Banned Games

[SoulBlazer]

It seems that over the last few years, games that are either outright banned, forced to udnergo changes before being released, or refused to be carried by major chains, has increased.

Over the last year we've had Manhunt banned in Australia, one of Ubi Soft's games forced to be changed for release in Montreal (can't recall the game's name right now, sorry), and other titles that are not carried by large chains in the US like Wal-Mart (which like it or not does sell a huge ammount of games these days).

Perhaps it's just me, but this is a disturbing trend in my mind. I hate censorship of any form unless it's for the highest reason, and a government thinking it's people are too stupid to decide if they can handle a game, and taking them out of the choice process in the FIRST place, smacks of doing things a dictator would.

Do you feel there are cases that it's allright for a government to ban a game? Which ones? Should stores try to better control what they sell to who? Are there games you'd like to see banned, and why?

[Querjek]

I always get the name wrong with this, but... Kakuto Chojin? See, there are 2 XBox fighting games that have similar odd names. One was recalled by Microsoft, and the other was made by one of the creators of Mortal Kombat. I get the names flipped, usually.

[thegreatescape]

That manhunt ban is the stupidest thing the Australian Classification board has ever done :frustrated:

Is there really any point in banning a game a year after its release !? I wouldnt mind if theyd banned it before release (im not a manhunt fan), but wtf?!

[EnemyZero]

Yeah Kakuto Chojin was pulled because of "religious reasons" or at least thats what my local xbox rep told me....when the original Grand Theft Auto was released it was pulled from stores for a while, but was re-released

[Graham Mitchell]

Censorship is lame, but it happens. Those of us in the US are lucky enough to have places that will sell the "objectionable" material, because (and thank your lucky stars for this) Wal-Mart does not set the bar for taste and decency in this country. (Unfortunately, I think MTV does, but that's a whole other thread...)

If you're in the US, just don't shop at those places. It's been going on for years; I have a White Label Jane's Addiction album, and I've seen Wal-Mart-edited copies of Nirvana's In Utero and Tools Undertow records. Notice all these records were released within about 3 years of each other. Music took a turn at that time, as video games currently are. After awhile, either sales of games at these places will be so poor that they won't bother carrying them anymore, or society will just get over it like they have with movies.

[tom]

Not so much banned, but censorship is very high in the UK, be it films, TV, books, games, music or other art. (well, movies are/were also banned, also books and music)

It started with PC games on CD and later on PSX, Resident Evil, Tekken III, Sould Blade, all those are censored in England (+ many more). Sometimes it's stupid little things like in Soul Blade, a T-Shirt was added in the opening scene, and the nanchukas had to be removed/changed for legal reasons.
Funny thing is: The BBFC never touched 'floppy' or carts, and in Budokan on Amiga you have nanchukas (But at the time any reference to the weapon was still illegal, go figure)

Even nowadays, music, films and videos and books are still banned in the UK.

[Jehuty]

I always wondered about that banning of anything related to ninja's things in the UK, care to fill me in.

Australia put a ban on the original version of Duke 3D for a while forcing the developers to send an altered version to Australia but hilariosly the developers stuck a patch on their site to restore the game to its original version.

I'm sure that the patch got some air time on tv.

[SamuraiSmurfette]

I always wondered about that banning of anything related to ninja's things in the UK, care to fill me in.


Same here. What's the scoop on that?
Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles ;)

[hydr0x]

I always wondered about that banning of anything related to ninja's things in the UK, care to fill me in.


Same here. What's the scoop on that?
Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles ;)

i have no idea

but people PLEASE this europe is not the same as uk, don't use those words if as it meant the same, in fact the uk is totally un-european compared to france, holland or germany!!

[PapaStu]

Kakuto Chojin was pulled about 2 weeks after it went out for possible offences that it could make to the Faith of Islam.

One of the characters was originally from the MiddleEast and his theme music (which played IF you played as him and the match took place in his level) has some dialogue in the music which is being used out of context. I believe that it was lines from the Koran, and Muslim use of Koran lines is strictly controlled in general so this was considered massivly offensive.

There was suppse to be a re-release of the game with the music fixed, which is pretty hard confirm if no one actually wants to play the game in the first place.

