barley seen any drug reference (a martini and some beer bottles at the most), the language never goes beyond "crap" (double entendre), and I haven't seen any sexual themes anywhere.

...You collect drug drops for a drug lord, the soldiers scream "SHIIIIIIT!" when they get grappled, and theres a freaking strip club in the sky. With pole dancers and strippers.

Just Cause 2 is appropriately rated, I think.

EDIT: Although, does it actually matter? If you're over 17 (most are), then the rating system doesn't apply to you any more.