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List of banned video games by country

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This is a list of video games that had been censored or banned. Governments have been criticized for banning games for many reasons, in that such bans violate rights, increase piracy, inhibit business opportunities, and that users can still order/download such games online.[1]

Australia

See also: Censorship in Australia

Video games in Australia cannot be rated R18+ as the rating only exists for film. This has led many games to be edited (to obtain an MA15+ rating) or refused classification. There is currently a debate over the need for the introduction of an R18+ rating in video games fueled by research that indicates the average age of the Australian video gamer to be 30 years old.[2]

.
Name Reason
7 Sins Banned because of high impact of sexual references.
50 Cent: Bulletproof Banned because of high impact violence and cruelty.[3] A censored version was later released.[citation needed]
Blitz: The League Banned because of drug use.
BMX XXX Banned because of sexuality and nudity in relation to incentives and rewards.[4] A censored version was later released.[citation needed]
Dark Sector Banned because of high impact violence. A censored version was later released.
Dreamweb Banned because of a scene of sexualized violence. However, the game was censored, and re-released with an M15+ rating in 1996 for "Medium level animated violence."[5]
Duke Nukem 3D Censored because of violence and sexual references. Was eventually released uncut with an MA15+ rating.
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin Banned because of high impact violence, ban later lifted in December of 2008.
The Getaway Banned because of high impact violence. A censored version was later released.
Grand Theft Auto III Banned because of sexual violence. A censored version was later released.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Had its classification revoked following the Hot Coffee controversy and sexual violence. A censored version has since been classified MA15+.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Pre-Censored before submission because of sexual violence.
Grand Theft Auto IV Pre-Censored before submission because of sexual violence. An uncut version was later released for the PC.
Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude Banned because of sexuality and nudity in relation to incentives and rewards.
Marc Eckō's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure Banned because of high impact violence and the glorification of graffiti.
Manhunt Was available for a while but later banned because of high impact scary violence and cruelty.
Manhunt 2 Banned because of high impact scary violence, cruelty and high impact of sexual references.
No More Heroes Censored by Rising Star Games because of high impact violence.
NARC (2005 update) Banned because of high impact violence and illegal drug use.
Postal 2 Banned because of content (urination, high impact violence, cruelty, etc.)
Phantasmagoria Banned because of high impact violence, cruelty, and a scene of sexual violence involving rape.
Phantasmagoria: A Puzzle of Flesh Censored because of sexuality and nudity in relation to incentives and rewards.
Reservoir Dogs Banned because of high impact violence and cruelty.
Shellshock: Nam '67 Banned because of high impact violence; however, it was re-rated MA15+ by the Classification Review Board in its uncut form, upon appeal.
Silent Hill: Homecoming Drilling into body parts. Konami has since modified the game to meet MA15+ guidelines.
Singles: Flirt Up Your Life Banned because of sexuality and nudity in relation to incentives and rewards.
Soldier of Fortune: Payback Banned because of high impact violence. Activision has since modified the game to meet MA15+ guidelines.
Tender Loving Care Banned because of high impact violence; however, it has since been re-rated MA15+.
The Punisher Banned because of high impact violence; however, it has since been re-rated MA15+.
Voyeur Banned because of a scene of explicit sexual dialogue.

Brazil

In December 1999, citing a man who killed three and injured eight, Brazil banned six games. Vendors were required to surrender the games to police or face a fine equal to about $11,000 USD a day.[6]

Name Reason
Blood Banned because of high impact violence.
Bully Banned because of school setting.
Carmageddon Banned because of high impact violence.
Carmageddon II: Carpocalypse Now Banned because of high impact violence.
Counter-Strike Banned because of high impact violence.[7]
Doom Banned because of high impact violence.
Duke Nukem 3D Banned because of high impact violence.
EverQuest Banned because of high impact addicting violence.[7]
Grand Theft Auto series Banned because of high impact violence.
Mortal Kombat Banned because of high impact violence.
Requiem: Avenging Angel Banned because of high impact violence.
Postal Banned because of high impact violence.

