The Elder Scrolls Online, the upcoming MMORPG based on the popular Elder Scrolls franchise, has been rated “Mature” by the ESRB.
While this is far from the death sentence of a game being rated “Adults Only,” a “Mature” rating means that people below the age of 17 can’t purchase the game without parental permission. My personal hands on experience has yet to see anything that remotely resembles anything that requires such a rating, but the ESRB has spoken. Bethesda, in a statement on the official Facebook page for The Elder Scrolls Online, has said that they don’t plan to challenge the rating. They do, however, disagree with it.
Despite that disagreement, they won’t go back and change anything. “The game we have created is the one we want our fans to be able to play,” the statement read. Sadly, some of the younger fans may not get to play.
The ESRB rating falls in line with the past two entries in The Elder Scrolls franchise. Both Skryim and Oblivion were rated “Mature,” though Oblivion‘s rating was changed post-launch. Both titles were well met critically and Skyrim was so successful that it brought the franchise directly into the mainstream. It will be interesting to see if a “Mature” game that comes with a subscription fee can reach that type of success.
The Elder Scrolls Online launches April 4th on PC and Mac. It will become available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One this June.
Source: Facebook