Another "Banned" game is Hitman 2 for the Console. There was a level that was taken out/and or edited for the PS2 and XBox. I think the GCN version came out later enough that removed the middle east level that was causing the problems.

[punkoffgirl]

Personally, I think it's the other way around. We aren't becoming more censorous, per say; the games are getting worse. Of course there weren't that many games banned before, they weren't any where NEAR as violent or bloody or what have you as they are now.

[slip81]

I think unless a game has illegal content, i.e something that violates free speech, then it should be left alone. I'm all for just putting more stringent restrictions on questionable games, like have a rating that's worse than MA, like an NC-17 for videogames so that even parents can't buy GTA for their screaming 10 year old. Also why not put a small fine on people who are of age who buy games for minors, like the do with ciggarettes and alcohol.

Just make the games/movies/music, harder for minors to get.

Funny story, the other day at a local Gamestop a mother and her son of about 10 or so were in there trying to buy GTA: Vice City, and the store clerk told the mother that the game contained "extreme violent content, gore, strong language and strong sexual content, and that part of the game takes place in a porn studio." After hearing this I said to another clerk, when you say it like that it just makes him want it more. And it's true, stores should just have the liberty of saying "No" to parents, especially if it's blatantly obvious that they are buying something for their underage child.

Okay I'm off my soapbox LOL

[Neil Koch]

I'm not 100% sure on this, but the showing of nunchakus were banned for quite a while in England... they even re-did the cover of Enter the Dragon to show Bruce Lee holding a staff rather than nunchakus. The BBFC have recently relaxed this restriction, and Lee's movies have been getting put out on DVD uncut.

[racecar]

for the PSX -THRILL KILL ...check out ebay
ps2-MOH raising sun was banned in JAPAN
manhunt-banned in some countrys
censorship of certain games is nesesary ..duo to the fact that children these day can get their hands on anything so might as well not release the game(internet can get anything)at all , AS iam willing to sacrifice the playing experience of such game but it for good of the children especially when they are like 7-15 they might get the wrong idea and think its ok to get a gun to solve all their problem (gta is ok for teens and manhunt is not) also i think the violent and graphics of game evolve so much it makes the image look more realistic ... compare to the older system the image of the most violent games are ok don't even have to rated past teen(graphic wise)

[Graham Mitchell]

Personally, I think it's the other way around. We aren't becoming more censorous, per say; the games are getting worse. Of course there weren't that many games banned before, they weren't any where NEAR as violent or bloody or what have you as they are now.

I feel exactly the same way. I used to find the limited peppering of violence in some games (like the Immortal for the Genesis) to be really humorous and fun, and just indicitave of a certain artistic style. Nowadays, the games revolve around this; and it's not funny. Often it's just disturbing to watch.

For example: I love Metal Gear Solid 2, but I had trouble playing it for the first week I had it because of the blood that splats all over the wall when you shoot someone, as well as their reaction to being shot. The game could have done just fine without that. I'm not offended that it's in there, or anything, I just think it is gratuitous.

[dethink]

wasn't night trap baRned in certain cities by local governments with nothng better to do?

"OH NOES!!!1! B-MOVIE GIRLS IN BRAS!! THINK OF TEH CHILDREN!!!!11!!"

[Graham Mitchell]

wasn't night trap baRned in certain cities by local governments with nothng better to do?

"OH NOES!!!1! B-MOVIE GIRLS IN BRAS!! THINK OF TEH CHILDREN!!!!11!!"

I don't think it was the Bras that were the problem; it was the fact that a) they were being stalked, and b) one of them gets caught in the bathroom while wearing a negligee'. An Aug puts her neck in some wierd blood-sucking collar device and drains her jugular with blood visibly passing through some surgical tubing and into a tank strapped to his back.

All in all, it's a silly thing to see when you actually watch it, and not really all that violent (just a lot of cheesy screaming). So more or less, yes it was banned (nationwide, I think) because Marilyn Manson hadn't come around yet. And then it was released again 6 months later.

