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.

[Mouktouk]

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_Sanada]

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.

[Derekvinyard13]

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

[DragonKnight]

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.

[Blacklash93]

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.

[aLucidMind]

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.

[harv052]

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)...

[NegativeCreep427]

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.

[strangelove]

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

[admiralvic]

@ 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_Yeah]

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

[KrimsonKody]

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.

[OhMyGandhi]

great list.