Canada

No games have been banned in Canada. However, there has been controversy surrounding the game industry and certain games, much like the controversy in the United States. Games such as Manhunt and Soldier of Fortune have been given "Restricted" film ratings, thereby preventing them from being purchased by any person under the age of eighteen in Ontario and British Columbia respectively, and under the age of seventeen in Québec.[8][9][10][11][12] As in the United States, games receiving an "Adults Only" rating from the ESRB have been edited for re-classification.

People's Republic of China

Main article: Video games in the People's Republic of China
See also: Censorship in the People's Republic of China

In China, video game bans are more to political reasons rather than violence.

Name Reason
Command & Conquer Generals Banned for "smearing the image of China and the Chinese army" despite the fact that the game presents China as a quasi-protagonist.[13] It is largely believed that the game was banned because the GLA (a terrorist group) uses a nuclear device to destroy the Gate of Heavenly Peace.[citation needed] Additionally, the Chinese campaign has the player destroy questionable targets such as the Three Gorges Dam and the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Football Manager Banned for recognizing Tibet as an independent country.
Hearts of Iron Banned for portraying Tibet, Sinkiang, and Manchuria as independent countries and Taiwan as under Japanese control.[13]
I.G.I.-2: Covert Strike Banned because of "intentionally blackening China and the Chinese army's image."[14]

Germany

A game can be considered banned in Germany if it has been confiscated by court order because it violates a section of the Strafgesetzbuch (criminal code). Private possession (and thus playing it) and acquisition (such as downloading a demo from the Internet) is still legal, but any dissemination is not. The seller would break the law if a sale took place, not the buyer. On December 10, 2002, however, one German court (Oberlandesgericht Hamm) decided that a single sale of a single copy does not qualify as dissemination.[15] Unlike indexing by the BPjM, which restricts the sale of all content-equal versions, the versions that are confiscated are enumerated in the court order. Being put on the index by the BPjM or, since April 1, 2003, being refused a rating by the USK does not equal a ban. Rather, it imposes strict trade restrictions on the title. While only very few games have been confiscated, the list of indexed games is very long.[16]

In December 2006, Bavaria and Lower Saxony proposed legislation, to be presented to the national parliament, that would make even playing games that feature "cruel violence on humans or human-looking characters" an offense punishable with fines or jail time of up to 12 months.[17][18][19]

§ 86a outlaws the use of symbols of unconstitutional organizations, § 130 Volksverhetzung (agitation of the people), and § 131 instructions for crimes. In the official lists, these three sections are always bundled, so that action games where the object is to kill Nazis (and thus contain swastika flags or portraits of Adolf Hitler) are listed alongside racist propaganda pieces.

Name Reason
Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines (English version 1999-06-24) Banned because of Nazi references.
KZ Manager (1990-10-29/1990-11-19) Banned because of Nazi references.
Mortyr (2001-10-24) Banned because of Nazi references.
Wolfenstein 3D (PC 1994-01-25, Atari Jaguar 1994-12-07) Banned because of Nazi references.
Soldier of Fortune: Payback Banned due to the high gore levels, such as: dismemberments, fountains of blood & Decapitions.

§ 131 outlaws representation of violence in media "which describe cruel or otherwise inhuman acts of violence against human beings in a manner which expresses a glorification or rendering harmless of such acts of violence or which represents the cruel or inhuman aspects of the event in a manner which injures human dignity."[20]

Name Reason
Condemned: Criminal Origins (Decision AG Munic February 2008) Banned because of high impact violence and cruelty.
Manhunt (all versions, 2004-07-19) Banned because of high impact scary violence and cruelty.
Mortal Kombat (all Sega platforms, 1994-11-11) Banned because of high impact violence and cruelty.
Mortal Kombat II (all versions except Game Boy, 1995-02-08) Banned because of high impact violence and cruelty.
Mortal Kombat 3 (Sega Genesis, PlayStation, 1997-06-12) Banned because of high impact violence and cruelty.

