Can't comment on the American rating but here in the UK I would expect it to get a 15 (same as Oblivion), maybe an 18 (both fallouts had this). Corresponding to M I guess.

People seem to forget that Oblivion was rated T for teen originally. The only thing that pushed it over to be M was the inclusion of a naked briast texture, which is not included in the game and not even accessible in any way on the xbox/PS3 versions. Oblivion was developed with a T rating in mind.

The Elder Scrolls roots are that of a more 'advlt' game (look at all the nudity in daggerfall), so they probably toned down the rating so the game would sell better when it came to morrowind and Oblivion. However, nowadays it's quite clear that the average gamer is not still in diapers, and that an M rated game can sell incredibly well.

Considering that info, and the concept art so far, I'd say Skyrim will probably be M.

I don't care though.. I'd probably be happier if it just stayed T honestly.

Theres no chance in hell that it'll be made AO. Look at the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_AO-rated_products, they're basically all porm. Funny how the Witcher was on there and then got taken off.

I would like M, just so they have more room to play with and make it for an advlt market. I think it will sell like a rampant badger whatever.

I love how you believe you know so much when I see so many incorrect arguments come from you and I don't tell you to shut up, I just go to give you the facts and advice in a constructive way, which exhausts me as I have to do it all the time.

"Originally released with a rating of T for Teen, the game has now been rerated M for Mature, due to "more detailed depictions of blood and gore than were considered in the original rating, as well as the presence of a locked-out art file or 'skin' that, if accessed through a third-party modification to the PC version of the game, allows the user to play with topless versions of female characters." -Gamespot.com

Yep, don't know a single thing I'm talking about...

The problem with that is I have the original PC release of Oblivion and there is no such locked out file. I'm speaking from experience, not from 3rd hand sources.

It could be T if they wanted it to be. I wouldnt care one way or another. I dont expect much profanity in English (its a different world in the middle ages for christ's sake!) and just judging from past decisions there wont be any six or nudity probably...and this is probably a good thing for this type of game--i doubt they would have the ability to create interesting romantic interests for Skyrim.


Blood and gore will be the deciding factor...

Well I have GOTY, but I think I'll take the word of several game news sites over someone who claims to know because they have the original PC version. Maybe if I had got the original version for the PC instead of getting it on the 360 first, I could confirm your story, but otherwise, the ESRB and all the game news sites I'll believe.

All games are rated M practically. It doesn't take much for a game to be rated M nowadays. Look at Halo:Reach, it was rated M for blood and violence. Not "intense violence" just violence. Not "blood and gore" just blood. Nothing that should make a game M was in the game. Unless Bethesda plans to make Skyrim a Hello-Kitty Amusment park ( which judging by the way the devs have been talking about it, and looking at FO3 and FO:NV, it won't be) then the game is going to be rated M.

Fair enough.

AO, for boobies! I kid, I kid.

Probably M. They've said before that they just make the game, not going for any particular rating and let the officials slap whatever on it.

Do ratings really do much anyway? Seems like if the younger audience wants to play a game they'll get the game.

The ESRB is full of sensitive babies, so it will be rated M.

Hmmm well that one concept art had the executioner holding up a head, I dont think that can be in a T game.

I just hope we can turn off graphic gore if it's in. It will be M. They showed decapitated heads in the concept artwork. :facepalm:

It will have an M rating. While lower ratings are better for sales in general, it is important to note that having an AO rating is signing your own death warrant. No AO games are allowed on consoles, not even Microsoft or Sony want AO games to taint their sales. I think Oblivion, which was forced into its M rating when it would rather be T, proved to Bethesda that M rated games still sell. And certainly Fallout 3 continued proving that as well, which embraced its M rating and was one of the best games that year. Going back to Elder Scrolls, I think they know how far they want to push it, and they'll go there for as long as it pleases their consumers.

Thematically even, Skyrim should be M. Oblivion was M, and Skyrim is supposed to be much more brutal and unforgiving than the dainty imperial province of Cyrodiil. It's only natural.



I have the original game too (My disc still says T on it) and I do remember seeing that art file in its early days. You can't find it now, however. It was patched out as soon as it became an issue, and none of the later M rated bundles came with it included, such as the GOTY edition. It was still a factor in the increased rating of the game, however, and I think it was not in Bethesda's intention to have that change the rating of their game from T to M. They would have been very satisfied with a T rating at the time.

On the bright side, it made history. Only a small handful of games have ever had their ratings changed post-release

Seems a rating does not matter, everyone will buy it anyway and regardless.

M and below, I mean

Technically Oblivion was initially a T rated game. I have the Collector's edition before it was changed to M. Either way, this game is going for the viking/conan feel, so it will definitely be M for sure. More brutal. More bloody. More Skyrim!

M because microsoft and sony dont want AO games in their "Family" consoles

M. But with romances.

I would like to see it rated T as I believe it would mean more sells and that would mean more money for the next one. But other than that, I don't care what it is rated, I'm going to play it.

I actually think that an M rating has a positive correlation with sales. Now, G movies make more money than R movies because an advlt has to physically take the child to a theater, and is likely to take their spouse, other siblings, etc. For every person who wants to see the movie, at least one other person has to go.

But where video games are concerned, a majority of the market is already above a certain age threshold. An AO rating would be pointless, however, because to get that over an M you need some ridiculously graphic sixual themes which are not needed in a game like this.

They seem to forget, but what is more likely you are seeing people who never knew

Judging by the spectacular success of M-rated games like Call of Duty: Black Ops and Halo: Reach, I'd have to disagree. I hope that Bethesda does shoot for an M-rating.

Well M rating cuts into sales a bit. If it's M rated, most of the big retailers won't sell the game to kids younger than 17, even though there is no law that prohibits anyone from buying an M rated game no matter what their age. So to buy an M rated game if your younger than 17, you either have to have your parent buy it, which there are many parents that won't (for some reason :pinch: ) and thus it cuts into sales. It could only be 500-1000 units less but that's a lot of money to be missing out on. From what I have seen of the game, it looks like it's going to be an M game but if the ESRB somehow finds it to be suitable as T, then hurray, more money for beth!


Different genre though. FPS is the most popular genre because it has the largest target audience as most gamers can still get into an FPS because it's point and shoot, simplest genre and most popular but it's still fun. I personally like RPGs and RTSs more but I still love a good FPS.