Bethesda wants Fallout 3 trailers off the web

[Per]

Shacknews reports that Bethesda has sent out emails to gaming sites calling for the removal of any and all Fallout 3 trailers:<blockquote>Censorship and Bethesda's Fallout 3 (PC, 360, PS3) are good friends, and the two just got a little closer: Bethesda has asked gaming websites including Shacknews to pull all trailers for the open-world RPG.

[..]

The full e-mail from Hines follows:

"In connection with ESRB's advertising guidelines, you are instructed to remove immediately any of our Fallout 3 trailers from your website, pending further notice.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Pete"</blockquote>PC World comments:<blockquote>Censorship? Maybe, but maybe not. After all, the MPAA puts rating cards in front of movie previews (though off the top of my head, I don't recall if they're consistently in front of every online trailer). Of course there's also no such thing as an R- or NC17-rated movie trailer, but then not every Fallout 3 trailer is saturated with gore, either.

Still, Bethesda said "all." No exceptions. Which also poses something of a logistical enforcement problem. This is a popular, high-in-demand game. Several of those trailers are practically embedded.

[..]

Why did Bethesda wait until the midnight hour to pull the ads? Either they didn't see the ads as non-compliant until someone at the ESRB made a zero-hour fuss, or they've been quietly battling/debating/negotiating with the ESRB behind the scenes, and this is the public sound of Bethesda capitulating.</blockquote>Thanks to the Ausir.

 

[Grimhound]

Just downloaded and archived all of them.

And damnit, Ausir keeps beating me to the punch.

 

[Sorrow]

That's pretty fucked-up. Especially that Fallout 3 is nothing when compared to Mortal Kombat.

 

[GoChanceGO!]

Bethesda is making an odd demand here. The game is out in a few hours so why pull now? Are they drunk dialing from some release party?

 

[Grimhound]

I'm a bit disconcerted that Bethesda is bowing to these demands. It's a rather bad precedent.

Then again, we're on the eve of a major election, and I wouldn't be surprised if Bethesda got a burning cross stuck outside their offices.

 

[Sorrow]

*Grinds his teeth. Starts reciting Catechism of the Xeno*

 

[entropyjesus]

Maybe they're afraid that when people actually play the game it will be worse than what they saw in the trailers and they want to avoid the Oblivion "trailer not really being like the game" controversy.

 

[Grimhound]

Maybe they're afraid that when people actually play the game it will be worse than what they saw in the trailers and they want to avoid the Oblivion "trailer not really being like the game" controversy.

Hee. Brought that up on the Bethesda forums.

 

[rcorporon]

^^ Good point.

Seems very odd to me... anybody else know an incident like this happening before?

 

[Oakraven]

^^ Good point.

Seems very odd to me... anybody else know an incident like this happening before?

the ESRB (suposedly) is the one behind this, someone aparently yelled at them for not properly rating trailers for games as "aproved for all audiences" the same way that the MPAA has rated movie trailers.

http://mpaa.org/FlmRat_Advertising.asp

 

[kikomiko]

The reviews are pouring in

IGN just gave it a spectacular review!!!

 

[Grimhound]

The reviews are pouring in

IGN just gave it a spectacular review!!!

That review can't be of Fallout 3. I think it's from the canceled title 'Oblivion With Guns'.

 

[Tycn]

The reviews are pouring in

IGN just gave it a spectacular review!!!

The reviewer just happened to omit any mention of the voice acting or animation. How clever.

 

[kikomiko]

The reviews are pouring in

IGN just gave it a spectacular review!!!

The reviewer just happened to omit any mention of the voice acting or animation. How clever.

Umm...I'm not sure if we're talking about the same review here...he clearly mentioned that the voice acting was superb, and that were WERE problems with the animations. However, is that really the first thing you thought of when you finished reading the review? Not the great combat system, visuals, story, intense immersion, or the amazing replayabilty?

 

[MrSambuka]

The reviews are pouring in

IGN just gave it a spectacular review!!!

The reviewer just happened to omit any mention of the voice acting or animation. How clever.

Umm...I'm not sure if we're talking about the same review here...he clearly mentioned that the voice acting was superb, and that were WERE problems with the animations. However, is that really the first thing you thought of when you finished reading the review? Not the great combat system, visuals, story, intense immersion, or the amazing replayabilty?

Geez, get a load of this guy.

 

[entropyjesus]

Umm...I'm not sure if we're talking about the same review here...he clearly mentioned that the voice acting was superb, and that were WERE problems with the animations. However, is that really the first thing you thought of when you finished reading the review? Not the great combat system, visuals, story, intense immersion, or the amazing replayabilty?

Too bad not a word of that is true. Visuals are subpar, replayability is nothing even compared to Oblivion, story is whack, and the combat system is repetitive and awkward.

But yeah, Fallout 3 is teh awesumz!!!11

 

[HoKa]

Just what NMA needed.

Newfags.

 

[Tycn]

The reviews are pouring in

IGN just gave it a spectacular review!!!

The reviewer just happened to omit any mention of the voice acting or animation. How clever.

Umm...I'm not sure if we're talking about the same review here...he clearly mentioned that the voice acting was superb, and that were WERE problems with the animations. However, is that really the first thing you thought of when you finished reading the review? Not the great combat system, visuals, story, intense immersion, or the amazing replayabilty?

My mistake, it looks like he did talk about them. Still, from what I've seen of the game and the depth of Bethesda's previous games I'd certainly be wary of a near perfect review from a mainstream gaming site.

 

[Phil the Nuka-Cola Dude]

My mistake, it looks like he did talk about them. Still, from what I've seen of the game and the depth of Bethesda's previous games I'd certainly be wary of a near perfect review from a mainstream gaming site.

I'll have it in two hours, so I'll let you know tomorrow.

 

[Leon]

If it is because of the ESRB blowing a gasket over the lack of ratings, I suppose it makes sense. They should rate them and re-release them. Shouldn't be hard or take too long. The timing, however, is very... Odd, and makes the whole situation seem odd. The eve of release?

@kikomiko: