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A Survey of Nintendo's Game Censorship Policies
ccnull writes "Found a page which offers a survey of Nintendo's policies on censorship, paying particular attention to how U.S. games differ from their Japanese counterparts. It's not just blood splatters, the author has interesting comparative screen grabs showing "clothed" statues and de-Nazified Hitlers."
There was a treasure in Pikmin 2 worth 666 Pokos in the Japanese version and changed to 670 in the US. What's far worse is that all new games (only in the US) now have a 5 second health warning EVERY TIME you start them because of that stupid lawsuit earlier this year.
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Well in the re-released versions of these games from SNES to GBA the game was further edited to remove things like cigarettes, which I think ruins some of the fun.
I believe Nintendo changed these things due to marketing concerns, and certainly not government pressure. So, I'm not quite sure what you're getting at... I want to know more about that Socks the Cat game from the article. Does anyone have more information about it?
Now, if Nintendo tried to sell some of those games in Germany, for example, it would be forced to get rid of some of the offending material by the country's law, not by the marketplace.
So, while they've built up this reputation (imo, undeservedly) as a "kiddie" gaming company--It doesn't sound like this censorship paradigm really carries over to the gamecube.
-- "A chicken is an egg's way of making another egg."
Sony censored BMX XXX more than Nintendo did.
Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
Well, maybe they don't play a game until the end every time they review it becausae that might take a bit long (especially without cheats)?
Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
I think they define a range with that, anything, from nudity to rape, is to much.
Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
Before 1994 there was no ratings board; there was no higher age catagory;
Nintendo primarily marketed towards younger children; and since there was no way of distinguishing a game for young children at the time from a game for mature audiences..
They don't censor anymore; know you're videogame history
www.GrenadeHop.com
When private individuals or groups of individuals revise materials they created or created at their behest, it is usually referred to as editing and not censorship.
Auto manufacturers in both Japan and the USA change designs between countries to best suit each market. A concept is being muted in the transition; so is that too censorship?
The altering of products to conform to different markets (i.e. what research has led someone to believe different markets will respond best to) is nothing new. I don't see it as particularly evil, either.
The fatality moves were included, but so were several non-violent finishing moves, such as the "friendship" moves in which instead of executing your opponent you could give him a present or do a little dance.
Yes, there were 'Friendship' moves, but, from what I remember, they weren't included at Nintendo's request; they were already present in the arcade version of the game.
There's an article that discusses Nintendo's censorship for Maniac Mansion on NES
...and that's all there is to it.
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The fatality moves were included, but so were several non-violent finishing moves, such as the "friendship" moves in which instead of executing your opponent you could give him a present or do a little dance.
Anyone who's played MK2 in the arcade knows that friendships were in the arcade version; they were NOT added by Nintendo to make the game "nicer".
My Lord, Nintendo is censoring games? Removing sex and violence? How horrible! How awful!
Oh, wait, what's this? A telephone message from 1994? You say they want their fucking news back?
Philip Sandifer's academic website
Blame the very vocal "think of the children" advocates in America.
my password is private, but unchanged.
Quote from the article:
"Games such as the infamous Conker's Bad Fur Day, which include swearing, blood, and sex are now openly published under the Nintendo banner"
Um no. Conker's Bad Fur Day was NOT published by Nintendo. The US version was published by Rare itself and the European version was published by THQ. (Check the US box and the EU box)
These guidelines are well out of date. Nintendo no longer censors games and hasn't done so for about 10 years. These sort of articles really are unnecessary as they only reiterate the common misconception that Nintendo is for kids. This is the type of crap that is hurting Nintendo and may eventually lead them to the same destiny as Sega. If anyone censors games it is Sony. A fairly recent example of this is the game BMX XXX, in which the PS2 version was censored and the GameCube version stayed intact.
Paragraphs.
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WHO ATE MY BREAKFAST PANTS?
Sorry, but this statement is very silly. Stories about human beings might include domestic violence. Books, movies--why not video games? Not video games for kids, certainly, but this is what is meant by the author when he says these rules locked Nintendo into being a "kiddie" company.
I watch The Sopranos--it doesn't make me a sicko, and neither would a video game showing domestic violence in a similar context.
demi
Only a government can censor something.
"broadly, any government restrictions on speech or writing; more precisely, government restrictions on forms of expression before they are disseminated "
The boxart for Freaky Flyers was changed for the GameCube version. (see below) I don't know if the graphics in the game itself were changed, but the gameplay certainly could have used more time in the oven.
GameCube boxart
Xbox boxart
A little nonsense now and then, is relished by the wisest men... --Willy Wonka
From a formal dictionary definition standpoint, I am sure you are probably correct.
In practice, any entity in a position to exert control over published media can censor that content. Its as simple as a publisher saying "I wont publish this unless you remove that". Since most authors / game developers / musicians end up signing agreements with a publisher in advance, its possible that the publisher may elect to censor the content, and put the author in a position where they are mostly screwed.
Hell, even Walmart is known to refuse to carry songs that have objectionable lyrics, leading to a Walmart version of the song, and the normal version.
END COMMUNICATION
I was with my parents at a funeral home, scheduling services for my grandfather whom had passed away, and when the director totalled upp the costs it came out to $666 exactly! We added an extra $50 for the priest to "fix" the number and pay for some piece of mind.
-==- Buy a Mac and leave me alone!