TalesOfWin
Banned
yeah because dismemberment of body parts is much less disturbing than sex fetishes?
worst post of the year.
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The Last of Us multiplayer is censored in PAL [Up: Confirmed, all PAL region]
- Thread starter Dantis
- Start date
yeah because dismemberment of body parts is much less disturbing than sex fetishes?
worst post of the year.
Wait, so PEGI games are censored but UK games are not? Fuck it, I'm getting my games from Amazing UK from now on. Is there a list of which games have stuff cut? And what about games from the EU PSN?
Let's not forget 16-year-olds in Germany were able to buy cigarettes until just a couple of years ago. But violence in a game you have to be 18 to buy? Nope, can't have that.
Let's not forget 16-year-olds in Germany were able to buy cigarettes until just a couple of years ago. But violence in a game you have to be 18 to buy? Nope, can't have that.
ALL European versions (Australian version too) are cut regarding the multiplayer.
As far as I know the UK is part of the European continent
Tricky I Shadow
Banned
Is the Australian version censored? I honestly cant remember if Ive seen dismemberment in multiplayer.
PEGI USK BBFC ACB acting with the worst and restricting shit of all of them instead of lowest. The hell I miss the times when each country got with their own rules. Some countries wouldn't got games like Rule of Rose or so with today policies.
Fuck globalization.
I miss ELSPA (Spain rating), EU specially when is an european Germany Union is pointless.
Fuck globalization.
I miss ELSPA (Spain rating), EU specially when is an european Germany Union is pointless.
King Beyond the wall
Member
I have the PAL (UK) version and all this dismemberment stuff is new to me. I had no idea that actually happened in other versions - is it just for multiplayer or single player too?
I'm pretty sure the SP is censored as well. You can clearly see in the GiantBomb QuickLook that the nailbomb will straight up explode human enemies into a puff of blood and guts.
When I do that in my game (EU PS Store, Norway), they just ragdoll to the side. They sometimes get dismembered, though.
When I do that in my game (EU PS Store, Norway), they just ragdoll to the side. They sometimes get dismembered, though.
Maybe, depending on the game. You might be able to get away with:
Censor all players when a softened SKU player enters the game. This is more complicated with late join, heads may already be rolling (so to speak).
Perform the censorship client-side on the soft SKU clients only. This might be weird as players could be seeing different things, "Wow you knocked my head off." "Uh, no I didn't."
I didn't view either of these choices as particularly good.
Depending on the publisher, sometimes they will add German language and or audio to disks sold outside Germany thus creating a gray market for uncensored SKUs. The disadvantage of this is that you miss out on all of the marketing that would occur in retail stores inside of Germany.
I can see why ND did it the way they did, it's a difficult decision and to get the best outcome you really need to have a good understanding of your potential customers. If you have a separate softened SKU in additional to one or more regular EU SKUs then it is an additional burden on patching and updating as well.
It seems like it was censored too. At least there was a forum post about it:
http://community.us.playstation.com/t5/The-Last-of-Us-Multiplayer/Gore-in-Multiplayer/m-p/40670969
+ Australia is part of the "PAL" territory.
Should be just for the multiplayer, but a German/Austrian website is doing a comparison between the European and the US version at the moment.
PrivateWHudson
Member
Apparently it is. Gore and dismemberment are staples in video games. When was the last time there was a main stream game with bare naked titties?
GunslingerVit
Banned
Every God of War game.
PrivateWHudson
Member
Ah...never played it. Anyway, I know i'd be pretty shocked if I saw sex as hardcore as the violence is in a game. There was quite the controversy over the "hot coffee" thing in GTA IV.
Tricky I Shadow
Banned
What bullshit! Now I’m annoyed and disappointed! This never happens for me:
: /
Nobody has ever died from having too much cum on their face.
