ESRB CHANGES ELDER SCROLLS IV: OBLIVION RATING FROM
The ESRB today announced that they are re-rating Bethesda's Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

According to the ESRB press release, due to higher levels of violence being in the game than what was originally reported by Bethesda and an unused file in the PC version that could be accessed by a third party mod which would allow a player to use topless female models, the games rating was being changed from "T - Teen" to "M - Mature". See the ESRB Press release here (.PDF File) and the breakdown of the ESRB ratings system here.

Bethesda responded to the report with their own press release stating that while they did not misrepresent the game to the ESRB, they will not challenge the ruling regarding the change, nor will they edit the game to bring it back down to a Teen rating. It seems Bethesda is a bit upset at the implication that they were less than forthcoming with the ESRB when the game was originally submitted for rating, as indicated by this quote from the press release.

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"Bethesda Softworks made what it believes was a full, accurate, and comprehensive submission on Oblivion to the ESRB months before the game's release. Bethesda used the ESRB's application forms and believes it adhered closely to their requirements. Nothing was hidden from the ratings agency. No effort was made by Bethesda to lobby or influence the agency for any particular rating." - Bethesda press release
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My guess is the rating isn't about the violence in the game at all, but rather about simplifying things so there isn't any confusion due to the Xbox 360 and PC versions carrying different ratings.

While I don't think this is going to become as much of a lightning rod for criticism as the "Hot Coffee" incident, I'm sure the Jack Thompsons of the world are going to jump all over it.

FIRING SQUAD LOOKS BACK AT THE XBOX 360 6 MONTHS LATER
Firing Squad took a look at the Xbox 360 back when it was released and gave it an initial report card. 6 Months later, they go back and take a second look at the 360 and see how it's progressed from their initial impressions. Consider it a 6 month report card of sorts. Definitely an interesting read. Check it out over at

FIFA WORLD CUP DEMO NOW IN MARKETPLACE
Xbox Live Director of Programming Major Nelson reports on his blog that the demo for 2006 FIFA World Cup is now available in the Xbox Live Marketplace. We took a look and it is indeed available. The demo weighs in at 644.63 megabytes.

CHANGES TO XBOX.COM
Microsoft revealed a revamped Xbox.com "My Xbox" section yesterday which enables Xbox Live members to utilize more of the features of Xbox Live while away from their consoles. The biggest change was the ability to read messages sent over live from the website (Silver & Gold Members) and send messages to other Xbox Live members. (Gold membership only). Here's a brief rundown of the changes as per Xbox.com;
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All My Xbox users (Xbox Live Silver and Gold users as well as those who just signed up here on Xbox.com) can now read text messages in the My Xbox Message Center. So someone can send you a message from their Xbox 360™ console and you can read it on your PC.

Xbox Live Gold members can compose and send messages in the My Xbox Message Center. The character limit is the same as on the Xbox 360 console: 250 characters.

Xbox Live Gold members can send messages (up to 200 per day) to gamers who are on their friends list.

Xbox Live Gold members can send messages (up to 25 per day) to other gamers not on their friends list.

All My Xbox users can block communications with other gamers. Designate a gamertag as blocked and you won't get any more messages from them. Change your mind? Unblock a gamer simply by sending them a message.

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Click here to check out the update page at Xbox.com for more details.

DS-LITE COMING TO U.S. IN JUNE?
Kotaku is reporting that they've received a tip that the Nintendo DS-Lite will be hitting the U.S. on June 21st at $150.00 and only in white. I couldn't tell you how reliable their source is, but at this point I'm keeping my fingers crossed as I've been holding off picking up a DS in order to wait for the Lite. Perhaps my wait is almost over!

NINTENDO RELEASES LATEST NEW SUPER MARIO BROS FOOTAGE
Nintendo dropped us a note to let us know that they've updated the New Super Mario Bros. page with some new footage from the game. This time the focus is on the special moves in the game. It's pretty nifty stuff, so why not check it out while I'm trying to figure out how to scam a DS-Lite somehow.

ACTIVISION NOW TARGET OF UNPAID OVERTIME LAWSUIT
Hot on the heels of the Electronic Arts lawsuit settlement, Gamasutra is reporting that Activision is now the target of a class-action lawsuit based on unpaid overtime. It should be pretty interesting to see just how many of these lawsuits hit the industry now that EA settled. I sense a grave disturbance in the force... as if millions of voices suddenly cried out... "Where's my damn money?!" These guys work hard, and hopefully they'll stop being taken advantage of for it.

OVER 60 PIECES OF CONTENT COMING TO LIVE MARKETPLACE DURING E3
The good news? There will be tons of new content hitting Live during E3, including a demo of Lost Planet: Extreme Condition from Capcom. The bad news? Microsoft has apparently announced there will be no playable Gears of War demo at E3, just a high-definition trailer. Check out the Gamespot article for more details!
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I can't even begin to tell you how bummed I am about there not being a playable demo of Gears of War. Just utterly depressing after the last week or two of rumors.

NINTENDO LAUNCHES THEIR E3 WEBSITE
Nintendo has finally launched their E3 website, bringing the final member of the Big 3 online for the upcoming Expo. No news has been posted there yet, but we'll keep you updated as Nintendo starts adding content.

NEW XBOX 360 CALL OF DUTY 2 MULTI-PLAYER MAPS COMING
Word from Gamespot is that Activision is preparing 3 map packs for Call of Duty 2 on the Xbox 360. The first 2 packs will arrive sometime this spring. Pack one will contain 2 maps and will be provided for free. The second of the packs will contain two more maps and carry a price of 400 marketplace points ($5). The final pack will be released in July and will add 5 more maps at a cost of 900 marketplace points ($11.25)