Cyberpunk 2077's nudity to be censored in Japan with CERO Z rating

Japan likely to censor out nudity and explicit sex scenes in Cyberpunk 2077.

[moongrim]

So they created Hentai but pubic hair is bad and nudity in games is really bad?

[Vits]

Genitalia is in general is a "no no" in Japan. Even what you call hentai or straight up porn is censored there. Though I heard there was some "pressure" to alleviate those restrictions in some segments.

[anubusgold]

No the japanese government has been going after Japanese companies that sell uncensored porn outside the us as well.

[ChrisW]

@anubusgold,
It really sucks. But I guess it explains why some of my favorites, like G-Queen, have stopped producing.

[Tross]

I don't have a complete understanding of what Japan's rules are, mostly because I haven't dug too deep into the topic. I do know that there were bills passed in 2011 and 2014 that restrict that kind of content. It doesn't seem like manga was affected too badly given those manga magazines I inadvertently purchased when I was in Japan back in 2016. I can say, that Zozozo Zombie-Kun chapter in particular is beyond disturbing, and I don't think you'd believe me if I told you about it. To think, I thought a children's manga would be much more wholesome, but that has some of the worst stuff in it.

Anyways, back to games, I believe there has been a "no hentai on consoles and dedicated handhelds" rule that dates back at least as far as 2011. I'm assuming Western IPs would have to comply with that rule too, even if the terminology used for nudity in Western games is different. Yes, pubic hair would likely tip the scales even further towards censorship in a country that is not fond of having it portrayed in media.

[rainslacker]

Wonder if Sony will stay by their own censorship policies for this game, or disregard them with their double standards like they did for TLOU2 which had an actual sex scene. I suppose somewhat suggestive ir provacarive situations with anime characters is worse than actual nudity or sex scenes.

Granted this isnt a Sony thing here, so to keep it on topic, I wonder if the us version will be censored on ps4, or if this game is too big that they dont want to draw negative attention to themselves by censoring it.

@tross

I don't know if there are laws pertaining to full on hentai on consoles in japan, but i know no console maker allows it in their consoles anywhere in the world. Same with any graphic depictions of sex, so no porn games at all. Sony supposedly isnt allowing even suggestive content anymore on the console, but they seem to have double standards that are not clearly defined, even to the devs making these games

[anubusgold]

That why i was concerned with witcher 2 because their was a big red bush in that game lots of bush in that game lol. Steam censored the first witcher game as well thats why i buy all Cd project red games from GOG website because its their store and they can sell the uncensored version them self and they keep all the money. They did this because of stupid Australia kept trying to censor and fine them constantly. GOG then removed geo tracking from their websites so countries could buy goods off their site without countries trying to tax them stupid prices. So they make the countries do the spying themselves instead of making gog do it for them.

[rainslacker]

It's really a pain in the ass nowadays. I get that there are always going to be local restrictions to such things, and publishers themselves will indeed do their own censoring for territories based on what they feel will pass for appropriate therein, but, companies that make global policies related to such things, then enact them broadly but then look the other way at things that are worse than what they're censoring, all because they don't want to do it on the games that people will really notice on, is just the extreme of hypocrisy.

I like Sony. I don't have much to criticize them over. But I just shook my head when the sex scene came up in TLOU2. Any impact it had, which was none regardless as it was gratuitous and unneeded, was completely skewed by the hypocrisy I witnessed when Sony wouldn't even follow it's own policy. Their policy isn't about anime or Japanese games, or even directly related to the potential representation of underage girls, it's across the board. It's written as all inclusive, not as specific genres or art forms. It's been applied to games outside those niche anime games, and has been completely inconsistent from the start. It was already unneeded because localizers were already censoring these games. So, Sony makes a feel good policy to appease people who weren't even complaining, then ignores it for their own work, and I wouldn't doubt if other big games don't have it applied to them.

I know I'm co-opting the topic at hand here, but this is one thing that actually pisses me off, because I do like those niche Japanese games, and while Sony is within their rights, I do feel that they are overstepping what would be proper for a console maker to dictate. Its one of those topics that doesn't get much attention, even when it was new, but it is a topic I will bring up when I feel it's relevant....even though for now, it's unknown what the PS4/5 versions will have in them.

IMO, so long as what is being shown isn't illegal, or right on the borderline, it should be allowed. Let people complain if they want to, they don't have to buy the game, nor do I need them trying to protect me from anything. If cosole makers, or platform holders, feel the need to not allow certain things, then so be it. Sony, MS, and Nintendo already have some restrictions on the type of explicit content that can be shown, and most of it is understandable given what those specifically defined things were.

[Gamerking82]

Ha yeah I was thinking same thing . So it’s ok to play as underage schoolgirls with next too nothing on cough dead or alive cough beach peach splash and yes the amount of weird hentai they have . But an actually nude adult is not ok . Japan you are a weird bunch that I know.

[rainslacker]

Ignoring the comparison to all anime being underage schoolgirls, the reason that hetai isn't censored, or at least wasn't for so long, is because Japan legislators recognized it as an art form, and not to be confused with real life.

I don't know what changed over time though.

I'm not exactly sure what the reasoning is behind showing explicit sex, just not the actual genetalia, but if you pixelize it, it's now OK. Always seemed kind of half-assed trying to prevent something I couldn't ever even begin to reason out.

[MadLad]

Over the top violence = good
The human form = bad

Will never get over the sad hilarity of it.

[Tross]

And we can thank Western influence for infecting the Japanese mindset. I guess Europe's the only place now that isn't overly puritanical. I say this as someone who has grown up with and holds puritanical values, and actually am far more desensitized to over the top violence, probably because I see that in games all the time.

[specialguest]

It used to be the total opposite in Japan back in the 90s to 2000s. Over the top violence bad, sexually explicit images or exposed body parts good. The Japanese version showed nudity or heavily exposed breast minus nipples, but the western versions specifically the US version had to be clothed

[SaveFerris]

Adding pixellation to pixels?

[rainslacker]

In some games, that's an added feature.

[franwex]

An Australian source got this info?

Will this game even come out in Australia uncensored-or at all?

[ChristopherJack]

Why wouldn't it? Very few games get censored here & I can't think of a mainstream game that has been banned in ages & even then the bans never lasted.
Most bans revolve around the depiction of drug use IF your character is rewarded for it, violent rape, or depicting nudity of those who APPEAR under 18. Seems that being explicitly rewarded with sex is also a grey area which is especially odd because prostitution is not illegal here & games like the Witcher have no issue with your character hiring prostitutes- yet your character can't be apparently.

[BrainSyphoned]

As of August 2019 they were banning things.

https://www.cnet.com/news/a...

[Rebel_Scum]

Australia has an R or 20+ rating now so pretty much nothing is censored. Last time I heard it happening was MK9 was banned and South Park had a scene altered. That was donkey years ago.

[TheColbertinator]

But greasy chuds say Japan doesn't have censorship and they have respect for art. How could they lie to us?

[Tross]

They've certainly become more apprehensive about explicit content over the past decade.

[TheColbertinator]

Fact of the matter is that censorship is prevalent all over the world. There is so much content we never see due to regulation

[sourOG]

Dont they have one of the oldest populations in the world? You would think they would be promoting the hell out of it honestly. I’ve never really understood the beef with sex in the West or even East. The church maybe a bit, I don’t agree but I get it. Not the mob or the state though. Dumb takes almost every time.

[Games1st]

Just sad