....shit, now someone's gonna post a story about someone dying in a horrible bukkake session gone wrong -_-
The witcher 2, let's see what happens with the third itineration on consoles because of Germany.
dark_inferno
Member
We should contact Sony or ND about it.
I had to drive to 4 big stores and couldnt found one copy of the game. Even after asking nobody had a copy.
I had to drive to 4 big stores and couldnt found one copy of the game. Even after asking nobody had a copy.
Tricky I Shadow
Banned
They had better patch this. I dont want a censored version when we finally have an R18+ rating for games!
And Naughty Dog better hurry the hell up and patch the trophy glitches too. I'm running out of patience! -_-
Krusenstern
Banned
Pretty sure it's one of the bigger, but don't quote me on that.
I mean, this doesn't really affect the multiplayer gameplay, but it still sucks to be sold a censored version
I guess without an official statement that will be impossible to prove.
Strange example. Germany has no problems with tits in games, all withcer games were uncensored there, as far as I know.
I'm german so I may be biased, but I don't think Germany is solely to blame here.The reason Germany has it own rating system called USK is, that the PEGI rating wasn't legally binding in the past (this recently changed at least in the UK though). The USK also thinks it has an more sophisticated rating system in place. The USK blames the retail market because store members don't always know that they aren't allowed to sell 18 games to minors. This is the reason adult games tend to get censored as well ("think about the Childen!!!") Ofc you could argue if something like age ratings should be legally binding to begin with. Unlike dedicated porn shops (thanks for educating me, I didn't realize we have our own Bukkake porn) it's quite difficult to make sure that adult games are only sold to adults.
According to the USK their rating is more sophisticated than their PEGI counterpart by analyzing games by playtesters and not just by counting swear words on a check list. (Hello US rating system). For example, it is not only about the degree of violence; they distinguish between violence for self-defense and for pleasures sake. Thats why a game like counter strike later on got it's rating changed to 16 (it was an 18 rating before with censors), because they recognized the importance of cooperation and teamwork over violence.
That said, I'm not a supporter of the USK and cases like Dead Space 2, in which EA tried to comply with the USK's regulations in order to release the Dead Space 2 multiplayer uncensored and after the 5th attempted got it's 18+ rating and the interference of the bavarian state to overrule this decision (populistic twits) showed it's far from optimal. EA was angry and had to pay (AFAIK another attempt fot the 18 age rating) and needed to postpone the game in Germany. Publisher should have reassurance they can release their games if they cooperate with the USK and the USK should work indepentently without interference (or burn in hell).
Australia (a PAL territory country) has it own rating system too and just recently changed it to a system including a18 rating, there highest rating was 15 before, might be a reason for the SR 4 case (and this case too, who knows).
I haven't played the Last of Us but is the body dismemberment just a visual thing or is it important for gameplay? If it is the first, there was no reason for Naughty Dog to self-censor their game, if it is the second, there was no reason for self-censor. Germans would have to life with different gamplay elements like in the past. They could have restriced german players to german servers only, don't know..
I'm not sure this recent "all EU games had been censored because of Germany" is the result of the new focus to multiplayer and the reluctance to only change the german version to higher costs. But if it is, we should also blame Sony Europe and Naughty Dog for their naivity and lack of forsight.
Sorry this post wasn't meant to be so long.
According to the USK their rating is more sophisticated than their PEGI counterpart by analyzing games by playtesters and not just by counting swear words on a check list. (Hello US rating system). For example, it is not only about the degree of violence; they distinguish between violence for self-defense and for pleasures sake. Thats why a game like counter strike later on got it's rating changed to 16 (it was an 18 rating before with censors), because they recognized the importance of cooperation and teamwork over violence.
That said, I'm not a supporter of the USK and cases like Dead Space 2, in which EA tried to comply with the USK's regulations in order to release the Dead Space 2 multiplayer uncensored and after the 5th attempted got it's 18+ rating and the interference of the bavarian state to overrule this decision (populistic twits) showed it's far from optimal. EA was angry and had to pay (AFAIK another attempt fot the 18 age rating) and needed to postpone the game in Germany. Publisher should have reassurance they can release their games if they cooperate with the USK and the USK should work indepentently without interference (or burn in hell).
