'Partial nudity' behind Halo 2 delay?

  • By thorsen-ink, GameSpot
  • Posted May 25, 2007 2:08 pm PT

Source: Pick one. The official story: See below. What we heard: On May 8, the debut of Halo 2 on the PC was supposed to herald in a new age of Vista-enabled gaming on Windows Live. But then its launch was pushed back to May 22 and then again on May 24, when the game was officially--and...

Source: Pick one.

The official story: See below.

What we heard: On May 8, the debut of Halo 2 on the PC was supposed to herald in a new age of Vista-enabled gaming on Windows Live. But then its launch was pushed back to May 22 and then again on May 24, when the game was officially--and suddenly--delayed to May 31.

Today, though, rumors began to spread like an unchecked rash that Halo 2's postponement had a fleshy origin. According to numerous online reports, the Master Chief's Windows Vista debut was delayed because the build shipped to retailers contained partial nudity.

The reports about the Halo 2 nudity were confirmed by an unlikely source--Microsoft itself. Famously recalcitrant when it comes to rumors about its games, the software giant flat-out admitted that Halo 2 contained risqué content. "An unfortunate, obscure content error which includes partial nudity was included in our initial production of Halo 2 for Windows Vista," the company told GameSpot.

One thing Microsoft would not comment on was a nonobscured photo attributed to Halo 2 that showed an error message displaying a young Caucasian male's rear end to the camera. Photos of said derriere surfaced on various sites, including popular blog Kotaku (WARNING: ADULT CONTENT), all of which said it came from the the PC game.

Microsoft declined to address the photo, saying only that the nude image in question in Halo 2 could not be seen by those simply playing the game. However, the ESRB had no such qualms about describing the game's interior posterior. "The content in question, although likely to be inaccessible to the vast majority of users, displays a photograph of an individual showing his bare backside to the user when a particular error occurs," an ESRB spokesperson said.

The inclusion of said nudity has caused Halo 2's M for Mature rating to be tweaked by the Entertainment Software Rating Board. Now, the game's label must include the words "partial nudity," and all boxed copies must be relabeled--hence the delay. "As a result of updates to retail packaging, Halo 2 for Windows Vista will now ship from manufacturers on May 31," Microsoft said before apologizing for said delay. Microsoft also released a Halo 2 patch that will make the nude content totally unviewable, and anyone wishing to play the game online must auto-update the game with said patch.

Bogus or not bogus?: Not bogus.

581 Comments

  • hunterbandicoot

    Posted Oct 17, 2007 5:59 pm PT

    .............................

  • CloudIzDaBomb

    Posted Sep 30, 2007 3:44 am PT

    correction: Cortana's b**bs hehheh

  • CloudIzDaBomb

    Posted Sep 29, 2007 5:15 am PT

    Wahhhhhhh! why couldn't it be cortana heh-heh

  • redalertgamer

    Posted Jul 3, 2007 12:01 am PT

    wow this is bull all microsoft wants is sum pr for a game tht noone cares about watever i still bought it n b4 i patch it im gonna do sum hunting for this.ASS error

  • kave-man007

    Posted Jun 23, 2007 8:00 am PT

    IF ITS A CHICKS A*S IM ALL IN

  • ShawnD2656

    Posted Jun 20, 2007 8:17 am PT

    weird.....

  • wmark007

    Posted Jun 13, 2007 6:54 pm PT

    I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT STUFF

  • GonLee30

    Posted Jun 13, 2007 6:07 pm PT

    Who cares

  • bizkit_limp

    Posted Jun 10, 2007 10:39 am PT

    Ohhh boyy

  • Adamant_Faith

    Posted Jun 9, 2007 9:28 pm PT

    That's amazing, lol.

  • Deyyhayederaned

    Posted Jun 3, 2007 3:54 am PT

    Who would make the time to edit MC junk, just wrong if at all make it a girl

  • crozzan

    Posted Jun 1, 2007 6:18 pm PT

    Thats an ouch, Seriously. I wouldn't want my nephew seeing a guys behind just because some moron decided to put a picture of his behind on an error window, when I get this game, I will make sure to patch it.

  • Hewkii

    Posted Jun 1, 2007 4:59 pm PT

    that's strange, I saw Halo 2 at Circuit City on Monday.

  • vhuynh67

    Posted May 30, 2007 10:16 pm PT

    We should have a D for Dumb Rating of our lawmakers. Showing an ass making it a M rated game. Showing people in bed on primetime TV is allowed. Why anatomy parts are such a big deal to these so called self pious. What do they think? 10 year-old are playing Halo? You bet ya! So there should be more concern about 10 year-old sniping the poor Grunt from afar. But no, a half ass is more important than that. Both Democrats and Republicans lawmakers are just Dumb and Dumber

  • s_king7

    Posted May 30, 2007 11:26 am PT

    if anybody wants a halo killer then Warhawk is the game:

    http://kotaku.com/gaming/addiction/warhawk-down-263909.php

    the game was down but people are just in love with it, telling you this could get Halo, Gears of War players playing it

  • metroid_dragon

    Posted May 30, 2007 8:53 am PT

    I guess my hopes that some official Cortana porn would appear will not be recognized

  • Cpl_Kane

    Posted May 30, 2007 8:10 am PT

    wow.......a ".ASS error"
    that's.....err......mature........
    maybe microsoft is hiring 12-year-olds now.....

  • buruburu

    Posted May 30, 2007 8:04 am PT

    Yes, but....
    Vista needs to have somebody take a *~"stance"~* on the OS.

  • gagagoogoololo

    Posted May 30, 2007 6:35 am PT

    I feel sorry for the person who *accidentally* included the content *error*

  • hoodedshyguy

    Posted May 29, 2007 7:08 pm PT

    OH NOEZ!!! A man's naked posterior used in jest that is only seen in extremely rare circumstances!? How shocking indeed.

