Video Game Nasties

Soldier of Fortune: Payback

The Soldier of Fortune series of games has always revelled in over the top violence, with the player allowed to see all manner of appendages blown off his victims when he shoots them. Faced with the prospect of seeing limbs fly off victims, Australia and Germany immediately refused to classify the game, making it illegal to sell in the respective countries.

A short-sighted view really, as I imagine exposing gamers to ultra-realistic wounds and violence would put them off using guns, not the other way around. A censored version of the game was resubmitted to the Australian board – minus the flying limbs – and was granted a MA15 rating. German gamers, however, aren’t so lucky and the embargo still stands in Deutschland.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warship 2

Sporting one of the longest titles I have ever encountered… Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warship 2, Or TCGRAW2 for those who are short on time, is another to add to our banned list.

Fortunately, gamers in Mexico won’t have to worry about remembering such a long name, as no shop in the South American country has it on sale. The reason for its ban, rather curiously, isn’t anything to do with the blood and guts of war. The problem is with the game’s setting – Mexico itself, and the fact that you are fighting against Mexican rebels and loyalists. The governor of one of the towns featured in the game, the State of Chihuahua, not only claiming the game is an insult to his country and people, but is also scaring tourists away from visiting his town. Of course.

Battlefield 3

Not surprisingly, EA’s epic FPS didn’t go down too well in Iran, featuring as it did an invasion of Tehran. To top it all, the battle in the Grand Bazaar angered the countries retailers so much that they refused to stock copies of the game even prior to the government banning it. So far, so good. The ban becomes even more perplexing when you discover that Electronic Arts do not actually have an official distributer in Iran to begin with, so in effect the censors have banned… a banned game. Confused?