Gears of War and Dead Rising were refused rating by the USK. Gears of War EU version was put on the Index (part A) on November 26, 2006, and therefore cannot be advertised nor disseminated to minors. Dead Rising was put on the Index (part B) and confiscated by Hamburg County Court's decision of June 11, 2007. Microsoft refrained from publishing them in Germany. In a recent announcement, Sega has confirmed that recently announced The House of the Dead: Overkill and MadWorld will not be distributed in Germany.[21]

Greece

In 2002, the Greek government banned all electronic games in an attempt to fight illegal gambling. See Greek electronic game ban.

Currently, this law was suspended being deemed unconstitutional.

Ireland

Because IFCO almost never rates video games, and leaves decisions to PEGI and BBFC, there hasn't been a lot of games banned. Only one game so far, Manhunt 2, has passed IFCO's rating of 18

Name Reason
Manhunt 2 Banned for "gross, unrelenting, and gratuitous violence."[22]

Japan

Games are very rarely banned in Japan, as it holds a place as one of the top producers of video games in the world.[23]

Name Reason
Grand Theft Auto III Restricted in the Kanagawa Prefecture for violence and cruelty "teens might try to mimic."[24]

Mexico

Name Reason
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 Banned in the Mexican state of Chihuahua because Mexican Rebels are the antagonists of the game.[25]

New Zealand

In New Zealand, games are classified by the Office of Film and Literature Classification. If they are dubbed "objectionable" in all cases, then they are considered banned. In this case, the game in question is not only illegal to sell, but illegal to own, possess, or import.

Name Reason
Manhunt Banned because of high impact scary violence and cruelty.[26]
Manhunt 2 Banned because of high impact scary violence and cruelty.
Postal 2 Banned because of content (urination, high impact violence, cruelty, etc.)[27]
Reservoir Dogs Banned because of high impact violence and cruelty.

Saudi Arabia

Name Reason
Pokémon Accused and banned of promoting Zionism and concerns regarding to gambling. [28] [29]
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Banned because the game universe was set in a post-royal Saudi Arabia. The Saudi "President" gets executed early in the game.

Singapore

Name Reason
Mass Effect Banned because of a lesbian encounter between an alien and a human.[30] The ban was later lifted.[31]
The Darkness Banned because of excessive violence.[32]

South Korea

South Korea will typically ban any game that mentions a fictional war between North and South Korea in order to avoid tensions between the two countries. However, in December 2006, Korea announced that the games will no longer be banned because of "freedom of expression. However, Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Manhunt, and Manhunt 2 are still banned because of violence and cruelty." In addition, Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction was also banned.[33]

Name Reason
Grand Theft Auto III Banned because of violence and cruelty.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Banned because of violence and cruelty.
Manhunt Banned because of violence and cruelty.
Manhunt 2 Banned because of violence and cruelty.
Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction Banned because of plausible future civil war with North Korea.

United Kingdom

Games in the UK only usually receive a ban when they contain extreme and gratuitous violence; sex and nudity are not the main concern. Games are not 'banned' but are refused classification (RC) by the BBFC. It is illegal to sell (although not illegal to buy and play) a game that has not been classified by the BBFC in the UK. This only applies to games stored on physical media, not to downloadable media.[34]

Carmageddon and Manhunt 2 are among the games that have been refused classification by the BBFC. Both bans were later overturned.

United States

No games have been "banned" in the United States because of freedom of speech guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, although several have been refused a rating below Adults Only by the ESRB. Although these ratings are not law, console makers will not license AO or unrated games and most retailers will not stock them, forcing a sort of self-censoring to obtain a lower rating. Kakuto Chojin was pulled off the shelves in early 2003 for offensive religious content, namely that it had verses from the Quran being chanted as part of the background sound effects. It was later re-released with the offending content removed. A rare game called Thrill Kill for the PlayStation was canceled shortly before its release, although with a mod chip a few select people still acquired the game. EA Games refused to release the game once a public outcry made it to the media because it was "senselessly violent".

