Got news?   tips@destructoid.com  |  Never miss a story:   RSS + Twitter + YouTube
Hey! New here? Destructoid is a gaming discussion community, updated nearly every 20 minutes. Make a quick avatar to comment and enter our contests. Take the tour!

 


Home ESRB updates

No $%#@: ESRB gives Grand Theft Auto IV a %$#@ing M rating, God damn it

9:19 AM on 03.20.2008, Nick Chester 42 comments

No $%#@: ESRB gives Grand Theft Auto IV a %$#@ing M rating, God damn it photo
     ESRB

Like it's a slow news day or something, I'm happy to report that the ESRB has finally got around to rating Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto IV. The verdict may surprise you!

According to the ESRB, Rockstar's forthcoming PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 sure-thing blockbuster contains intense violence, blood, strong language, strong sexual content, and partial nudity. Oh, and use of drugs and alcohol. Did anyone at the ESRB even have to see the game to determine this?

Grand Theft Auto IV hits shelves on April 29. Pre-order now to avoid disappointment and all that jazz.


Next page: More Xbox 360 stories




Holyetheline's Avatar
Holyetheline at 03/20/2008 09:18
That's roughly a month away.... I"M SO EXCITED!!!
pixelsword's Avatar
pixelsword at 03/20/2008 09:20
Blah, who didn't expect this? After the Hot Coffee Mod, the ESRB dropped the hammer on this game. I kinda xpect it to flop because of parents alone... Jack Thompson will be the only one to save this game.
tazarthayoot's Avatar
tazarthayoot at 03/20/2008 09:20
In other non-surprising news, Gary Busey killed and ate an entire family of transients.
AgentMOO's Avatar
AgentMOO at 03/20/2008 09:22
The cover is rated M for explicit lollypop content.
Soulhammer's Avatar
Soulhammer at 03/20/2008 09:23
I agree with AgentMOO
The Young Scot's Avatar
The Young Scot at 03/20/2008 09:28
Rated M for: Mmmmmmm yeah baby, I'll still respect you on April 30th.
tornotlukin's Avatar
tornotlukin at 03/20/2008 09:30
I'm sure on the release day I'll be asked to purchase this game by people.
entrager's Avatar
entrager at 03/20/2008 09:32
Hurray! More of the same! *ducks*
Jetsetlemming's Avatar
Jetsetlemming at 03/20/2008 09:32
The ESRB needs a rating above "strong language" when it comes to GTA.

Perhaps Strong Fucking Language.
s0lesurviv0r's Avatar
s0lesurviv0r at 03/20/2008 09:33
"Hey, old dude, can you help us out our mom's sick so she needs us to buy GTA4 for her but we're not old enough."
Professor Pew's Avatar
Professor Pew at 03/20/2008 09:38
Gary Busey can do anything he wants, he was in Gingerdead Man.
wonky360's Avatar
wonky360 at 03/20/2008 09:38
HMV in the UK is giving free 1000 points for preorders online at £39.99 + a voucher booket.
Done deal.
ShinAmano's Avatar
ShinAmano at 03/20/2008 09:41
So no full nudity at the strip clubs...lame :(
Snaileb 's Avatar
Snaileb at 03/20/2008 09:48
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
EternalDeathSlayer's Avatar
EternalDeathSlayer at 03/20/2008 09:51
I can't believe there are naysayers and non-believers. This game is going to be pure fucking win.
BluDesign's Avatar
BluDesign at 03/20/2008 09:57
Well, there go my hopes and dreams of a T rated GTA. I guess Rockstar just wants to hand this one over to Jack Thompson as well.

::sigh::

Rockstar just doesn't get it I guess. The public WANTS a less realistic murder simulator. We do not want sandbox gameplay, multi-part missions, the ability to shoot hookers with rocket launchers, or Lazlo. We want a good christian game for christian gamers.
Chocobo Knight's Avatar
Chocobo Knight at 03/20/2008 10:00
Absolutely stunned!

I just hope it doesn't suck as much as San Andreas turned out to be. Oh yes, I said San Andreas sucked!!
weedgan's Avatar
weedgan at 03/20/2008 10:10
RATED M FOR


MULTIKILL!


Sidenot: I've had my copy of this game preordered since march of LAST YEAR.
Ronsauce's Avatar
Ronsauce at 03/20/2008 10:14
I haven't liked a single GTA game since there was a 5-minute timed demo released on PC for the first one. The rest have been pretty boring with gameplay that seems to go for quantity over quality. Sandbox? Please... Choosing whether or not to kill innocent people is not exactly deep. "The ability to shoot hookers with rocket launchers" pretty much sums up GTA's success.
blehman's Avatar
blehman at 03/20/2008 10:24
Rated M for My god that's obvious.
wonky360's Avatar
wonky360 at 03/20/2008 10:29
Rocket Launchers? Hookers?

