List of banned games

[Helo]

I found this interesting

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_banned_computer_and_video_games

 

[Breetai]

Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction was banned in South Korea.

That makes me laugh, because I bought my copy of that game in South Korea. Of course, it was a copy of the North American version.

 

[Lithium Hobo]

[Pokemon Blue was banned in Saudi Arabia for containing alleged subliminal Jewish symbols.

That one surprised me, lol.

 

[Smolar]

Pretty intereseting stuff.

About how lax the restrictions in the US are especially.

 

[Helo]

Pretty intereseting stuff.

About how lax the restrictions in the US are especially.

Video games are big business in the US.

In countries where they dont contribute much money to the economy they are kicked around alot more

 

[alimarea]

The reason for most of the German restrictions seems obvious enough. I'm sure they aren't interested in re-visiting the Nazis anytime soon.

I don't think our game governing is necessarily lax here. We just have a very detailed rating system. It's up to individuals what is appropriate to buy or not buy.

 

[Leebal]

One game they forgot to mention was Manhunt. This game was banned in parts of the USA for its extreme violence and gore. I am so surprised it was only rated M.

 

[FallenAngel007]

Haha, I wonder what Jewish Symbols were in Pokemon blue. A tortoise shell?

 

[Leebal]

Haha, I wonder what Jewish Symbols were in Pokemon blue. A tortoise shell?

LOL! Well, believe it or not, some parents would not let their parents play the SpngeBob games, or even watch it because Patrick is a purple star and the purple star meant gayness for some religion. That was very intersting when I read it last year in an article in our Fort Myers newspaper, THE NEWS PRESS. Now that is funny!

 

[steverock]

id hate to live in Australia or Germany - they have LOADS of games banned!

 

[Helo]

I don't think our game governing is necessarily lax here. We just have a very detailed rating system. It's up to individuals what is appropriate to buy or not buy.

The ESRB is a JOKE.

 

[Hitokiri Battousai]

China bands like all the war games from the US.
seeing how a lot of them have china as the bad guy lol.

 

[alimarea]

How is it a joke? The games are rated and people have to use their own judgment on whether it is appropriate to buy. Children under 17 cannot buy anything in the MA category.

What more do you think it should be doing?

 

[Helo]

How is it a joke? The games are rated and people have to use their own judgment on whether it is appropriate to buy. Children under 17 cannot buy anything in the MA category.

What more do you think it should be doing?

Because it doesnt look at the dynamics of the game before they rate it. They rate games by watching a several minnute clip of gameplay.

Good example, The Sims 2: Nightlife is rated Teen for Crude Humor,Sexual Themes,Violence. Now...the Crude Humor...ok Ill buy that, but sexual themes and violence? No, the most you can do is get in a fight with annother Sim and then you just see a big cloud of dust. ANY hint of sex is blocked out by a pixel filter.

 

[Hitokiri Battousai]

The ESRB is a JOKE.

all violent video games wore going to be band from the US but ESRB came in and so they rate games so they would not band all of them.

 

[alimarea]

I do agree that there isn't as much attention paid to the full content of video games. In some cases that can be problematic. I don't have a real problem with the Sims 2: Nightlife, though. There are sexual scenarios. Although you aren't seeing them, as you correctly pointed out, except through pixellation, it is still obvious what they are doing. Some people may not be comfortable with their younger children seeing that.

Personally I probably wouldn't mind my kids playing most games. As long as they understand what is real and what is not, I'm pretty open minded about it all. But I like that there are some sort of guidelines. It's better than having it all banned, IMO.

 

[ApocryphaNow]

According to the Interactive Digital Software Association (of America), 9 out of ten video games here are purchased by adults. Furthermore, people under 18 only account for 46% of video games players. Combined with the ESRB's attempts at rating games harder than need-be and listing the reasons, I don't understand how offensive material getting in the hands of children is such a big deal (the "Hot Coffee" mod, for example). If your kids are playing something you don't like but you bought it for them without even reading the label on the game, that is your fault. The game industry caters to adults because adults are their largest market.

I didn't see nearly the stink over the naked dolls having sex in Team America that I saw over the poorly-rendered 3D characters having sex in the Hot Coffee mod for GTA: San Andreas (which requires you alter a memory address in the game to access, so isn't even available to most people out of the box). Obviously, though, Team America was not yanked from the stores.

 

[JimmyKoKoPop]

Video games are big business in the US.

In countries where they dont contribute much money to the economy they are kicked around alot more

They don't ban games or movies here except for those containing actual child pornography. I don't think the economy of it has much to do with it, but rather different attitudes about media.

One game they forgot to mention was Manhunt. This game was banned in parts of the USA for its extreme violence and gore. I am so surprised it was only rated M.

I want proof of this before I'll believe it. I am unaware of any bans in the USA on games or movies, with the exception of things like child pornography. I hear people say X game or Y movie is banned in Z location, but they can never provide anything but rumors and hearsay, making me think that's all they are.

 

[ApocryphaNow]

I want proof of this before I'll believe it. I am unaware of any bans in the USA on games or movies, with the exception of things like child pornography. I hear people say X game or Y movie is banned in Z location, but they can never provide anything but rumors and hearsay, making me think that's all they are.

Yeah, they don't get "banned." Store owners are allowed to choose what they stock their shelves with. They are very aware of parental group pressure and for that reason sometimes "choose" not to carry games that are very controversial. Furthermore, if a game has been rated AO (adults only) by the ESRB, nearly all large retail chains will refuse to stock it (again, parental pressure). Thus, games rated AO are effectively "banned."

 

[GrinningDwarf]

The reason for most of the German restrictions seems obvious enough. I'm sure they aren't interested in re-visiting the Nazis anytime soon.

I don't know why any particular game would get banned in Germany, but any references to Nazis or Naziism are outlawed in Germany. I remember as a kid in the '70s being suprised that German WW2 aircraft models sold in Germany could not include swastikas in the decal set, even though to be historically accurate any German plane from WW2 has a swastika on the tail. At least one wargame that I know of (Up Front) was banned in Germany because the primary image on the box cover was a head-and-shoulders painting of a German soldier with swastika and SS lightning flashes prominently displayed on the soldier's collar.