Why Nintendo refuses to publish any M-rated Super Smash Bros. video games?

[Thomas Wiencek]

Okay. So Super Smash Bros., the original game exclusively for the Nintendo 64 was rated "E" for Everyone by the ESRB, but contains Animated Violence (on the original N64 Version) or Cartoon Violence (on the Wii Virtual Console Version).

The reason both Super Smash Bros. Melee and Brawl with rated "T" for Teen by the ESRB, so this is because Super Smash Bros. Melee contains Comic Mischief and Mild Violence and Super Smash Bros. Brawl contain Cartoon Violence and Crude Humor.

So does anybody know anything about the reason the people of Nintendo is so smart enough that they keep on refusing to publish any Super Smash Bros. video games as rated "M" for Mature by the ESRB because contain Blood & Gore, Comic Mischief, Intense Cartoon/Fantasy/Sexual Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Real Gambling, Strong Sexual Content, Strong Language, Strong Lyrics and Use of Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco?

[Sweets Witch]

A Mature SSB game will never be released because the series is not mature. It's a game where popular video game characters beat each other up, not Mortal Kombat. There's no need for M-rated content in the series and Nintendo knows that.

[machomuu]

If it were rated M then it would cast out their largest fanbases and definitely hurt sales, especially because older gamers are fine with the ratings, so there's really no need.

...Is this a joke?

[Thomas Wiencek]

Well? How do the creators make that that it shouldn't be too violent or inappropriate for the Teen or Everyone 10+ rating from the ESRB in order for Nintendo to publish it? And did Nintendo decided that they would no longer be able to publish anymore Mature video games, unlike they did towards Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem and Geist, the games for the Nintendo Gamecube?

[machomuu]

Because there are certain lines you have to cross to get the M rating that SSB isn't even close to.

[Sydian]

SSB doesn't need to be M. Do we really wanna see blood splattering everywhere? I think since it's a plethora of familiar Nintendo characters, that's why it's not M. And you'd miss out on some of the market. I think parents disregard the T ratings for Melee and Brawl since they know it's Nintendo (if I were a parent, I would. I don't think it's that bad of a game so sure, 7 year old Syd Jr can play it if he wants to) and if you slapped M on it, I think parents would be more wary. Then again, you have parents buying Call of Duty for their 6 and 7 year olds without paying attention to the rating at all so why do we even have a rating system anymore...lol.

But it would just seem strange for Nintendo to make their fighting game rated M. I mean...it's Nintendo.

[NatureKeeper]

Nintendo doesn't use the M for Mature ESRB logo to sell, they use the giant Super Smash Bros. logo to sell. I don't see why they should force it to be M for Mature. You treat it like it's a good thing. It's not. It's a damned handicap.

[Spinosaurus]

Originally Posted by Thomas Wiencek

Well? How do the creators make that that it shouldn't be too violent or inappropriate for the Teen or Everyone 10+ rating from the ESRB in order for Nintendo to publish it? And did Nintendo decided that they would no longer be able to publish anymore Mature video games, unlike they did towards Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem and Geist, the games for the Nintendo Gamecube?

Making it Mature would hurt sales very very significantly. Why would they need the mature rating? Mortal Kombat is the only big name fighting game with any gore in it but that's its gimmick. Street Fighter, King of Fighters, Marvel vs Capcom, Tekken, etc are all rated T. There's a reason why Solid Snake didn't have have any of his iconic pistols. (other weapons not withstanding.)

That, and having big icons kids and adults love in a mature game would cause it to have bad press. Do you really want to see Mario getting cut in pieces? Not even Metal Gear Solid fans would like to see Snake in a bloodbath like that. (MGS barely has much gore.)

Simply just having any sort of violence isn't enough to get you an M-rating. Fighting isn't something only mature audience should see, especially this sort of unrealistic and comical fighting. It's not something harmful at all.


As for the Nintendo not publishing mature games thing...Bayonetta 2 is gonna be M-rated and that's almost guaranteed.


Or I potentially don't get this thread at all.

[Pave Low]

Games like SSBB aren't just for the older generation, think about the younger children. They won't sell nearly as much games if the audience isn't there. Mario has always appealed to the same audience and shifting it to the older people definitely wouldn't work. If you want a blood and gore game, just buy one, no need to get Mario involved. Mario games; they are what they are. Nothing is going to change in terms of game ratings.

[machomuu]

Originally Posted by Thomas Wiencek

Well? How do the creators make that that it shouldn't be too violent or inappropriate for the Teen or Everyone 10+ rating from the ESRB in order for Nintendo to publish it? And did Nintendo decided that they would no longer be able to publish anymore Mature video games, unlike they did towards Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem and Geist, the games for the Nintendo Gamecube?

...They didn't decide that they wouldn't, there are just other publishers that usually publish the M rated games rather than Nintendo. It also helps to stay away from controversy.

[Xulek]

Reason why is because it'll scare off the family gamers who love Nintendo oh so very much especially if the kids ends up seeing Pikachu getting executed Mortal Kombat style while playing something like Brawl, there are just some things you can't unsee.

[machomuu]

Originally Posted by Xulek

Reason why is because it'll scare off the family gamers who love Nintendo oh so very much especially if the kids ends up seeing Pikachu getting executed Mortal Kombat style while playing something like Brawl, there are just some things you can't unsee.

And, really, I don't think there are many people that would want to see that. I mean, it's great for, say, parodies and the like, but I can't see many gamers, older or younger, wanting to buy the game because there was added blood and gore. It would take away from the charm of the source materials, as well as SSB overall, and it would just seem out of place.

[Xulek]

Originally Posted by machomuu

And, really, I don't think there are many people that would want to see that. I mean, it's great for, say, parodies and the like, but I can't see many gamers, older or younger, wanting to buy the game because there was added blood and gore. It would take away from the charm of the source materials, as well as SSB overall, and it would just seem out of place.

Just because it works for Dead Space and Gears Of War doesn't mean it's gonna work for Super Mario Brothers and The Legend Of Zelda given audiences and all, god forbid the Goombahs start popping like tomatoes when you jump on them now.

[TRIFORCE89]

The rating bumped up from E to T because of the graphical capabilities. Though the level of violence was the same, the ESRB argued that the graphical style enable it to be portrayed more realistically. Similar reasoning for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. It was not necessarily something Nintendo set out to do. Not to mention that the ESRB ratings don't exist all over the world. More of a North American thing.

If you look at the franchise characters that make up the Smash Bros. roster, their original games don't contain foul language, gambling, drugs, excessive violence, etc. And I hope the world never receives a game that features a naked Mario.

To force that into the game would disrespect the original franchises. It would also effect sales and their brand. Nintendo claims to make games that are for everyone. Like Disney. That's just not the right audience for so-called "mature" content.

[jerichob10]

Super smash bros has always been a family friendly game i dont know why anyone would want it to be an m game. Enough said

[Wind Heart]

Because Nintendo wants to make games (Super Smash Bros series included) that everybody could enjoy, that's why they refrain on making M-rated game.

[Caelus]

I don't know why you would want an M rated Brawl game to begin with. There's nothing in it that could even remotely make it a rated M game; no blood, nothing disturbing, no sexual reference or anything like that.

I'm perfectly fine with how the series is.