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Bethesda: Multiple Censorship Laws 'Frustrating'

Pete Hines, product manager for Fallout 3 has said developing a game to suit the varying censorship needs of different countries is "frustrating".

Hines refused to talk specifically about the issues Fallout 3 faced with Australian censorship last month. But, on the topic of censorship in general, he told CVG: "The frustrating thing for us is that the standards and rules can be so varied across territories, that we work with five or six ratings agencies and each one has different 'hot buttons'."

He went on to explain: "In one place nudity is a big deal but violence is fine, and in another place drugs are a problem but nudity is fine.
Alternative Sources:
Bethesda: Global censorship... - computerandvideogames.com | By: Catastrophe
Bethesda: Varying Censorshi... - edge-online.com | By: Cyrus365
BIoodmask - contributor
Published: 481 days 8 hours ago | News | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 | PC | Industry News
 
 

Showing: 1 - 12 of 12 Comments
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Gazman - 481 days 9 hours ago
1 -
Wow makes you wonder which country to import from, I live in Australia and our censorship laws would have to be up there in the worse around.
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UNCyrus - 481 days 9 hours ago
1.1 -
Aussie's are the only ones with an "edited" version of the game. As for the rest of us, we'll have the same generic international version that is pleasing to all censorship bureaus.
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mindedone - 481 days 8 hours ago
2 - U.S.
Is always a no-no for nudity. GO VIOLENCE!
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Panthers - 481 days 5 hours ago
2.1 -
Yup. Seeing a head explode isnt nearly as bad as seeing a pair of boobies.
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Bryla84 - 481 days 8 hours ago
3 - Aussie censors are a joke!
There should be an R rating, as I want to play the game as it was intended!. Im gunna have to import this one.
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tplarkin7 - 481 days 5 hours ago
4 - It's really easy...
Just make a game that has no fighting or hot babes.
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spandexxking - 481 days 5 hours ago
4.1 -
that game already sounds like its gonna suck! jk :)
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tplarkin7 - 480 days 22 hours ago
4.2 - How about a holding-hands game?
It's a game where your go around grabbing people by the hand and taking a nice, peaceful walk.

(By the way, if Denis Dyack had his way, the government would be the sole source of funding for development, and this is the type of game we would get.)
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asyouburn - 481 days 4 hours ago
5 -
they should make one version, the original vision, and don't bother rating it. just sell it from their website, then give gamestop, walmart, etc., all the regular versions. that would be awesome dvd's do it all the time. unrated versions and such.
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Lumbo - 481 days 3 hours ago
5.1 -
Sorry, but the world does not work that way. Unrated Products face a total advert ban in most countries. You may sell them, but you may not advertise them and display them openly in stores. Sales would be horrible for any game following that path, as do all other "below counter" goods.
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Ju - 481 days 3 hours ago
5.2 -
Yes, that what it is. But then it is no "real" censorship. Its just linked to profit.
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Lumbo - 481 days 3 hours ago
6 -
I don't think ratings in itself are a bad thing. Youth protection is a very valid concern.

But i strongly oppose "bans" placed upon adults. No one should be able to tell me that i am unable to cope with within a reasonable limit (no one, and i mean NO ONE can present me any reason why he should be allowed to play a child-rape simulator, thats totally illegal and disgusting and i am ok with bans on such material, may the producer rott in a very hot and painful place) But as far as the game does not show more disturbing things as any other AO rated movie there is no reason to "ban" it.

The main problem there is that "games" are still seen as kids stuff. Adults play no games, hence its made for kids, and therefor needs to be banned if its to much for kids. Stupid position, but thats always the case with new mediums. Music was (and IS still) censored years ago, too.

So people claim games get "censored" when in fact the distributor changed the game to reach a certain rating level because he wants to sell to a specific target group. So if you want to sell to 16+ you make sure your game gets a 16+ rating instead of an AO rating. Thats not censorship but business.

Imho the word "censorship" is way to many times abused to discredit honest rating. Censorship is the suppression of OPINIONS by the GOVERNMENT. Games are not opinions, unless you also believe Cars are opinions, and Refrigerators ... And hence games do not get "Censored" they get either rated, which is ok imho, or banned, wich is in most cases NOT ok imho. But if a distributor decides to CUT a game to reach a less strict rating its the full responsibility of said distributor. No one forces the distributor to sell with a teen rating, release your game as AO and you have no problems ... except that the big malls won't sell your game and you loose cash.

The whole banning issue is a mystery to me, why not simply place AO (AdultOnly) on the darn piece and also pass a law that places HUGE fines on shops selling AO stuff to minors. Problem solved, AO stuff does not get sold to minors and adults are not treated like children by telling em what they shall or shall not see.
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