[youruglyclone]

I always get the name wrong with this, but... Kakuto Chojin? See, there are 2 XBox fighting games that have similar odd names. One was recalled by Microsoft, and the other was made by one of the creators of Mortal Kombat. I get the names flipped, usually.

you're thinking of tao feng

and the reason why kabuto chojin was recalled was in one of the audio tracks of the game there were verses of the koran being chanted

[Ninja Blacksox]

Personally, I think it's the other way around. We aren't becoming more censorous, per say; the games are getting worse. Of course there weren't that many games banned before, they weren't any where NEAR as violent or bloody or what have you as they are now.

"Chiller" (http://www.retrocrush.com/archive2/chiller/) says "Howdy!"

-A Boy

[Graham Mitchell]

Personally, I think it's the other way around. We aren't becoming more censorous, per say; the games are getting worse. Of course there weren't that many games banned before, they weren't any where NEAR as violent or bloody or what have you as they are now.

"Chiller" (http://www.retrocrush.com/archive2/chiller/) says "Howdy!"

-A Boy

But Chiller is funny and rediculous. From what I hear, Manhunt is just kind of fucked up.

[Ed Oscuro]

ps2-MOH raising sun was banned in JAPAN
It was?

Also agree that Chiller is more messed up than Manhunt. I mean, LOOK at it! Splatterhouse series is close too.

[Daria]

Funny story, the other day at a local Gamestop a mother and her son of about 10 or so were in there trying to buy GTA: Vice City, and the store clerk told the mother that the game contained "extreme violent content, gore, strong language and strong sexual content, and that part of the game takes place in a porn studio." After hearing this I said to another clerk, when you say it like that it just makes him want it more. And it's true, stores should just have the liberty of saying "No" to parents, especially if it's blatantly obvious that they are buying something for their underage child.

Okay I'm off my soapbox LOL

Umm... if the mom wants to buy the game for her son despite knowing that it contains all these elements what right does a clerk have to refuse her the sale? He's doing his part by simply informing her. It's still the mother's job to raise her child.

For all you know she may go home, play the game with her son and explain to him that in Real Life stealing cars has consquences.

[Ninja Blacksox]

But Chiller is funny and rediculous. From what I hear, Manhunt is just kind of fucked up.

Speak for yourself! "Manhunt" gives me the giggles!

Hee hee hee!

I don't know if "Chiller" was thought of as "funny and ridiculous" upon its release in 1986. I would guess it was pretty shocking. I remember running across the machine in the late 80's and being freaked out by it. Of course, I was seven or eight at the time... But that's why games are banned in the first place... To "protect the children."

-A Boy

[kevincure]

There's no such thing as govt. censorship of console games in the US. It doesn't exist. The govt. has never banned a game or forced content changes, nor do I think they ever will. The bar for 'obscenity' in the US is very, very high.

Around the world,though, this is not true. Carmageddon was banned in (I believe) Brazil and France, among others. Wargames involving Nazis are often changed in Germany because of government rules. Even the UK still has a content standards board.

"Self-censorship" is not at all the same as government censorship. EA may have not wanted to release Thrill Kill, but nothing was stopping another company from buying the rights/code from EA and releasing it themselves.

[Spartacus]

If I'm not mistaken Rockstar voluntarily agreed to change Vice City to remove references to killing Hatians. I think they were sued in Florida, my state, by Hatian pro-activists. This, of course, was after they had already sold a kazillion copies.
I generally deplore censorship of any kind, but what was the Duke Nukem game where he tears off the aliens head and craps down his throat. Even for me, Scatology crosses the line! O_O

[FlufflePuff]

Reading through this thread reminds me of an article I read. Stuff magazine put out one issue of a gaming magazine last November. It had a list of the top 50 or so banned or censored video games. The list was pretty good and the magazine overall was far better (at least to a retro-gamer) than GamePro or EGM. Unfortunately it didn't sell very well and they pulled the plug.

[punkoffgirl]

Personally, I think it's the other way around. We aren't becoming more censorous, per say; the games are getting worse. Of course there weren't that many games banned before, they weren't any where NEAR as violent or bloody or what have you as they are now.

"Chiller" (http://www.retrocrush.com/archive2/chiller/) says "Howdy!"

-A Boy

But that was what, one game? How many games do we see released like that ALL the time now?

