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Beyond: Two Souls is censored in Europe (violence) and probably also in US (nudity)
- Thread starter ekim
- Start date
You should learn about the MPAA.
In my experience - having friends in film and game industry - unless you see a clear statement of unhappiness from the lead creators/designers you can be pretty sure they agreed to any changes.
What's silly in this case is it appears you're literally talking about a slight toning down of a couple of events. One reducing the visual level of gore and one some visual nudity. It seems pretty likely these will have zero impact on the overall package or tone.
This isn't like trying to tone down GTA or something like that - although as an aside I'd actually love to play a GTA that had everything made lighter in tone just for the surrealism of it.
As I said if Cage suddenly tweets bloody murder then I'll accept he felt his work was censored by Sony but until then I'm be proceeding on the basis he agreed to the changes in these territories.
The current legally binding status is not what's important here (even ESRB in the US isn't legally binding).
PEGI was setup to act as a 'lowest common denominator' of sorts across Europe/EU. Even if it isn't legally recognised, it's still casually recognised (just like in the UK, PEGI was recognised for nearly a decade prior to the BBFC relinquishing duties and PEGI becoming enforceable).
This is why so many games receive very high age restrictions from PEGI - they always rate for the highest sensibilities, even when it's completely unnecessary (just like masterkajo pointing out that Mass Effect was only 16 in Germany).
So yes, Germany has USK, but PEGI still takes into account violence sensitivities in countries such as Germany, regardless of binding status. It's a perfect example of trying to please everyone, but satisfying none.
Man-is-Obsolete
Member
It sucks but I am not going to let it ruin my enjoyment of the game.
I thought the CEO came out and said that they didn't cut anything out of the EU and US versions for censorship?
I thought the CEO came out and said that they didn't cut anything out of the EU and US versions for censorship?
oh yes..That one sex/grizzly death scene must have been so integral to this cerebral plot.Its all gone now I am sure.
sixteen-bit
Member
you think they'll do a director's cut for PC?
Agreeing to something and being happy about it aren't exactly one in the same. Cage doesn't strike me as the type of person who would be happy about changes being made, although I am far from the most knowledgeable person in regards to him so I could easily be mistaken. Would be nice to see how he feels about it, but I doubt he will release a statement either way. I do like and respect that Sony is at least letting us know upfront so we can make informed decisions despite the fact that I am not very happy about the policy.
I realize and acknowledge that these are not major cuts and I will be passing on the game on general principle unless there is an unedited version that I can purchase. It's just my personal views.
And yeah the idea of a heavily lightened GTA in concept would be pretty amusing.
ComputerMKII
Banned
Ask Sony.
We'll never escape our Puritan roots.
First party Sony game IIRC so not likely.
MrRegularGuy
Banned
Sex is essential in a plot, as it's the only part half of us care about.
Yoshichan
And they made him a Lord of Cinder. Not for virtue, but for might. Such is a lord, I suppose. But here I ask. Do we have a sodding chance?
They're going for some weird filter for that region. I personally prefer US over this.
Just wait for the uncut version DLC, featuring more than 10 seconds of new gameplay!
people usually exploit sex to sell their stuff without any artistic vision behind it.It really doesn't matter or add anything to 90% of the stories out there.
Its inclusion or removal doesn't make a difference to me.
Right. Even if Sony allowed it, best buy, Walmart, and GameStop wouldn't sell it. AO is simply a black hole. It's even more useless than the NC17 rating for films.
SolidusDave
Member
I doubt the game will feature more nudity&sex than Heavy Rain did. Maybe it depends on the context (teenager age etc.), but I doubt the US version will be censored before we hear official word.
Censoring all PAL versions will now make me wait to see which version (US/Asian?) I have to import. I was going to buy at launch due to fear of spoilers..
If none is fully uncut, I'll wait until the PAL version is cheap (hopefully they will have announced a PS4 version by then anyway
).
It sucks, but I appreciate that they informed us before this time (GoW, TLOU, though both already were rated 18 in that case...).
Censoring all PAL versions will now make me wait to see which version (US/Asian?) I have to import. I was going to buy at launch due to fear of spoilers..
If none is fully uncut, I'll wait until the PAL version is cheap (hopefully they will have announced a PS4 version by then anyway
).It sucks, but I appreciate that they informed us before this time (GoW, TLOU, though both already were rated 18 in that case...).
Miles Quaritch
Member
Terrible decision. Still getting it, but this reasoning is just terrible.
dragonbane
Member
You are going to pass on a potentially great game, because of 10 seconds of slightly changed camera angles? That seems harsh and weird to me. But I'm sure you have you reasons...
