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[Power Pro]

I thought the thing with all consoles seemed to be, you get an AO rating, and your game is not allowed. I hadn't heard any different for Xbox. Hell there have been cases where Microsoft wanted certain Japanese games censored to be on their platform.

I was just browsing the store, and I saw this meh looking title in the upcoming games, and didn't think much of it, except when I saw the AO rating pop up in the autoplay of the trailer.

Buy Buried Alive: Breathless Rescue | Xbox

Escape the Grave in Buried Alive! Unleash Your Survival Instincts! Attention, brave soul! Are you ready to embark on a bone-chilling adventure like no other? Experience the ultimate test of wit, courage, and determination in the heart-pounding game, Buried Alive. Your mission: escape the...

www.xbox.com

No idea what makes this game AO...it looks like your bog standard indie horror game.

 

[Punished Miku]

That Martha's Vineyard game showed the face rip. Now this. But no Christmas Massacre allowed.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

desperate times, desperate measures.

 

[anthony2690]

In the UK it's just a standard 18 rating.

That being said I've never heard of an AO rating before?

 

[ssringo]

Could just be excessive or graphic violence or dismemberment. Didn't see anything of note in any screenshots so who knows. Probably just fishing for engagement as the dev looks to be another copypasta shovelware company. 6 releases in under a year, 2 more in the next couple weeks and 4 more coming soon on Steam.

 

[BlackTron]

When Nintendo became the underdog even they opened up to Steam waifu simulators.

 

[Isa]

Could be a good way to turn some heads, being the first notable AO game since what, the Atari 2600? Granted there were those BMX XXX games and their ilk. It would be nice to see some games meant for adults on consoles finally, even if it means a more advanced security check.

 

[SmurfMustard]

desperate times, desperate measures.

No one is judging you for how you make money .

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Switch already has a bunch of dating sim games like Bunny Garden on the eShop so I wonder if Xbox will be open to having these as well.

 

[Sakura]

According to wikipedia there have only been 26 games that have released with an AO rating and none were on console.
Maybe it is a mistake, or it is a rating that was given for the build that was submitted to the ESRB, and it will be changed for release?

Switch already has a bunch of dating sim games like Bunny Garden on the eShop so I wonder if Xbox will be open to having these as well.

Bunny Garden is a pretty tame game, it's only rated T.

 

[jufonuk]

Could be a good way to turn some heads, being the first notable AO game since what, the Atari 2600? Granted there were those BMX XXX games and their ilk. It would be nice to see some games meant for adults on consoles finally, even if it means a more advanced security check.

Remember how all those crappy games on Atari caused the video game crash ? Is MS trying to take everyone out with them ?

 

[Isa]

Remember how all those crappy games on Atari caused the video game crash ? Is MS trying to take everyone out with them ?

That would be funny, I wouldn't be that surprised to see a crash and them surviving whereas many others would fold. Even casuals might hope onboard streaming just to get some modern gaming kicks if that was one of the only options from a far smaller selection.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Bunny Garden is a pretty tame game, it's only rated T.

Oh, It's marked as Adult Only on Steam so I thought it was the same on Switch.

 

[Astray]

AO is generally a death knell for sales in the US because you can't advertise the game and a prospective buyer has to show ID when buying it, at least AFAIK.

Look at the list of games that had to get edited to go down from AO to M. Makes for interesting reading tbh.

List of AO-rated video games - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Sakura]

Oh, It's marked as Adult Only on Steam so I thought it was the same on Switch.

I believe the Adult's Only is marked by the devs in this case. Maybe they're worried about getting banned from Steam considering how they've treated other Japanese games in the past.
The way Steam works is a little dumb, a game like this has user tags like "hentai" even though it has no nudity and there isn't even so much as kissing.

 

[FoxMcChief]

Remember how all those crappy games on Atari caused the video game crash ? Is MS trying to take everyone out with them ?

One can hope.

 

[Sushi_Combo]

AO is generally a death knell for sales in the US because you can't advertise the game and a prospective buyer has to show ID when buying it, at least AFAIK.

Look at the list of games that had to get edited to go down from AO to M. Makes for interesting reading tbh.

List of AO-rated video games - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

With the death of physical media this might not be an issue if they can be sold on digital storefronts.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

I believe the Adult's Only is marked by the devs in this case. Maybe they're worried about getting banned from Steam considering how they've treated other Japanese games in the past.
The way Steam works is a little dumb, a game like this has user tags like "hentai" even though it has no nudity and there isn't even so much as kissing.

Thinking a bit about it, that makes sense. Thanks for the explanation.

 

[Astray]

With the death of physical media this might not be an issue if they can be sold on digital storefronts.

It is and it isn't.

