Gears of War 2 not coming to Japan or Germany

This is a sad day, a very sad day if you live in Japan or Germany, Gears of War 2 will not be coming to your countries for unknown reasons. A Microsoft spokesman confirmed it earlier today with EDGE, Considering how big of a title GoW2 is going to be, you'd think that they would try and get it unbanned, right?

[Viatrophy]

Its a sad day because the people who do live within them countries and enjoyed the original, they won't be able to play the second one.
If you weren't so narrow minded and think a country like a specific thing, you would of realized that.

[green]

You do know that Gear of war was banned in Germany.Microsoft could not even show the sequel at the Leipzig games convention 08.

[perseus]

In both Japan and Germany nudity is okay, but violent portrayals of murder are not.

In the USA, murder and blood and chainsaws in the head are okay, but a breast is not.

Which country is more narrow-minded again?

EDIT: I misunderstood your post. I apologize.

[robotnik]

Are you sure this is not fake? I can understand they ban this game in Japan, but Germany sounds weird to me...

[Mc Fadge]

The first one wasn't allowed there

[Lumbo]

First one was denied rating, and consequently was placed on the "danger to minors" list hence no advertising, no public showing, only way to get it was to buy it from a software store "below the counter" and this rules out gamestop and every mall and superstore as they do not sell games without rating.

Though it is a freaking SIMPLE thing to just buy it online in austria and get it shipped in 2 days via mail ... *rolleyes*

I buy most of my games in the UK nowadays cause the prices are better there (even with the added shipping costs) and i get the EU version with my native language anyways :p

Actually most demos released on US PSN have all the languages already ...

[sinncross]

Strange, gears did fairly well in Japan if i recall (for the type of game and console it was on anyways).

I wonder if Resistance 2 will not be released there... would work in Sony's favour if it isn't.

[Killjoy3000]

Why not Germany? Last I checked, gamers live there, too.

[Lumbo]

would not pass the strict youth protection laws here, and therefor be denied advertising and public showing. Hence MS did not release GeoW1 in Germany, too.

It is not hard to get it though, as long as you are an adult. I have bought games from Austria many times in such cases as Austria uses the same language anyways.

[socomnick]

I think Germany has strict laws against video game violence, like their games has to feature green blood and no gore.

[rawd]

Nice, I'm moving to Germany or Japan!

[PopEmUp]

good news

[PopEmUp]

http://nl.youtube.com/watch...

[Joejoefhosho]

.

[andron]

The ironic thing is that it's very easy to import games to Germany. So those hurt the most by a ban are national shops...

[Lumbo]

Jup, thats about all of it.

[dkgshiz]

They would of sold maybe 2 copies in japan. In germany I really dont know.

[v1c1ous]

i've seen videos of japanese female gamers playing gears of war in a group just laughing it up.

of course all they did was run at each other with chainsaws and laugh like hyenas in an orgy, but it seemed like they were having a good time.

give me a cpl of days and i''l find the video again :D

[RebornSpy]

I may be wrong, but I think the original Gears was banned in Germany as well. I'm sure people will be able to import it if they want to play the game, though.

As for Japan, I can't imagine why they wouldn't release the game there, as MS would be greatly hurt by the lack of a major exclusive in a largely pro-sony country. Plus I always thought that Japan had much less restrictions on entertainment than the U.S.

[Lumbo]

Japan is about as strict as Australia regarding violence in games. And GeoW2 is violent, no 2nd thought there :D

Seems they don't want to face a ban, hence they don't even try.

[Host Samurai_]

Kinda weird that its not being released in Japan, considering the fact that there were far more violent games released there in the past.

Does anybody find it odd that Japan is now pretty much censor happy now while the US does not censor anything? A few years ago the roles were reversed.

[UltimateIdiot911]

Nah, I personally think US still censor way too much just less on violence. I can't understand why US will censor anything too sexual. Heck, we don't even see those touching DS game in the US.

So, the only thing I see less censoring is violence and more on anything due with sex. I can never understand this backward country. Still don't understand why US have to make up their own measurement system instead of using metric.

[perseus]

It's not about having games released, it's about having them released with a good rating. Japan doesn't ban games like Australia, but it will give them ratings that many stores won't accept. Kind of like Germany in that way, as Lumbo puts it.

[aiphanes]

Sucks...but can you guys import? Is the Xbox 360 region free when playing games, like the PS3?

[UltimateIdiot911]

The 360 is not region free but it it's actually in the hands of the developer. If the developer allows the game to be region free, then it will but otherwise no. Yes, they can import as long as the game counts as the same region as the console. So Germany can import from probably other European countries.

[Wax on Wax off]

I'm Confused, I heard they banned the first gears in Germany as well. Yet I encounter them all the time whilst playing gears on live. Do the Germans import the game from Austria or something?

[acheashadow]

No... They simply replaced the blood for fruit punch, converted the chainsaw to a feather duster and turned the longshot into a supersoaker 2000 that fires wet sponges. Oh and they turned the 'nades into little bunnies that tickle you once you have been tagged and you fall to the floor in a fit of laughter. I heard they renamed this version to Queers of War.

[LeGenDx]

i thought gears is like the best thing ever to happen on the xbox an now people in other countries cant get it?

[acheashadow]

In a way I feel sorry for the Germans - but then I remember how rude, arrogant and disruptive they are online (not every German of course but a majority that I have played against).

[Sayai jin]

Germany banned Gears 1. They ban a lot of violent games. I will be going to pick my copy up in Austria.

[ihaten4glol]

I had no idea the original Gears was banned as well. That's strange. I wish everyone would get a chance to experience it if they wished to.

[zonetrooper5]

No idea why the second game is banned in Japan the first one came out in Japan and it seemed fine with them. I honestly don't understand Japan sometimes, they don't mind some things being shown outright like nude woman etc and their animes are more violent then say the US or UK version yet they will ban a game like Gears, weird tbh.

Germany has always been strict on violent games, movies etc.

[perseus]

It's not banned, they just aren't releasing it. The rating will be "adult" which means they won't be able to sell that many.

Anyway, boobs are SO much worse than chainsaws ripping bodies apart, aren't they?

And those anime you talk about have the highest adult rating, which means you can't buy, rent, or even see them in video stores. You have to get them by mail order or from specialty shops.

You don't understand Japan? That's because you don't know anything about it.

[cherrypie]

The banning in Japan smacks of protectionism and nationalism.

[perseus]

Your post smacks of you not being able to either read or do your own research. It isn't banned.