What's it take for AO?

[HideousBeing]

I've been wondering, what does it take for a game to be rated Adults Only? In the violence field, ESRB says "extreme graphic violence" or something like that. How could it be any worse than in any normal game rated M for violence? I assume it must be the suggestive themes? (i.e. men graphically killing babies with chainsaws or something)

And what about the nudity part? Will a woman, completely naked, exposing total front and backside nudity require a game to be rated AO? Or can Mature handle that? Maybe there must be actual graphic sexual activity? Help me out here, and please use examples.

[Thalzon]

Things like explicit sex and extreme torture. San Andreas got an AO rating because of the Hot Coffee mod, recall? I imagine the violence has to be a little more graphic than a simple decapitation or amputation. It needs to look more "real".

[Beatdown]

In a word, porn. I've played games with enough gore and foul language to make a soccer mom turn green, but the moment a set of tig ol bitties pops up on the screen I guarantee you it will be AO.

[The Coop]

In a word, porn. I've played games with enough gore and foul language to make a soccer mom turn green, but the moment a set of tig ol bitties pops up on the screen I guarantee you it will be AO.

There have been a number of games over the years that have had bare breasts. I think it has to do with what happens with the nudity (i.e. fucking), rather than just nudity itself.

Besides... isn't God of War supposed to have bare breasted women? I know in Painkiller, there's a nip slip or two with Eve in the cinemas.

[ILLiterate]

Take it like the MPAA, it says violence, but the violence isn't the biggest part. It's mostly about nudity and sex in a position other than missionary or girl on top, then people start freaking out for no apparent reason

[Beatdown]

There have been a number of games over the years that have had bare breasts. I think it has to do with what happens with the nudity (i.e. fucking), rather than just nudity itself.

Besides... isn't God of War supposed to have bare breasted women? I know in Painkiller, there's a nip slip or two with Eve in the cinemas.

That's true. God of War not only had boobies, but in the very beginning of the second stage in the original you could hop back in bed with both topless ladies and play a minigame that had you beating it up offscreen while watching a table thump increasingly harder. Not only that, but the chick who told you where to go had a veil that may as well have been transparant on her body, and the gorgons you fought were topless (does not count, worst boobies ever). I'm guessing a lot of that was leaning more towards the fact that historically they just didn't wear that much in those days anyway.

However unlike the Hot Coffee nonsense in GTA, the sweater puppies themselves weren't the main focus when they were on screen. They were kinda just there. That and Kratos exudes an aura of such strong awesomeness that I don't think anyone really cared that much about it. I still stand by the porn statement though. There's a fine line between brief nudity (PG-13/R) and blatant sex (AO/XXX/Internet).

[PassivePretentiousness]

http://www.esrb.org/ratings/search.jsp

[Beatdown]

http://www.esrb.org/ratings/search.jsp

I forgot about Thrill Kill. I loved that game so much.

[antacid03]

Here's my rant about the subject.

Stupid ESRB...

[Maco70]

http://www.esrb.org/ratings/search.jsp

Damn, you beat me to it. ><;;

I did a project on ESRB, and I thought the number of AO rated games was intersting.

And to whoever played Thrill Kill:

Discuss Please, I am insanely curious.

[Avatar of Justice]

Here's my rant about the subject.

Stupid ESRB...

In your rant when you said "American taxes at heard at work" where you making the assumption the ESRB is a government sponsored agency? It isn't.

[Devyn]

In a word, porn. I've played games with enough gore and foul language to make a soccer mom turn green, but the moment a set of tig ol bitties pops up on the screen I guarantee you it will be AO.

I hate to there, but I have to say it: It's ridiculous how people drool over violence, but have a heart attack when they see some titties.

Violence = bad (entertaining of course, but still bad)

Nude attractive women = good (and still very entertaining)

I think a lot of people have their priorities confused

Now, if you'll excuse me, let's get back to the topic.

[WesPip]

and the gorgons you fought were topless (does not count, worst boobies ever

You clearly have not played GoW2 yet. If you have, certainly not to Euryale, and DEFINITELY not to Clotho [that is, the third Sister of Fate].

CLEARLY.

[antacid03]

In your rant when you said "American taxes at heard at work" where you making the assumption the ESRB is a government sponsored agency? It isn't.

How do you suppose they get paid?

[The Author]

How do you suppose they get paid?

By getting videogame companies to pay for the ratings.

It's the same thing as the ISO9000 scam. A bunch of people invent a standard, they make it seem like it is a good thing to have. And then they impose it on companies, who willingly pay to receive an arbitrary classification. As soon as the standard becomes popular, they set it up better and then companies, who fail to see how the ISO standard was establish, start paying like gullible fools.

And us, the consumers, are not in anyway better. We see ISO9000 certification and we assume that it actually means something important.