Australia (a PAL territory country) has it own rating system too and just recently changed it to a system including a18 rating, there highest rating was 15 before, might be a reason for the SR 4 case (and this case too, who knows).
I haven't played the Last of Us but is the body dismemberment just a visual thing or is it important for gameplay? If it is the first, there was no reason for Naughty Dog to self-censor their game, if it is the second, there was no reason for self-censor. Germans would have to life with different gamplay elements like in the past. They could have restriced german players to german servers only, don't know..
I'm not sure this recent "all EU games had been censored because of Germany" is the result of the new focus to multiplayer and the reluctance to only change the german version to higher costs. But if it is, we should also blame Sony Europe and Naughty Dog for their naivity and lack of forsight.
Sorry this post wasn't meant to be so long.
Backfoggen
Banned
I can explode dudes in my UK copy
UK is the biggest gaming market followed by France and a distant third place Germany, which traditionally had a bigger PC market. But the UK market was hit harder than the German (and France?) gaming market after the economic recession. Still, UK is first and than France and Germany.
Sources:
UK gaming market 2012 collapse: http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/champions-and-heroes-halt-uk-video-games-market-collapse/0101082
German gaming market2012 growth slightly:
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/german-games-market-grows-slightly-in-2012-166096866.html
I bought my copy in Sweden. It's censored.
Good post for the most part, but ...
When did the USK blame the retail market?
And how would lack of control in the stores, which as a legal offence, lead to more censorship.
The USK does not censor, they apply ratings, or don't.
The publisher/developer decide whether or not to censor their game.
When did the USK blame the retail market?
And how would lack of control in the stores, which as a legal offence, lead to more censorship.
The USK does not censor, they apply ratings, or don't.
The publisher/developer decide whether or not to censor their game.
Fine, fine
I'll just continue shaking my fist at Germany instead. I never did get their complete obsession with removing all gore from anything.
I am German so maybe I can help a little here.
I don't expect anyone to do a little research into why or have any common sense about my country's past.
Other than trying to constantly appear as a non-violent country, Germany ironically just like the U.S. has/had a lot of trouble with school shootings, with them apparently being linked with Counterstrike matches, where one or two kids in the past raving on about how they are going to kill their classmates.
The German government got paranoid about the effect of video games on children, misreading the actual health issues of these people and instead focusing on the video games.
Our censorship laws are ridiculously strict when it comes to violence in games, but I think most of Europe at least has their priorities straight in deciding that violence is worse than sex, even if it's still ass backwards.
Ideally, the German government would relax it's stance on violence in video games but it is not likely to happen anytime soon.
The laws in the U.S. are just as ridiculous in my opinion. Nearly any sort of violence can be shown on tv after hours but a nipple slip sends parents into outrage, especially in games (Mass Effect fully clothed sex scandal, etc).
If people want to continue raging at us though, more power to them. At least differentiate between the government and the whole country (this isn't direct at you, but some other people on this thread).
It's still a passive censorship.
That's why the publishers rush ahead and release cut versions of the games and don't even try to release an uncut version.
MS, Sony and Nintendo have the policy to not publish X or non-rated videogames. So if some rating board denies to rate a game or rate it as X they are forcing to devs or publishers to apply censorship on their games.
Not sure what you mean with X-rated games.
But yeah it is true for unrated games. So in practice they either released a censored version in Germany, and did not release it all, and let people import from other European Countries.
Sometimes stores sell those version in Germany.
Backfoggen
Banned
Why do people need to defend the USK all the time. They refuse to rate a game 18 (for adults), they do something wrong. Developers are forced to censor their shit, often even more than necessary.
