I first became a little worried when I read that they were not editing the game for notoriously draconian markets of Australia and Germany.

So, I decided to check the ratings board here in the US to see if anything was cut from previous games. It turns out things have been cut.

Here are the listed warnings for fallout 3:
"Content Descriptors: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, sixual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs"

Fallout: New Vegas:
"Content Descriptors: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, sixual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs"

Fallout 4:
"Content Descriptors: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Use of Drugs"

It appears any and all refrence to sixual themes or content were cut from this game.

While this will not make or break the game for me, it makes me wonder what made them decide to tone the game down. Was it an attempt to appeal to stricter ratings overseas?

Can anyone think of a reason in this era of mature videogames pushing the boundary BGS would step back and release a more tame game than they did in 2008?

Source:
http://www.esrb.org/ratings/search.jsp?searchType=title&titleOrPublisher=Fallout

I think we're reading a bit too much into the ESRB rating. And it's the States that get draconian on sixual content rather than violence, isn't it? So I'm not sure it means much that they're not editing the game for Germany and Australia.

Maybe GTAV broke them. They figured if it's not as graphic as walking around a corner and seeing two people going at it, it's not worth mentioning.

Fallout 1, 2, & Tactics have no "sixual Content" descriptors on the ESRB site, and I do remember prosttutes in Fallout 2. It's been too long since I played the others to remember if they had them. Now, perhaps they've toned it down, or, perhaps, it's just a deeper system. Remember, the ESRB gets its rating from the publisher's description of the game, and a small group of people who play through a few hours of the game. How far do you get in a few hours of Fallout 4? Do you get to a six scene? And if the story line is romantic and a fade to black - is that "sixual content", or not? We know you can romance all of your human(oid?) companions. What that entails, we don't know. I doubt that they have completely done away with prosttutes in the game. They're a Fallout staple.

Whatever Fallout 4 gives us, mods will enhance. If you want it, someone will probably make it. I'm not overly concerned.

They might have toned down on the advltery our player an engage in, on account of companion romance; IIRC Todd Howard thinks it's pretty tacky for a game to have gratuitous sixuality like Daggerfall, although they've obviously proven that they're not afraid of exploring sixual themes appropriately. They might be more reticent than Obsidian on topics like Cook-Cook, though.

There's also the fact that the game isn't out yet; they may yet update the rating to include "sixual Themes", although I think it was obvious from the outset it was going to be rated M no matter what.

Well Fallout 3 just had raiders in bdsn gear, a suggestively posed sculpture, a [censored] whom you could be friendzoned in the same bed with, and some dike jokes.

New Vegas went more risque with nipble tape, grunting and groaning and an amorous protectron, so that probably merits a higher score than Fallout 3's vague "themes".

So if Fallout 4 is just lacking lewd jokes and pretend six, it's probably not really that much of a loss from Fallout 3.

No way, Daggerfall's giant-haired buxom women were great. It was like being in a cheap 80s softcoe fantasy film. Now in Skyrim, everyone's got limp hair and in some cases are http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Sosia_Tremellia.

1) video game standards have gotten a bit looser over the years (see: games showing more nudity/six, where previous gen they got slammed for that and/or re-rated "A" - GTA "Hot Coffee" for instance). So maybe Beth's usual level of pretty-darn-tame sixual content doesn't rate a warning anymore

2) Beth has never been a "push the boundary" dev in the first place. They're not Rockstar, and they don't try to be.

Honestly, this seems like trying to create a controversy where there isn't one.

Not trying to create anything. Just trying to see what other people think.

I personally thought fallout 3 was quite tame considering advlt content. And that atleast listed sixual themes.

While I think the softcoe scenes from witcher 3 are not needed in fallout 4. I think completely ignoring six and repercussions in an apocalypse is missing something. Base human desired are always magnified in harsh situations and would likely have a huge impact on the world.

While You may think BGS doesnt push boundaries I think you are wrong fallout 3 pushed them pretty far.

It was one of the first games that really included slavery, sadism, cannibalism, torture, someone yelling f$&k you!, murder of innocent people for profit, using weapons of mass destruction on civilians, suicide, addiction and selling children.

Can you name another 2008 AAA game that includes all of that?


Perhaps the ratings have gone to a point that BGS version of advlt content is not listed but I doubt it.

Well, what I'm looking for the most is realism and credibility. Also, I must say I'm a bit tired of extra open romance in games with tons of gay, lisbian and transsixual relations. I have nothing against the LGBT community, I'm just tired of playing games and watching movies and being flashed LGBT themes constantly. So whatever romance and six is in Fallout 4, I just hope they won't spread it thick like in Dragon Age. There's only 5 % or so of gay people and less than 1 % of transsixuals so jeez. Enough already.