[slip81]

Funny story, the other day at a local Gamestop a mother and her son of about 10 or so were in there trying to buy GTA: Vice City, and the store clerk told the mother that the game contained "extreme violent content, gore, strong language and strong sexual content, and that part of the game takes place in a porn studio." After hearing this I said to another clerk, when you say it like that it just makes him want it more. And it's true, stores should just have the liberty of saying "No" to parents, especially if it's blatantly obvious that they are buying something for their underage child.

Okay I'm off my soapbox LOL

Umm... if the mom wants to buy the game for her son despite knowing that it contains all these elements what right does a clerk have to refuse her the sale? He's doing his part by simply informing her. It's still the mother's job to raise her child.

For all you know she may go home, play the game with her son and explain to him that in Real Life stealing cars has consquences.

I severly doubt she's going to do that since she looked quite shocked after the clerks speech. And it's also my belief that just because someone is a parent doesn't automatically mean that they know what's best for their child. There are plenty of misinformed paprents out there.

And as for what right does the clerk have over the parent, we do it with movies already. The NC-17 rating means that no one under 17 can get in, even with a parent/guardian. So why not make ultra violent games like GTA garner that rating. I'm not advocating censorship or banning violent games (heck I'm locking myself in my room when San Andreas comes out) but some games are just not for kids no matter what.

[Promophile]

Was that fighting game that was recalled for religious reasons edited and released? Because I see alot on ebay....

[slip81]

but what was the Duke Nukem game where he tears off the aliens head and craps down his throat. Even for me, Scatology crosses the line! O_O

Duke Nukem 3D for the PC. I believe the line was "I'm gonna rip off your head and shit down your neck!"

My dad bought this game for me when I was 15, neither one of us knew what it was or how bad it was, and back then there were no clerks warning him of it's content. If there were I doubt I would have gotten the game LOL Amazingly though my mind was not warped.

[Dahne]

For example: I love Metal Gear Solid 2, but I had trouble playing it for the first week I had it because of the blood that splats all over the wall when you shoot someone, as well as their reaction to being shot.

With the tranquiliver gun, it's possible to play the entire game without killing a single person. Not even bosses. It's not that hard, either.

I couldn't help it. I just loved those soldier guys with their adorable accents and their "Nahzhing to reporrrrt" too much to kill em.

[Push Upstairs]

but what was the Duke Nukem game where he tears off the aliens head and craps down his throat. Even for me, Scatology crosses the line! O_O

Duke Nukem 3D for the PC. I believe the line was "I'm gonna rip off your head and shit down your neck!"

I believe it was the Episode 2 Boss. It's too bad not even my grandkids will be alive to play "Duke Nukem Forever" :(


My dad bought this game for me when I was 15, neither one of us knew what it was or how bad it was, and back then there were no clerks warning him of it's content. If there were I doubt I would have gotten the game LOL Amazingly though my mind was not warped.


I remember having my mom buy me Duke 3D & Doom (in thier respective release years). She didnt have a problem with either game and i have yet to shoot up my school or rip off anyones head and shit down thier neck.

Duke was a blast....i still have the mousepad that came with the orginal release of the game. :D

Shadow Warrior was funnier though.

[dj898]

Australia also got cheesy Phantasmagoria CD-ROM game years ago...
I got one of first batch imported before the classification though...
stupid if you ask me but apparently there's scene where the couple was having bit of you know what and they decided it was too much for big kiddies like us. :p

in similar note there was quite number of underground titles released for NEC PC Engine in its hey days... I have few of those and the content are as you can guess pretty sick... :D

I think there should be R Rate for games as per movies. Or follow what they are doing in US release G/MA rated titles and release non rated version later on...

cheers

[soniko_karuto]

was the guy in shadow warrior the wang guy?

[Iron Draggon]

WalMart is the most disturbing bad trendsetter here in the US, but that's it. I believe it was PC Gamer that did an article on them and their influence in the games industry. They sell more video games than any other retailer in the country, so consequently they have a huge amount of influence over the industry. They won't sell any game that contains nudity of any kind, but that's their biggest concern. The article said that there were some other types of content that guaranteed that a game would never be sold there also, but it didn't specify what else was taboo. It just said that if they find enough things in it that are too objectionable to them, then the game will either be universally changed to suit them, or a special WalMart version will be created for sale there. But this only applies to M rated games though. None of the games with other ratings are gonna have anything in them that bothers WalMart in the first place, so that's one reason why there aren't as many M rated games as you might expect to see now. Nobody wants to offend WalMart because that's where most of their money will be made.

