190°

The Top 4 Strangest Acts Of Video Game Censorship

GP writer Jared discusses the four strangest acts of video game censorship over the past 30 years or so.

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Mouktouk4058d ago

I may be wrong, but regarding Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe, I heard Midway wanted to get a wider audience than Mortal Kombat, and for that they had to significantly decrease the violence of the game to keep a "T for Teen" rating at ESRB. If they showed a man getting shot, the rating would probably had to be a "M for Mature".

While in Europe, the PEGI rating of the game was +16, so they probably didn't have to deal with that "shooting a man" problem. But, as I said, I may be wrong.

Kyosuke_Sanada4058d ago (Edited 4058d ago )

I think it's more of a pride issue because I can't imagine DC being okay with their heroes doing fatalities or having said done to them. Even though it would be funny seeing Superman decapitated by a Baterang or Wonder Woman hanging an opponent, I can't imagine it sitting well with others.

Derekvinyard134058d ago

Agree with Sanada, imagine how bloody a superman fatality would be

DragonKnight4058d ago

Some of the reasons for censorship is just hyper-sensitivity. Fallout 3 is a perfect example of this. Japan was bombed more than half a century ago, I think people should be over it by now. You can't change what happened, why dwell in it?

Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe shouldn't have been censored. Comic book characters don't normally get to be hyper violent in the same way you can in Mortal Kombat games, and censoring a gun shot is pretty ridiculous when Sub-Zero can rip out your spine.

Honestly, there are 2 choices when it comes to dealing with controversial themes. Forcefully censor everything to the point where people are afraid of them, or continuously use the themes unapologetically to the point where people understand that they don't represent real life and just move on from caring about them. I would say the better option is for people to grow up and move on.

Blacklash934058d ago (Edited 4058d ago )

I can see the Fallout 3 one being justified. The annihilation of millions isn't a small deal, espeically in the country it happened that also has stronger customs of appretiating ancestors. And keep in mind Japan may not be so lenient as western countries on this stuff to begin with. I can see another culture looking at a western media and being disgusted how we can make humor of tragedies like the holocaust and 9/11. TL;DR It's a different culture where such an issue hits much closer to home. There's nothing suggesting Bethesda was forced to make such changes and cuts.

It's just in Japan, anyway. It really has nothing to do with us, unless you're getting self-righteous about it. No one from there has complained, to my knowledge.

aLucidMind4058d ago

I don't quite get why people would have a problem with the superheroes being hyper-violent. Wasn't Batman originally the type of character where he sure wouldn't kill you, but he was certainly more than willing to put you in traction or paralyze you? As was many other of the heroes were; even TMNT was incredibly brutal in their original comics.

harv0524058d ago

Strangest I can think of, no later then this week, was the name changing of one trophy in GOW:A...Ripping heads off of enemies and tearing them in half is fine, but dear ooh dear, Bros before hoes trophy? Now that's taking things too far(sarcasm)...

NegativeCreep4274058d ago (Edited 4058d ago )

Is how egregiously it was taken out of context. Kratos is almost killed by a Furie that conceiled herself as one of the whores in a brothel house to get close to Kratos. Kratos is rescued from the Furie by another male character. But Kratos manages to smash the furie's face in with his god-like leather sandals.

Bros before Hoes, it makes sense. But OH NO!!!! The word Hoes is degrading to women, up to and including fictitious Greek female characters that are so evil that they would pride themselves to chain a man to a platform and torture him for all of time.

strangelove4058d ago

I wonder if people would still be upset if you earned the trophy in a garden.

admiralvic4058d ago

@ Strangelove

I don't think it would make a difference. You can make endless justifications for the trophy, but in the end someone of note mentioned it and in turn it became a larger deal than it should have been.

The funny thing is how many things don't get mentioned, especially when many are worse. My favorite example is The Saboteur, since so much of the game can be about stereotypes of you choose to dwell on that aspect.

Oh_Yeah4057d ago

They should of changed the trophy to "this doesn't look like a kitchen".

KrimsonKody4058d ago

The Ice Climber & Fallout censors are slightly understandable.
& I read this article ONLY to see if it mentioned Mortal Kombat.
It did...but I was expecting talks of the Genesis Super Nintendo era, where Nintendo turned the blood gray & Genesis reduced the amount of blood spewed.

130°

Looking Back At 2008, An Unbelievably Incredible Year Of Video Game Releases

Huzaifa from eXputer: "2008 was home to the likes of Call of Duty: World at War, Dead Space, GTA 4, Far Cry 2, Left 4 Dead, and many other hits, which is outright remarkable."

ChasterMies4h ago

Some of these low paid video game “news” writers weren’t born before 2007.

CrimsonWing6915h ago

I don’t think anything can compare to 2023

lucasnooker15h ago

1998 - the best year in gaming! Metal gear solid, crash bandicoot 3, medievil, half life, ocarina of time, thief, tenchu, resident evil 2, Spyro, tomb raider 3, oddworld abes exodus, banjo kazooie.

It was a different breed of a gaming era. You’ll never understand what it was like back then. The aura of gaming, it was different!

KyRo15h ago(Edited 15h ago)

I second this. Gaming was a lot more varied and fun than it is today. I'm 35 so getting on compared to some here but I got to see all the changes from NES up to now but I've never felt so disappointed in any generation than I have this current gen. I was expecting more from this generation rather than prettier versions of games that came before it. Game mechanics have become so refined that alot of games feel the same and has done for a while now.