On one hand, AO is no longer a death knell because the inconvenience is gone, but on the other hand, maybe in the future you get required to give over ID when opening a PSN or Xbox account (right now all the platforms basically operate on the assumption of you being old enough to have a credit card).

It's gonna be a fuzzy grey area that may bring govt intervention if a situation arises that brings politician eyes on it.

The ESA is a body comprised of big publishers, which basically does this game rating stuff to regulate itself, which the US games industry views as being a better option than allowing themselves to be regulated by the govt.

In other countries, the respective govts do this task.

 

[analog_future]

 

[Eiknarf]

According to wikipedia there have only been 26 games that have released with an AO rating and none were on console.
Maybe it is a mistake, or it is a rating that was given for the build that was submitted to the ESRB, and it will be changed for release?


Bunny Garden is a pretty tame game, it's only rated T.

What’s odd is, games like Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 weren’t even rated AO and were still banned in the States.
Wasn’t that rated M? Or RP (for Rating Pending)?

 

[adamsapple]

What’s odd is, games like Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 weren’t even rated AO and were still banned in the States.
Wasn’t that rated M? Or RP (for Rating Pending)?

DoA3 X is not banned in the US. The publisher just chose not to bring it.

Dead Or Alive Xtreme 3 Not Coming West Due to Cultural Differences, Says Sony Boss

It's recently come to our attention some very interesting insight on the Dead or Alive Extreme 3 debacle this past week, and this time it comes from the President of Sony himself, Shuhei Yoshida.

nichegamer.com

 

[Hudo]

AO is generally a death knell for sales in the US because you can't advertise the game and a prospective buyer has to show ID when buying it, at least AFAIK.

Look at the list of games that had to get edited to go down from AO to M. Makes for interesting reading tbh.

List of AO-rated video games - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

that's hilarious that many games on that list could be bought back then by 16 years olds here in Germany. However, stuff like Quake 3 or Dead Rising effectively received the equivalent of an US AO rating (you cannot advertise and publicly display the games but you can still buy them if you were over 18. But only behind the counter).

 

[Shubh_C63]

DoA3 X is not banned in the US. The publisher just chose not to bring it.

Dead Or Alive Xtreme 3 Not Coming West Due to Cultural Differences, Says Sony Boss

It's recently come to our attention some very interesting insight on the Dead or Alive Extreme 3 debacle this past week, and this time it comes from the President of Sony himself, Shuhei Yoshida.

nichegamer.com

bunch of cowards

 

[DryvBy]

What exactly makes this one AO? I have one AO game and that's Hatred.

 

[Eiknarf]

DoA3 X is not banned in the US. The publisher just chose not to bring it.

Dead Or Alive Xtreme 3 Not Coming West Due to Cultural Differences, Says Sony Boss

It's recently come to our attention some very interesting insight on the Dead or Alive Extreme 3 debacle this past week, and this time it comes from the President of Sony himself, Shuhei Yoshida.

nichegamer.com

True
Yeah, I mean, I had it (the physical version), but had to import it. And it’s not available on the PlayStation store unless you change your location, right?

It’s just dumb to ban, censor, or edit when it comes to art/games/entertainment.

 

[CamHostage]

Maybe it is a mistake, or it is a rating that was given for the build that was submitted to the ESRB, and it will be changed for release?

Likely it is just an error, right?

There are no descriptors, which would absolutely be required for any game that deep in the rating categories. The PEGI rating is 18 on Euro Xbox site, but that also seems off since the only descriptor is "Criminal Instruction Technique", and there is known to be violence in the game which would be in that rating. Also, the ESRB doesn't list the rating (although that archive is far from complete.) And there's no sign of a blockchain component, which would be the only other odd way that a game would get an AO these days besides sexual content.

My guess is that the developer just plugged in the datapoints needed to get the listing live and don't have the actual certification yet (even though the game supposedly is releasing today) and for whatever reason listed it as the furthest-down rating rather than the expected M. That, or like you said, they are in resubmittal after somehow triggering an AO, and so they have to show this even though the rating is likely to change. (You would think Xbox would have caught this in their archive since, as Astray said about the legal issues of AO retailing, there are big complications over having this rating without incredibly strict policies in place. However, digital markets move fast and don't have a lot of manual oversight handling the products.)

The Steam version went up unrated, but its mature content callout doesn't describe anything in the extreme side of content.

This Game may contain content not appropriate for all ages, or may not be appropriate for viewing at work: Frequent Violence or Gore, General Mature Content

 

[CamHostage]

Video of gameplay completion, if anybody is curious to skim and see what it may or may not contain.

 

[adamsapple]

What exactly makes this one AO? I have one AO game and that's Hatred.

Nothing specific, looking online, seems like the game is rated M on Steam and M equivalent in UK on Xbox, seems like just the US Xbox has it as AO.

