Atlus U.S.A., Inc. just sent over a press release announcing (rather excitedly) that its upcoming PS2 RPG, Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, has been given a Mature (M) rating by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). The rating carries four descriptors–Blood, Intense Violence, Language, and Sexual Themes.
"RPGs have finally grown up," said Gail Salamanca, Atlus' Marketing Manager. "We've taken great care to keep the localization true to the creators' original vision with its dark and often controversial themes, as doing anything else would be a disservice to the gaming public. The developer's have crafted a game that raises the bar on mature storytelling and have combined it with a deep combat system and an overwhelming amount of character customization options never before seen in any RPG. SMT: Nocturne is definitely not for people with delicate sensibilities, but for those brave enough to play it, you’ll be in for a gaming experience unlike any other."
Basically, they're hoping that every fourteen year old kid will try to goad his parents into buying the game once he/she finds out the game has overtones of sex and kink. Sadly, that strategy is probably going to work. Anyway…
About Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
Nocturne is the sixth installment in Atlus' immensely popular Shin Megami Tensai RPG series, and the first console Shin Megami Tensai game to come to North America (Devil Children, for the GBC, doesn't really count). The story is set in post-apocalyptic Tokyo, after the entire population of the world has been annihilated by a global catastrophe called the Conception. Now, the fate of the entire world lies on the shoulders of a young man turned demon, who must battle his way through opposing demonic forces to bring balance to the world to come.
Features:
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne is scheduled to launch onto store shelves September 28th with a suggested retail price of $49.99. As a bonus, the game will come packaged with a Limited Edition Soundtrack that contains over 30 tracks from the in-game music.