So if you ever buy an M rated game at WalMart, it may not be the same M rated game sold everywhere else, even though it has the same name and there's no mention of it being an edited version anywhere on it or in it. That's why I won't buy M rated games at WalMart anymore, even if they're cheaper. If I'm gonna pay good money for mature content, then I want it all, not some watered down WalMart version! At least on their edited music CD's it says on the package that they were edited, but they don't do that on their games, so now you all know WalMart's dirty little gaming secret. I think they should at least have to say on the package that the game has been specially edited just to suit them, so everyone knows that it's been altered, instead of letting them get away with fooling people into thinking that their M rated games are the same as everyone else's M rated games. Maybe they are, maybe they aren't, but you'll never know unless you buy an extra copy and compare them side by side, and who's ever gonna do that?

Now as for my feelings on censorship, I think it's wrong no matter what. I don't have a problem with rating systems or minimum age requirements, but I do have a problem with random moralizing on my behalf under the ever popular premise that it's to protect my children, or whatever. I don't have any children, and I'm not going to either, so why should I be subjected to any censorship on behalf of my nonexistant kids? Like I'm too stupid to know how to raise my own kids, if I did have any, just because there's so many other people out there who really are too stupid to raise their own kids. And I don't agree with knee-jerk censorship just because of some event like 9-11 either. Propeller Arena for the Dreamcast should've went right into stores as scheduled, and not a single flight sim should've ever been pulled from any stores for even a nanosecond. If you can't deal with harsh realities, then you need to be in therapy, not robbing other people of the right to make their own decisions about what to buy or not to buy. Quit using world events as lame excuses to play Big Brother, just so some shmuck who can't deal with a tragedy doesn't have to get the therapy that he needed to get years ago.

Also, America in particular needs to get over nudity. For example, women should have just as much right to go topless in public as men do, but our government still hasn't made it past puberty. So many people are so scared to death of a pair of naked boobies in this country, and yet in most of the rest of the world, most people don't even notice them enough to admire them. We've made exposed breasts such a cheap thrill under the premise that they inspire criminal acts like rape and whatnot to occur that we have actually just inspired more criminal acts like rape to occur because people can't see them. And I am a gay man, so these are not the words of some sex starved guy with a boobie fetish, I just think that it's an unfair form of discrimination. Of course I'm not complaining because I can admire all the bare chested men that I want to in public, and believe me I do, but it's the principal of the matter for me. If I can handle that and not rape every single bare chested straight guy that I see, then why is our stupid government so convinced that all the straight men in the country couldn't handle women being free to go topless in public? I know that most straight guys agree with me on this one, so give women the same rights that we men enjoy, and put all the little boys who can't handle it without committing crimes like rape and stuff because of naked boobs behind bars or in therapy where they belong.

And yes, all that does mean that I fully support nudity in video games. If we could have games like Custer's Revenge on the 2600 way back in the 70's without the whole world freaking out and dying over it, then we should be able to have X rated video games today as well. I thought that all those porn games on the 3DO were a sure sign that we were finally gonna be mature enough to be able to handle games like that, and I know there's some stuff like that out there for other consoles, if you look for it hard enough, (Pun NOT intended, you pervert!) but it's still very few and far between, which consequently makes it alot more expensive to obtain it than it should be. If I wanna play some games like that, I shouldn't be limited to mostly importing hentai games from Japan, I should be able to go to my local adult newstand and find all those games right there with all those videotapes. Card me and make me show my ID or whatever you have to do, but if that's the kind of games that I wanna play, then I should be able to do it without the rest of the world stressing out over it. And yes that also means that I want alot more gay video games to choose from than just the silly Cho Aniki series!

[Ninja Blacksox]

Personally, I think it's the other way around. We aren't becoming more censorous, per say; the games are getting worse. Of course there weren't that many games banned before, they weren't any where NEAR as violent or bloody or what have you as they are now.

