Take-Two in trouble over Elder Scrolls IV topless mod

By Alun Williams

Posted on 4 May 2006 at 13:04

Take-Two is reportedly in hot water once again over hidden content within a game it co-publishes.

Following the long-drawn out controversy over 'Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas', which was found to include a hidden 'pornographic' mini game, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion has now apparently fallen foul of a US regulator.

The US Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has changed the game's rating to 'mature' from 'teen', reports Reuters, which means it is deemed unsuitable for those under 17.

Take-Two is co-publisher of the fantasy game, along with Bethesda Softworks, and the ESRB is said to have found that an art file in the PC version can be 'modded' to make female characters topless. The Xbox 360 version, however, is not similarly modifiable.

The game is currently at number eight in the ELSPA UK games chart.

The discovery of the hidden content in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas meant that the rating of the game was similarly raised by the ESRB, in that case from 'Mature 17+' to 'Adults only 18+'. In turn, the reclassification meant that a number of stores then refused to stock the title. The company eventually issued a cleaned up version of the game, but by then the damage had already been done.

The resultant furore, which reached as far as Washington, also drew the attention of Hilary Clinton and Californian prosecutors - the Los Angeles District Attorney sued Take-Two for giving misleading information about the product.