Stuff like Dead Space having to go through the rating process 5 times before getting the 18 uncut is bullshit.
With X, I meant AO (Adult Only) games, there're many of them in PC.
You won't see any in consoles.
Visualante2
Member
Assuming Germany is the culprit: Epic had it right, just don't fucking release it in Germany.
SolidusDave
Member
Restricting adults from consuming violent media started way earlier in Germany, just look at how movies basically got the same treatment.
The German government doesn't care about censoring nudity and sex. At least they have their priorities straight. If they censor one of the other, violence is the one you should censor.
By all means complain about the video game censorship, because it really is ridiculous, but I wish you would stop bringing other agenda's about the european union into it the whole time.
Yes, because of our countries Nazi past basically, but the level of censorship in video games is a lot newer, and was sparked by shootings in Stuttgart and other cities. My government is so worried about appearing violent that it starts to create ridiculous censorship laws. I wish it were different, believe me.
Yeah maybe it was misleading but like I wrote in the Dead Space paragraph, Publishers don't get forced to change their content, but if a rating is denied, that is their only option if they want to release the game in Germany. It is a situation between a rock and a hard place.
P.S.
Actually I just read that Saint Row 4 agerating was denied in Germany as well.
http://www.gamona.de/games/saints-row-4,usk-lehnt-freigabe-ab:news,2290910.html
What is bad about adding facts to a discussion?
It doesn't matter if it suits your or my opinion/agenda
SiegfriedFM
Member
This. I'd like to play this game as it's by all accounts excellent, but I have a feeling it would just make me sick. Realism is already way past where I feel comfortable with dismemberment and blowing holes in people.
School shootings are not the reason, those laws and regulations apply to movies too and are almost as old as the new German state. The confiscation and indexing (is this the right term for "Indizierung"? I'm not sure ...) were there before. All in all you can say that the USK and FSK (the film board) got a more chilled way of rating violence in media nowadays. German youth protection is just a vague mess, too influenced by the Christians and it messes with the rights of adult persons living in Germany/Europe.
I am talking about the school shootings specifically being related to the censorship in video games. TV as you said has been like this for a long time in Germany, basically all because of our nazi past, as I sort of hinted at. I guess I should of been more blunt.
Christian Democrats are to blame for a lot of shit in my country actually.
Not surprisnig if you know the series history in Germany
I wonder how the post-THQ situation will influence this.
Will the new publisher try a lot or don't bother at all?
While I can respect that, it's also the reason why the violence is the way it is in the game. You're not supposed to enjoy it.
And actually, after the school shooting 2003 the discussion started about violent games let to new laws, that were actually an improvement from the gamer's and publisher's point of view, because now a rating protected games and movies from being indexed or banned, except for court orders.
True. The religious influence in the ratings is huge.
Not really, because customers can do what they want. It is only a problems for retailers, and they usually don't bother, because there is not enough money in the business.
Nope, the school shootings were just the reason for some changes in the rating system. After the changes the retailer wasn't able to sell 18-rated games to minors (no 16-rated games to 15 y.o. and so on ...) anymore and had to check if the customer was old enough to buy the game/movie. Before the Erfurt shooting those ratings were just a recommendation. Another change was that a game/movie can't get indexed anymore if the exact version of the media got a rating by the board (USK/FSK).
Okay, that's right. But they make it as hard as possible for you to get those games/movies and influence companies like Sony to release cut versions all over Europe. That's what I actually meant by "messing with the rights".
Fair enough but hasn't there been more censoring since those incidents? I guess it's not that censorship laws have changed since then but I swear there have been more toned down games.
I see you are a Jena fan.
I'd say they have a more chilled way of looking at the violent games now. Gears of War 3 was released uncut, the singleplayer of The Last of Us seems to be uncut too. Half Life 2 was uncut. 10 years earlier you couldn't expect something like that. Almost every game was toned down violence-wise.
YepI see you are a Jena fan.
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