Sign me up.
king3vbo's Avatar
king3vbo at 03/20/2008 10:34
Dammit, now my multitude of illegitimate children can't play it
Crapsh00t's Avatar
Crapsh00t at 03/20/2008 10:46
Rated M for Multiplayer with 16 people in a sandbox environment sounds like it will not suck.
frozenbabylon's Avatar
frozenbabylon at 03/20/2008 11:10
Rated M for: Meh.

Could never get into the series.
Chicken008's Avatar
Chicken008 at 03/20/2008 11:16
M for Mario Kart owns, and comes out like a day earlier.
RFT's Avatar
RFT at 03/20/2008 11:17
Anyone get the sense that Rockstar is doing this on purpose? Like, is the strongly sexual content even all that necessary or enhancing to gameplay, or is it just there precisely so Rockstar can get the attention of having an M game?
Aziel13's Avatar
Aziel13 at 03/20/2008 11:29
I just want it now
I need my kill frenzy fix DX
Cheeburga's Avatar
Cheeburga at 03/20/2008 12:07
I heard that some planes hit buildings in new york recently.
Can anyone confirm this?
brainderailment's Avatar
brainderailment at 03/20/2008 12:41
I'm going to go out of my way to buy this game for 16 year olds.
DynamicSheep's Avatar
DynamicSheep at 03/20/2008 12:44
@qwerty: "For some reason I'm not to excited about this one. I skipped San Andreas because I didn't want a ghetto hood rat sim."

I didn't know it was possible to be racist against virtual people. San Andreas was the best in the series, and if you're willing to pass it up because it has a black lead then you deserve to not know how awesome it is.

Also, LOL at Tazar
harrmonica's Avatar
harrmonica at 03/20/2008 12:58
i love it-you can get your license, but can't buy a videogame? why don't we worry more about all the idiot teenage drivers out there instead. or the myriad other things that are wrong in this country...retarded.
Samit Sarkar's Avatar
Samit Sarkar at 03/20/2008 13:04
Aw, crap...now I’m going to have to ask my mommy to go buy this for me. *NOT*
ironmanrules1333's Avatar
ironmanrules1333 at 03/20/2008 14:24
*insert joke everyone else used here*
mistic's Avatar
mistic at 03/20/2008 18:29
well since apparently most of the gaming population ( 60% ) is between 18 and 35 years old, this won't be a problem for the target audience :-)
RskimB's Avatar
RskimB at 03/20/2008 19:06
Captain Obvious sends his love
HarassmentPanda's Avatar
HarassmentPanda at 03/21/2008 02:07
M-rating? Looks like I'm going to be selling these at a premium at the local elementary school.
joshandrox's Avatar
joshandrox at 03/22/2008 00:36
The world is right. Wait did you really post this?!?
Eschatos's Avatar
Eschatos at 03/23/2008 11:56
Will wonders never cease?
prev next

Returning Dtoiders: login now to post a comment

Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just Create an avatar now - it's fast and free: PLUS you also get your own gaming blog and begin posting stories and uploading videos in our open community area that may also appear on our home page. Sign up and we'll guide you through it, it's easy and 100% anonymous.




 Original Videos

 Reviews
Mad Dog McCree Gunslinger Pack
Overlord II
Yosumin Live!
Let's Tap
Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Wii)
View all Game Reviews

 Community blogs -   39767 Dtoiders!

This month's theme: Untapped Potential

New to Dtoid? Read the survival guide


 Originals

The best and worst '4th' videogames EVER!











more original Destructoid stories



 Popular now more













Destructoid is:
Nick Chester
Editor-in-Chief
Jim Sterling
Reviews Editor
Dale North
News Editor
Hamza Aziz
Community Manager
Anthony Burch
Features Editor
Rey Gutierrez
Video editor & director
Niero
Founder, publisher
Letters to the editors
tips@destructoid.com
Associate Editors
Ashley Davis Jonathan Holmes
Brad Nicholson Jonathan Ross
Brad Rice Jordan Devore
Chad Concelmo Matthew Razak
Colette Bennett Tom Fronczak
Conrad Zimmerman Topher Cantler
Dyson Samit Sarkar
Contributors
Adam Dork
Ben Perlee
Daniel Lingen
Joseph Leray
Joe Burling
Mikey
Will Maddock
Stella Wong




get involved

register or login
post a blog
post a forum
enter a contest
discuss a review
contribute a news tip
write a guest editorial
support

new member's guide
login assistance
tech support
report abuse
email our editors
read our dev blog
nuclear crisis?
keep in touch

RSS feed
Twitter
Facebook
Myspace
Flickr
Game nights
Meet-ups
seriously

about us
advertising
terms of use
privacy policy
jobs at MM
buy our crap
our network

Tomopop
Japanator




Destructoid is an independently-run publication forged by our love of video games and the gaming community's need of accountable enthusiast press
living the dream since March 16, 2006