 

[Heisenberg007]

 

[FeralEcho]

In 2024,the rating is probably just some slight cleavage on an attractive female character...since tits are the stuff of nightmares in this shit ass industry.

 

[Duchess]

tits are the stuff of nightmares in this shit ass industry

As well as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. etc. They're all absolutely terrified of boobs.

 

[Killer8]

Perverts lent their power to Blu-ray and now they will save Xbox.

 

[Topher]

M 17+
AO 18+

 

[Eiknarf]

As well as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. etc. They're all absolutely terrified of boobs.

Even modern streaming shows

They show penis and all the male full frontal nudity and male ass you desire - But I’ve yet to see tits the way they used to be shown in the 80s and 90s…

It’s like they’re over correcting and going too far the other way. That’s not how you fix a situation. That’s how seven-year-olds THINK they’re fixing a situation on the playground; “NOW YOU KNOW HOW IT FEELS!”

 

[Astray]

that's hilarious that many games on that list could be bought back then by 16 years olds here in Germany. However, stuff like Quake 3 or Dead Rising effectively received the equivalent of an US AO rating (you cannot advertise and publicly display the games but you can still buy them if you were over 18. But only behind the counter).

Yeah cultural differences can have huge effects lol.

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

Spoiler

 

[Three]

DoA3 X is not banned in the US. The publisher just chose not to bring it.

Dead Or Alive Xtreme 3 Not Coming West Due to Cultural Differences, Says Sony Boss

It's recently come to our attention some very interesting insight on the Dead or Alive Extreme 3 debacle this past week, and this time it comes from the President of Sony himself, Shuhei Yoshida.

nichegamer.com

Why are you pointing to a Shu interview for this?

Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 Will Not See Western Release - IGN

"We do not bring DoAX3 to the West and won't have any plan change in the future. Thank you for asking."

www.ign.com

Koei Tecmo was the publisher and they chose not to bring it.

 

[March Climber]

That being said I've never heard of an AO rating before

Exactly.

 

[adamsapple]

Why are you pointing to a Shu interview for this?

Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 Will Not See Western Release - IGN

"We do not bring DoAX3 to the West and won't have any plan change in the future. Thank you for asking."

www.ign.com

Koei Tecmo was the publisher and they chose not to bring it.

It was the first article on search, I'm not trying to imply that sony blocked it, guns down

 

[Moses85]

Finally Manhunt 2 uncut

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

It’s to allow full frontal nudity in Veilguard. Unleash the genitals!!

 

[Three]

It was the first article on search, I'm not trying to imply that sony blocked it, guns down

It was just a weird link to use and you being you had me wondering.

The 4gamer interviewer asked if more Japanese devs should bring their games to the west and how with DOA Koei Tecmo decided not to. It was just mentioned in passing from older news. Shu mentioned how the west lambasted games like Dragons Crown too so he understands the cultural differences and Koei Tecmos decision which they had already made public weeks ago. Somehow nichegamer turned the already known piece of info into news Shu was breaking. Weird.

 

[Moriarty1889]

That’s shocking considering they just were very vocal about not having curvy women in their games…….so much for that I guess eh Phil? Looks like between this and them recently shutting down a DEI dept. I guess MS realizes sex does sell and money matters more than diversity to MS.

 

[TransTrender]

Will your account still be auto-banned when your XBox automatically uploads AO gameplay content?

 

[BlackTron]

Will your account still be auto-banned when your XBox automatically uploads AO gameplay content?

Yes. It's called synergy.

 

[intbal]

 

[CamHostage]

That’s shocking considering they just were very vocal about not having curvy women in their games…….so much for that I guess eh Phil? Looks like between this and them recently shutting down a DEI dept. I guess MS realizes sex does sell and money matters more than diversity to MS.

Dude, you are way up in your head about the culture wars. This is a meaningless game most likely flagged wrong in the directory, it isn't happening because of a course-reversal at Xbox Studios on DEI initiatives and does not open the floodgates for some tidal wave of porn games. Watch a video of the game being played and see how likely this rating is to be incorrect.

 

[CamHostage]

No idea what makes this game AO...it looks like your bog standard indie horror game.

Nothing I can see except that at the end of the game, an event happens where a
church...

Spoiler

burns down accidentally. The cross and pulpit are seen engulfed in flame.

(Anti-spoiled in case somebody actually wants to play this thing...)

In the ratings board process, this event might have been flagged as a priority concern for potential religious/social implications, which may have been labeled as AO even though it's more of a preliminary checkpoint designation, and the rating might have stuck in the Xbox Certification process. The actual 'shipping' game though likely would have been re-rated or modified slightly or just cleared upon inspection for the content not carrying implications beyond the story being told.

Or, it's a mistake in the listing.

...Or, there's hidden pornography in it for absolutely no knowable reason and all Adults-Only heck is about to let loose.