Maybe it's time to have a break for a while. I love gaming but I don't feel I get much fun in the traditional sense out of it anymore.

CrimsonWing6914h ago(Edited 14h ago)

Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil 2, Abe’s Exodus, and Ocarina of Time are the only things from that list that I liked.

Here’s the 2023 game releases that I personally liked… and big releases that I didn’t care for:

- Dead Space Remake
- Wo Long Dynatsy
- Resident Evil 4 Remake
- Diablo 4
- Fire Emblem Engage
- Hogwarts Legcay
- Street Fighter 6
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Like a Dragon: Ishin
- Octopath Traveler 2
- Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters
- Final Fanatsy XVI (actually ended up not liking this, but it was still a big deal release)
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
- Lies of P
- Mortal Kombat 1
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Starfield (Ended up hating this one, but big release)
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (I’m an old-school Zelda fan, but didn’t really enjoy this game)
- Alan Wake 2

I mean, honestly I’ve never seen a year of major IP releases like that, ever.

Profchaos11h ago(Edited 11h ago)

Isn't it just a generational thing realistically.

I've been gaming since way back and I some of my favourite games go as far back as the late 80s for me each generation has a year or two of game changing releases one after another before an inevitable dry spell.

I kind of agree gaming had a different feel games hit different because we didn't have the internet nothing got spoiled and you really had to put in the effort to beat a puzzle which could set entire groups of people looking for a solution. But most importantly games were experimental and not as cookie cutter as today even basics like controls were not universal today r2 is shoot l2 is ads garunteed you can't deviate from that in a shooter back then it could of been square, R1 or R1 and circle nothing was standard.

But as time moves on a new generation picks up their controller they are going to be interested in different things that PS1 demo disc with the t Rex blew our primitive 16 bit brains back on launch but to kids today it's laughable.
The new gen of kids coming into to hobby seem to value different things to us there seems to be a huge focus on online play, streamers, gaming personalities, and social experiences, convience of digital downloads. To me I value none of that but that's ok like my parents not liking the band's I would listen to its just the natural cycle.

Gameseeker_Frampt2h ago

Just about every year in the 7th generation was great and something we most likely won't experience again.

2009 for example had Assassin's Creed 2, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Dragon Age: Origins, Uncharted 2, Halo 3: ODST, Killzone 2, Borderlands, Bayonetta, and Demon's Souls to name a few.

80°

Now is the Best Time to Get This Incredible RPG Bundle on Steam

If you are looking for an awesome RPG, look no further. Steam is offering a significant discount on its Fallout Franchise Bundle.

SimpleSlave1d 6h ago

"You can get all Fallout games in a bundle at a significant 20% discount on Steam. Individually, all these games add up to $244.91. With the discount, you can get them all for $195.91. That is $49 less than the original price. Quite a significant discount for such a popular franchise."

😊 😂 🤣 😐 - But why?

Just wait for a sale and get most if not all of it for a fraction of that price.

20% off...lol

Tacoboto1d 5h ago

The games were just on a real sale over the last week or two for the show promotion. Fallout 4 was $10, 3 was $5, NV was cheap as heck too.

So what the heck is this

Inverno1d 5h ago

The original games have been given out for free by Amazon for GOG and Epic, 76 is free now on Amazon if you have prime, Epic has also given out new Vegas for free and 4 has gone down to pretty cheap prices. 194 bucks is a total ripoff when you can get these games individually for less. Don't forget cd keys might sell em for a dollar less at times too. Come on man, us cheapskates won't touch anything near or above 100 lolz

isarai1d 5h ago

Bro that's a ridiculous ripoff are you kidding me? 🤣

150°

Fallout 3's Reveal Led To Death Threats And Bethesda's First Security Guard

The artist behind Fallout 4’s Deathclaw reveals just how bad things got back when Bethesda took over the series

anast2d ago

People are stupid I get it. No one should feel unsafe,

But I think they need to talk about why they cut so many corners during the development process and why none of their games ever look current. And why they think all of this is okay while they charge full price.

LucasRuinedChildhood2d ago

As much as Bethesda deserve criticism, that's not really relevant to the reveal of Fallout 3 in 2007.

VenomUK2d ago

The default angle Kotaku always go for is to highlight the worst in gaming.

I would’ve focused on the creative.

anast1d 12h ago

The game went downhill at Fallout 3's release. This is when they started to cut corners.

gold_drake2d ago

there is no "but". the hell lol
you dont send death threats, period.

anast1d 11h ago

Usually, you have good comments but this isn't one of them. It just rides the mob. We can do both condemn the actions and not let them use it for other things.

I can say I received a death threat and everyone needs to shut up. People are not honest and will use horrible things to their advantage.

Armaggedon2d ago

Not all games “look” current.

anast1d 11h ago

Their games always look like the gen before it.

Armaggedon1d 2h ago

Yeah, but thats not the result of laziness, incompetence, or a bad engine. Thats what happens with their type of open world games. Its hard for people to find a point of comparison because no one makes games like Bethesda does.

gold_drake1d 5h ago

mh ok thanks, i still think ur wrong in this mate.

anast1d 4h ago

No problem. I'm not here to convince you. I'm only stating an actuality. What your words do if we look at them like events.

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