Ninja Gaiden Censored For European Release

Thanks to GamesIndustry.Biz for its article confirming that Tecmo's Xbox title Ninja Gaiden has been censored for European release, seemingly "to remove certain violent aspects such as decapitations." According to the piece, these changes "have been removed apparently at the request of European censors, and the final PAL code for the game has been granted a 16 rating by pan-European ratings body PEGI, which rates games for a wide range of European countries (including the notoriously censorious German market)." However, it seems "the actual impact of the change to the game is minor... and does little to detract from the well-received game - which was the best selling single-platform title in the USA last month." Update: 04/22 14:42 GMT by S : Simon Vivien explains what commenters also mention: "Germany still uses USK, which is another rating board dedicated to their market. The rest of Europe indeeds use PEGI. A 16+ PEGI rating doesn't especially mean a 16+ USK rating - as was witnessed in our latest shooter, Painkiller, who received a 16+ PEGI rating but was banned in Germany."

Comments

Not altogether scandalous

[wizarddc]

This is the equivilant of movie producers removing blood, titties and cursing after they get a NC-17, trying to at least sneak in an R. It just so happens that the Euros are censoring this when the US isn't. I don't see anything that big a deal about this, except for the fact that this might be the first major time this has happened.

Re:Not altogether scandalous

[Krandor3]

If I am reading the article correctly, it sounds like they were not forced to remove stuff, but that they would have just gotten a higher rating if they didn't remove it. If they had a choice to release the game with all the material in and just have gotten a higher rating, then it is not censorship. They decided to remove it to get a 16 rating. At least that is how ie reads to me.

Re:Not altogether scandalous

[Fred Or Alive]

Yep, there's an 18+ PEGI rating (the voluntary game ratings system used in Europe, replacing the ELSPA ones in the UK.) However individual countries laws can go overrule this, such as the UK's Video Recordings Act (and associated laws), and Germany's laws, where they really don't like gore and so on. They might only want to prepare one PAL version of the game (rather than a rest-of-Europe and a German version), so bow to the German censorship requirements across Europe, or they just want a lower rating for sales reasons.

bah censorship...

[hookedup]

C'mon folks, HE'S A NINJA, it's what they do.

Any idea if manhunt had a european release? I cant even see that game hitting the shelves over there.

Re:bah censorship...

[Fred Or Alive]

Manhunt was release in Europe, or at least in the UK. It doesn't have the PEGI voluntary ratings, it has a BBFC 18 certificate, which means that retailers would break the law if sell it to people under 18, the same as an 18 rated DVD (the Video Recordings Act 1984 and all that funk.) I don't know about other countries, as most games nowadays have UK specific packaging, so the UK BBFC rating is the only one on the box IIRC.

AFAIK it was developed by Rockstar North, the same people as Grand Theft Auto (originally DMA Design, who also created the first Lemmings), who are based in Scotland. GTA games are also BBFC 18 rated.

Great Game

[j.bellone]

This game is a great game, fun, well though out, well planned, there is almost nothing wrong with this game... almost. The front of the game box says "Online Enabled", I spent $50 on the game to go play some Ninja Gaiden online (in any form) only to find out when I got home that the whole "online tournament" didn't start until E3 (the middle of May). Very misleading.

Re:Slashdot censors too. Watch this.

[MCC-SMART]

It exists no cencoring in Europe. What in Europe exists is legal protection for children and young persons. When you are 18+ it's no problem to buy your non-defused version at retailer which imports the game's US-Version. Costs some Euros more, but so what? P.S. It is not Europe, which established an Gestapo with a law called Patriot Act I+II...

Re:Not the first time, won't be the last

[buffer-overflowed]

Europe: Violence bad. Nudity/Sex ok.
USA: Violence good. Nudity/Sex bad.
Japan: Violence ok. Nudity/Sex good. Tentacle rape better!

Different cultures/different attitudes.