Back in January, it was announced by Bethesda Softworks that their up-coming and much aniticipated MMO, Elder Scrolls Online, had been given an M-rating by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). Despite disagreeing with the verdict, Bethesda chose not to challenge the rating.
However, until recently, why the Elder Scrolls Online MMORPG had been given this rating had remained unknown to the public. Having now released the reasons for the M-rating, the ESRB describes the game’s content briefly, detailing the well-known fantasy setting and combat scenarios, with notable additions including the feature to mount severed heads, drinking contests that result in intoxication, and strongly suggestive innuendos that would make a high-school literature student blush.
While Bethesda has little reason to worry about the M-rating affecting sales (the last addition to the franchise, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, having sold more than 20 million copies across Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC), parents and guardians may want to think twice about buying their children a copy of this game just for an easy present. You know, unless they want their sons mounting the heads of their sister’s Barbie dolls on pencils or their daughters initiating the talk by asking what a character means when she says, “But it is huge! It could take me all night!”
Seriously, parents, these games are given detailed ratings for a reason, and the rating for the Elder Scrolls Online reflects the maturity of the content.