  • leeleeman

    Posted May 29, 2007 6:25 pm PT

    i hope its capt. keyes daughter *cough* chest *cough*

  • vago92

    Posted May 29, 2007 5:34 pm PT

    Just what halo needed

  • KDogKool

    Posted May 29, 2007 2:51 pm PT

    Ha!

  • rl_41

    Posted May 29, 2007 1:47 pm PT

    hahahahahahahahahah somebody on the developing team is a word that starts with D and ends with ouche....

  • Genuma

    Posted May 29, 2007 1:15 pm PT

    That sucks. Now it's delayed because Bungie members went gay WHY? If you're going to show Nudity at all, make it a girl!!!!

  • polsci1503

    Posted May 29, 2007 12:33 pm PT

    Is that David Caruso? I wish all MS error messages were that funny.

  • unreal6666

    Posted May 29, 2007 11:47 am PT

    It just goes to show you how censorship can be retarded! I have seen worse than a butt and it was on national TV and nobody cared !!!

    What a bunch of morons! But i do not care really i can't play the game since it needs Crapta errrr... i meant vista!!! that should be the problem right now! Not a butt sitcking out!

  • Hydrolix

    Posted May 29, 2007 11:39 am PT

    Darkinferno...they don't just "slip" in probably one of two things happened. Someone coded that as an in-office prank and that piece of code never got deleted...or it's an unfinished texture. i.e. someone forgot to put the dude's pants on.

  • Aufban

    Posted May 29, 2007 9:43 am PT

    Total horse-hockey. A transparent (and pathetic) attempt to gen some buzz about a loosing product.

  • Phantom_2003

    Posted May 29, 2007 9:37 am PT

    thanks a lot, ass. thanks to you, a game got pushed back a week.

  • IonescoF

    Posted May 29, 2007 9:36 am PT

    Now that's more shocking than a blue screen of death.

  • HardCor1981

    Posted May 29, 2007 9:16 am PT

    Sounds like someone at Microsoft is about to get their butt fired.

  • Autolycus

    Posted May 29, 2007 8:43 am PT

    only in america where censorship is ruining everything

  • StonyShred420

    Posted May 29, 2007 8:33 am PT

    Oh Come on, thats freakin' funny! Hell if my Xbox Halo 2 had an error, that guys a$$ showing up would make me laugh, not offend me!

  • Reali_T

    Posted May 29, 2007 8:25 am PT

    Cyborg Porn.... ick

  • CUBELord

    Posted May 29, 2007 8:24 am PT

    Ok,if I read it right,here's a simple version for idiots who don't understand:Bungie delayed it because a man can moon you if a particular error occurs and they have to relabel boxes to say "partial nudity".Lol.I don't think I want that patch.I DARE that freak to moon me *picks up fuel rod cannon*.

  • Pedro7_2000

    Posted May 29, 2007 8:16 am PT

    If I read that correctly, PC users have to hack to get to an error message which then shows the nude backside.

    Adjusting the final rating to account for people hacking the game = lame.

    This is all cuz of hot coffee. Again, = lame.

  • lithus

    Posted May 29, 2007 7:36 am PT

    This world disgusts me more and more everyday. I'm sick of left wing rhetoric and political correctness. How come ppl are so damn annoyed by the simple thought of showing flesh, but outright violence and gratuitous gore isn't a big deal?! Don Imus gets fired for saying "Nappy headed Hoes", but Rosie O'donnell can call our Troops Terrorists and keep her job (not just quit). Seriously. God forbid someone shows what a nipple looks like.

  • hotpocket_101

    Posted May 29, 2007 7:34 am PT

    thats hilarious!! microsft is a genius they should do that on all games!!!

  • snofelj

    Posted May 29, 2007 5:39 am PT

    How can nude picture involve Halo 2

  • Brainkiller05

    Posted May 29, 2007 5:22 am PT

    Hmm...well, Halo's getting more attention now eh

  • shizwill03

    Posted May 29, 2007 4:49 am PT

    Fanboy999

    Speak for yourself..........

  • ssjdagas

    Posted May 29, 2007 4:45 am PT

    Seems like an office prank that they forgot to delete from the code.

  • amogley

    Posted May 29, 2007 3:48 am PT

    This is nuts ... the game already has a Mature rating so it should only be sold to a Mature audience, and I'm guessing they couldn't give a monkey's about some bare butt cheeks.

    Situation is just becoming increasingly stupid.

  • gnrlcryingwolf

    Posted May 29, 2007 3:44 am PT

    From the other side of the Big Water, I stare with gazing eyes and mouth on the floor at American society and I think to myself "How they still have a long way to go". How derailed and divided can a country be?

  • MissyWegner

    Posted May 29, 2007 1:42 am PT

    Hmm... wait... we're talking about a game that is basically set around the subject of shooting people, even if they are aliens and evil etc.... and then somebody complains that seeing some booty might affect anybody worse than the game itself? I've never played Halo but was a huge fan of the original Perfect Dark, so I am nobody who would support banning First Person Shooters per se. But I think it's ridiculous that shooting other people is regarded far less critical than the inclusion, even if accidently, of a naked ass...

  • KniteWulfe

    Posted May 29, 2007 1:09 am PT

    Anyone else think this is a publicity stunt?

  • InSoMnIaK604

    Posted May 29, 2007 12:34 am PT

    That is one seriously ugly ass.

  • ketsuatama

    Posted May 29, 2007 12:05 am PT

    They should splice Sir Mixalot's classic track , My Baby's Got Back, at the crucial moment and they will really become legends in my book!!!

  • Dylanius

    Posted May 28, 2007 11:17 pm PT

    ROFL! KEEP IT!

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