Name Reason
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Re-classified as Adults Only following the Hot Coffee minigame controversy, effectively banning it as the game was pulled from the shelves of many major retail chains. It was later re-released.
Night Trap Banned in some retailers because of controversy. Later re-released on various consoles and personal computers.
The Guy Game Censored because of revealing a minor's breasts.[35]

See also

References

  1. ^ Asher Moses and Stephen Hutcheon, "Game site skirts censors' ban," The Sydney Morning Herald (March 15, 2007).
  2. ^ The Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia. "Top 10 PLayer Facts". IEAA. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
  3. ^ Ramsay, Randalph (2005-11-29). "50 Cent shot down by Australian censors". CNET Reviews. CNET.com.au. Retrieved 2006-08-24.
  4. ^ The Game Power Australia Team (2002). "Acclaim Australia: BMX XXX Interview". Game Power Australia. Retrieved 2006-08-24.
  5. ^ http://anthonylarme.tripod.com/gc/gcrgames.html
  6. ^ Brazil Bans More Games by Micheal Mullen, GameSpot, 1999-12-17.
  7. ^ a b McWhertor, Michael (2008-01-18). "Only in Brazil: Brazilian Government Bans Counter-Strike, EverQuest, Fun". Kotaku. Retrieved 2008-01-19. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  8. ^ "Opinion Review: In the Matter of Manhunt published by Rockstar Games" (PDF). British Columbia Film Classification Office. February 6, 2004. Retrieved 2006-10-12.
  9. ^ B.C. Film Classification Soldier of Fortune Decision from The Free Radical
  10. ^ B.C. labels 'Brutal' video game as adult film from The Free Radical
  11. ^ Company to appeal game's X-rating from The Free Radical
  12. ^ "Soldier of Gore: Excessively Violent Video Game restricted by B.C. Film Commissioner" from Media Awareness Network
  13. ^ a b "Swedish video game banned for harming China's sovereignty". Xinhua. 2004-05-29.
  14. ^ "Computer game cracked down on for discrediting China's image". Xinhua. 2004-03-19.
  15. ^ Beschlagnahmung, medienzensur.de
  16. ^ Software for your Internet Cafe - Computer Games on the Index List, InterCafe
  17. ^ Germany to crack down on violent video games by Bertrand Benoit, 2006-12-06.
  18. ^ Germany Drafts Stringent Anti-Violent Game Law by Jason Dobson, Gamasutra, 2006-12-06.
  19. ^ German gov't considers jail time for gamers by Emma Boyes, GameSpot UK, December 2006.
  20. ^ German Criminal Code, Section 131 Representation of Violence
  21. ^ http://www.nintendoeverything.com/?p=2704
  22. ^ "Manhunt 2 Video Game Prohibited." Irish Film Classification Office.
  23. ^ "Game over? Not yet: Japan's video game industry appears vibrant despite a crisis of confidence" Daily Yomiuri Online.
  24. ^ "Japanese state to restrict sales of 'Grand Theft Auto III.'" USAToday.
  25. ^ Gaudiosi, John (2007-03-26). "Locally-made "GRAW2" Banned in Mexico". WRAL News. wral.com. Retrieved 2007-03-26.
  26. ^ Manhunt: Reasons for Decision
  27. ^ New Zealand censor pulls Postal² by Tony Smith, The Register, 2004-11-30.
  28. ^ "Top 10 banned videogames." GamesRadar.
  29. ^ "Saudi Arabia bans Pokemon". BBC. 2001-03-26. Retrieved 2006-12-18.
  30. ^ "Singapore Bans Game Over Lesbian Scene." ABC News.
  31. ^ "Ban lifted on Xbox game with sex scene." The New Zealand Herald.
  32. ^ The Darkness - Banned in Singapore (Game Axis)
  33. ^ Korea lifts game censorship by Emma Boyes, 2006-12-29, GameSpot
  34. ^ The Digital Download BBFC Loophole by Phil Lee & Ray Coyle, 2007-11-28, (MCV)
  35. ^ Smith, Tony (2004-12-22). "Topless teen wins trivia game ban". The Register. Retrieved 2006-09-26. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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