US gamers are having to wait another week to play Halo 2 on the PC following the discovery that the game includes partial nudity.

The offending picture is a photograph of an individual showing his bare backside and is accessible within Halo 2 Vista's exclusive map editor tool. Apparently, it pops up when an ".ass" error occurs.

Concerned that the content might offend gamers that buy the game, even though they have to be over 17 in the US, Microsoft has released a statement following the outcry.

“It has come to our attention that an unfortunate, obscure content error which includes partial nudity was included in our initial production of 'Halo 2' for Windows Vista. As such, we have updated the initial game packaging at retailers with a label, so customers are aware before purchasing the game. Additionally, we’ve developed an online update, which can be downloaded from www.halo2.com to remove the content. At Microsoft we take the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) guidelines very seriously and hold ourselves to high standards, with our customers always in mind.”

Worried gamers can choose to remove the feature by downloading a 341k update that will remove the offending error message.

It is uncertain whether or not the game will be delayed in the UK, however Amazon and other retailers are still posting a release date of the 8 June, 2 weeks after the official launch date in America and Canada.

We will keep you posted.