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

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

[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" 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" says "Howdy!"

-A Boy

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