"Chiller" (http://www.retrocrush.com/archive2/chiller/) says "Howdy!"

-A Boy

But that was what, one game? How many games do we see released like that ALL the time now?

We see a few, sure. And believe me, at times I agree with you. If I had young 'uns I would try to steer them clear of The GTA and "Manhunt"-type stuff. I would never think that those types of games should be banned.

You can't say that "Chiller" isn't on par with some of the more disturbing stuff being released today. And it was released almost 20 years ago. Way ahead of its time, violence-wise.

And was it banned?

Nope.

-A Boy

[Ed Oscuro]

The only reason we get more violent stuff (in volume) is because the industry has figured out what sells to a certain (mostly male) dependable demographic. Similarly, somebody out there had the right idea with Custer's Revenge, sad to say LOL (It's mentioned in this week's XBN, the context being the appearance of a few CG video game models in the latest Playboy.)

[slip81]

was the guy in shadow warrior the wang guy?

Yeah, and his catchphrase was "Who wants some Wang", I have that game still as well, now all I need is an old PC so I can play all these greats again :)

[Push Upstairs]

was the guy in shadow warrior the wang guy?

Yeah, and his catchphrase was "Who wants some Wang", I have that game still as well, now all I need is an old PC so I can play all these greats again :)


Lo Wang was his name. All the things he said to the anime girls in the game are hilarious.

"Ooop! Lo Wang drop soap, you bend over and get it. Hahaha."

I do remember SW getting some flack because people thought Lo Wang was an Asian stereotype (accent and all). My feeling was that Lo Wang was just the Asian equilvant of Duke Nukem...and Duke was just as much of a stereotype.


And if you do a google search for "XP Shadow Warrior" there is a site that contains a program that will allow you to run "Shadow Warrior" and Duke 3D in XP.

[Ruudos]

i have no idea

but people PLEASE this europe is not the same as uk, don't use those words if as it meant the same, in fact the uk is totally un-european compared to france, holland or germany!!

Give it up. I'm telling this since I first came on the Internet. They won't listen 8-)
And talking video games Germany is a different story too, much more censorship than Holland for example

[slip81]

And if you do a google search for "XP Shadow Warrior" there is a site that contains a program that will allow you to run "Shadow Warrior" and Duke 3D in XP.

Awesome, thanks man :)

[SegaAges]

I wouldn't mind seeing Madden banned. Reason, well, it promotes bad stuff like violence. Um, I wish I could think of something better.

Maybe they should just start banning all the games everybody and their mother wants (mainstream games) like gta:sa, madden 2k6, halo 2. that way at least everybody will be pissed, and not just the manhunt fans :)

[Duncan]

I severly doubt she's going to do that since she looked quite shocked after the clerks speech. And it's also my belief that just because someone is a parent doesn't automatically mean that they know what's best for their child. There are plenty of misinformed paprents out there.

Define "misinformed" -- the name of the f**king game is "Grand Theft Auto". What more indication does it take that crime and questionable morals are going to be involved?

I don't understand why, ten years after its initial creation, I should still have to explain the video game rating system to people -- or tell them that, in fact, there actually is a video game rating system.

No one takes any responsibility any more. Reading may as well have been outlawed by this point -- people are so f**king stupid.

I saw Terminator 2 -- an R-rated movie, not intended for children under 17 -- when I was around 13. At a church sleepover, no less. I suppose someone was "misinformed" when that one made the viewing list. But I don't remember being particularly shocked by it, and my parents were only angry at the church for having allowed it to be played.

Humans are blessed with the ability to learn -- so LEARN something, instead of being told what's good and what's not.

[Ed Oscuro]

If we could have games like Custer's Revenge on the 2600 way back in the 70's without the whole world freaking out and dying over it...
Dude, once there was an island, and it was called...Atlantis.

Real extinction of the dinosaurs? Not cigarettes, nope. VIDEO GAMES. That "Tilly Triceratops On Top" game caused a holy war which nearly destroyed all sentient life on planet Earth (luckily a few squirrel-forms survived)!

Plus you're forgetting "Tablet Toss" by Mt. Sinai Software...whoa!