Nintendo won't call a gun a gun

As much as Nintendo has changed and warped since the success of the Wii, it's nice to know that the company hasn't abandoned all of its old sensibilities. Like its complete fear of violence and love of bizarre censorship. Did you know that plastic gun peripherals for the Wii aren't allowed to be called guns? This is by royal decree of Nintendo, and even evil publisher Activision has to obey.

Activision's Jeff Muench told Game Informer how a series of "obscure Nintendo regulations" affected the gun peripherals for Cabela's Big Game Hunter 2010. They look like shotguns (albeit citrus-flavored ones), but boy, they ain't shotguns. Activision was forced to call them "firearms," because I guess simply uttering the word "gun" will cause all the children in the world to shoot their mothers.

Shoot and kill whatever you want, kids. Just don't say any bad words while you're doing it

[Saaking]

Nintendo is way too cautious. They try to cater to the casuals before the hardcore and I do not like that. That's my main problem with Nintendo and the Wii.

[Sunny_D]

Ugh, Nintendo are way too soft. I don't remember them as the hardcore company I was knew. This is what I think of now, when the name is brought up.

[n4f]

this has nothing to do with casual nintendo has always been like that

[meepmoopmeep]

*edited* for the casuals

[Obama]

Actually Nintendo was pretty hardcore back the NES and SNES era. So many great games and some are pretty violent at the time.

[Panthers]

Yea. More to do with kiddies than casuals. Nintendo introduces the next generation of gamers. Id rather the younguns be on the Wii than PSN or XBL

[NaiNaiNai]

well duh, alot of profit comes from parents, *ON ALL SYSTEMS* so the less violent it seems the more parents will buy it.

[Obama]

Call it the wiiwii.

[ThatArtGuy]

Hardcore Nintendo and the SNES version of Mortal Kombat where everyone splashed sweat when they were hit.

;)

[mcgrawgamer]

i don't ever recall nintendo calling a gun a gun. Even their own gun add-on was simply called the 'zapper'

[The gaming GOD]

the NES "light gun". Sure it was called the zapper too. But on their advertising during that time it was posted as "light gun"

[CobraKai]

I rmember they had one for the Super Nintendo called the Super Scope i think. Yeah, I remember Nintendo changing Mario's squirt gun for a squirt pack in Super Mario Sunchine because a Super Soaker looks too much like a real weapon.

Now if they have this anti gun thing going on, what do they call the weapons in a game like Call of Duty?

[Shnazzyone]

No... what ever made you think mario was ever carrying a squirt gun rather then the fludd in sunshine... i pretty sure that's 100% crap knowledge right there.

Meanwhile if you notice the regulation says peripherals can't be called a gun meanwhile what's in the game is the developers business. I don't remember shooting zombies with squirt guns in Overkill or RE4 (wii or GC).

[CobraKai]

I distinctly remember early concepts of SM Sunshine having a "gun like" apparatus which was later scrapped for the overhead nozzle. Wikipedia it, maybe it'll say.

Oh I missed the "Peripheral" part.

[Redempteur]

they are caution of not getting a lawsuit in their *** .

that's admirable do you want to appear ridiculous or risk losing money over a ridiculous issue ?

[SpoonyRedMage]

Can you blame them after the way they get hounded for things. The DSi getting called a paedophile's dream machine because it has a camera and internet capabilities for instance... or the people anry over the fact that they were allowing Madworld to be released.

[bigjclassic]

LMAO, when did people started gaming?? 2001??

[BISHOP-BRASIL]

This has nothing to do with hardcore or casuals. Nintendo always had some stupid politicies about "violence inducers" (many times just "immoral" stuff), regardless of casual matket, hardcores' rage or weapon of choice.

I could give you a ton of casual games that have guns. Halo and COD didn't sell million upon million thanks to hardcores alone, but thanks to being casual friendly and arcadey.

The same goes for hardcore games that don't have any gun, like racing sims Forza and GT, many RPGs or beat'em'ups like TMNT. And some that have purposedly stupid exagerated guns that aren't the focus of the gameplay, hack'n'slashers like Devil May Cry for example.

[Shnazzyone]

Who cares... those games are awful. I'm sure nintendo just didn't want them making another game and was doing all they could to prevent one more shovelware title from packaging more plastic garbage with their garbage games.

Obviously it failed :/ they called it a firearm.

[Shnazzyone]

then why is it this product exists?

http://www.amazon.com/Wii-P...