DidntKnowJack
Member
Boo, Sony. Booooooooo!
Miles Quaritch
Member
At least it's not Germany's fault again.
18+ rated games can be sold in Germany?
shinobi602
Member
Wtf, there was quite a bit of nudity in Heavy Rain, hell there's goddamn frontal nudity in GTAIV and they got released to no controversy, what's the deal this time?
Miles Quaritch
Member
No it's so gushy is indeed a bitter pill to swallow.
dragonbane
Member
This is not confirmed. We just have word of a single retailer.
Cage said nothing, only that they had to fight each day to make some scenes to get past rating boards and Sony. The executive producer said that both the US and EU version are the same game, which is technically true. The length and content is identical, they just changed the camera angles slightly in the EU version for about 10 seconds. This is all.
BladeoftheImmortal
Member
you and me both.
MrRegularGuy
Banned
I can see the direction this is heading in.
Within a week people will be protesting outside of Sony's offices, holding signs and chanting "we want tits, we want tits".
Within a week people will be protesting outside of Sony's offices, holding signs and chanting "we want tits, we want tits".
dapperbandit
Banned
So there's no chance of seeing a motion captured Ellen Page gobbling cock?
Pre-Order Cancelled
Pre-Order Cancelled
Napalm_Frank
Member
EU wins again.
dragonbane
Member
They can, but this isn't about Germany or USK. I'm pretty sure actually it would have still gotten USK 16 even with the original version. This is about PEGI. Heavy Rain got USK 16, but PEGI 18 for no reason apparently (PEGI couldn't provide a reason and just named a random scene as the culprit). It interfered with Sony's marketing plans, because PEGI 18 limits when you can send TV spots. So they immediately applied for PEGI 16 for Beyond and apparently were ready to change 10 seconds in order to get it this time, so they can send TV spots all day.
Nope. We got the boobs and man ass too.
These are pretty easy to circumvent via retail imports, gifts and key resellers like GMG or Amazon.com these days.
Not sure what you're referring to, like buying an uncensored retail version and it getting censored when activated through a German IP? Because that doesn't happen.
On the other hand there are a few indexed titles like the first Prototype purchasable without sufficient age verification and advertised to everyone right on the German storefront, which is actually illegal. Valve simply doesn't care about regional peculiarities as long as they're not enforced on them.
European PC version of Indigo Prophecy had everything. US PC version was censored.
If we go even further back, I've made a model extractor for Omikron and the model filenames seem to indicate the scene where your character was dry humping his wife fully clothed made a more lot more sense before they self-censored the textures...
Haunted
Member
I don't think going after a 16 rating compared to an 18 rating will dramatically improve their sales, but they obviously think so or they wouldn't do this.
No matter what you think of Cage, it's a shame that the dev's original vision gets disrespected like this for financial reasons.
No matter what you think of Cage, it's a shame that the dev's original vision gets disrespected like this for financial reasons.
dragonbane
Member
Probably nothing, there is likely no nudity in the game anyway. This is just a retailer making shit up probably. The US version is likely not censored in any way.
VibratingDonkey
Member
It's two years between PEGI 16 and PEGI 18. Why did they feel they had to get this lower rating? The 16-17 demographic that strong of a market force? Reckon they wouldn't have bought the game if it was rated 18?
Seems silly.
Seems silly.
Jawmuncher
Member
Considering the stuff GTAV is getting away with I don't see the reason for the cut content at all.
Thanks for not bothering to push any boundaries Sony.
Thanks for not bothering to push any boundaries Sony.
We'll probably just receive the UK version of the game in a box with the OFLC rating instead of the PEGI one.
I haven't actually noticed any instances on the PS3 where the Australian version of the game has been different (sans additional crippling a la Saints Row IV) outside of SEGA published games where they print /ANZ on the disc.
Chance Hale
Member
Seems kind of unlikely as Heavy Rain wasn't censored in the US and had uncovered breasts/butts. This is clearly shooting for an M rating. Suppose we'll see though.
Edit: And The Witcher 2 straight up had uncensored doggie sex and pubic hair so if they censor the game it's on Sony's part, not the ERSB.
Edit: And The Witcher 2 straight up had uncensored doggie sex and pubic hair so if they censor the game it's on Sony's part, not the ERSB.
They're going for some weird filter for that region. I personally prefer US over this.
Where did you get that image? I can't see how that filter makes sense, unless in context.