I never noticed anything overtly sixual in 3 or vegas..

Sure a couple of hints but no one was "getting it on"..

I'm not at all worried about this new rating.

Here is a source for you so that you have some proof to back up your opinions

Source:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr077.pdf



Results—Based on the 2013 NHIS data, 96.6% of advlts identified as straight, 1.6% identified as gay or lisbian, and 0.7% identified as bisixual. The remaining 1.1% of advlts identified as ‘‘something else,’’ stated ‘‘I don’t know the answer,’’ or refused to provide an answer.

But let's stay on topic, dont want to get this into a political discussion and get the topic locked.

so what your saying is I'm a horny teenage boy who wants lots of big boobs and simulated in game six.

I mean, come on, your realy "worried" about a lack of sixual content? some things you better off getting in the real world.

Considering I am a 30 year old man with a wife 2 children and my own home, no that is not what I am saying. Try to think a little before opening your mouth and making a fool out of yourself.

This same argument could be made toward cursing or blood and gore. Neither of those things are needed and if anyone brought up an issue about them potentially being removed from the game.

Someone such as yourself could make the same childish argument that you did.

"Geez you must be a teenager to need to see/hear cursing/ blood in a game."

Perhaps you should spend some time in the real world where hateful attacks on people are not as acceptable as they are from behind your keyboard.

Have a nice day, hopefully you learned something today.

Barely present themes won't be present at all, not much of a change tbh. But if the standards have loosened somewhat it's possible we'll have FO3 levels of sixual themes and that it's just not comment worthy. And it really, really wasn't.

EDIT:

Since we're posting statistics and I http://www.glaad.org/whereweareontv14. Dunno if anyone's done it for games but for TV the stats are more or less in line, people are just more likely to notice the 'unusual' and think its more common because of it. There's a name for that but I forget.

Think of the kids!

I read that all companions can be romanced by both male and female hero, meaning that everyone in Fallout 4 is bisixual. A bit absurd.

Honestly given the reason it was in the last few games were due to nvde textures being found I think they just stuck underwear on all the humans and ghouls.

Not a big deal. Might miss out on some jokes regarding the world's oldest profession, but that is all I can think of.

You're jumping to conclusions.

I disagree that Bethesda is more reticent. See Sapphire in Skyrim.

No, they're "hero-sixual." If your character is into women, then women companions are attracted to whatever you are. There's a distinction there. I don't know why it's an issue anyway. If you're not trying to romance them then you won't notice. It's not realistic, but it lets people play the way they want.

This, gta set the way.

That is really off topic and it seems like you just want an excuse to yell "they're shoving it down our throats." No they're not. Cool it.

This is... Close to being locked, let's be honest. Try to stay on topic, and especially keep politics and hot-button subjects please.

At the end of the day all ratings boards are notoriously inconsistent. I think it's that simple.

If you're worried there will be too much or not enough "mature content" (we've got threads about both) then your best advice would be to wait for release and look into what the reviews and others say.

Forgot about Sapphire. You're right. There's also Astrid, too, come to think of it. And I'm with you on "hero-sixual".

lol, I had some stuff written up, but since this is still a bit off-topic and nu_clear_day just asked us not to derail it, I'll save it for later. Suffice it to say, I've always felt that Bethesda's handled sixual topics really well when they bother to mention it at all. I don't think the ESRB rating is any indication that Fallout 4 will be utterly sixless, just that it's no longer worth mentioning at the level Bethesda takes it.

Also, weren't there some posters for a brothel at the Scollay Square shot in the trailer? Make of that what you will.

As I have said several times I am not proposing that this game be more explicit than any previous BGS offering, I could care less about romantic encounters.

I am talking about them dealing in some way that six is a base human desire and how prostitution follows wars like the crows.


The point is:

I thought that the fact that there was a shady brothel ran in megaton added quite a bit to the authenticity of the world. That was enough to give that game a "sixual themes" rating.

I would be disappointed if there wasn't something similar in FO 4.

No sixual preferences or nudity needed here just thinking that it like the need for food or shelter should at least be assessed.



Come on nuke mod, it was one poster and the rest was telling him to settle down.

Yes, it could be reading too much into the descriptor, but I think your reaction of advising me to just wait till release day is a bit rash. You could say that in every single thread about any concern mentioned on the forums.

I think we're on the same page, I'm just not as worried I guess. Like, the amount of sixual content in 3 and NV was great for me; they could stand to add content on that level throughout more of the game, I wouldn't mind that.

I'm not worried, worst case scenario I can do it in my head.