Harsher Classifications For Wii Games?

A group of US senators are still unhappy with the release of Manhunt 2 and in particular with the Wii version. Here is part of a letter sent to the ESRB, penned by Senators Hillary Clinton, Joe Lieberman, Evan Bayh, and Sam Brownback…

“That system permits children to act out each of the many graphic torture scenes and murders in Manhunt 2 rather than simply manipulating a game pad. This led one clinical psychologist to state that the realistic motions used with the Wii mean that ‘you’re basically teaching a child the behavioral sequencing of killing.’ While this was not cited as the reason for the BBFC decision, we do believe that the ESRB should take the Wii remote controller, and future advances in game controllers, which create more realistic gaming environments, into consideration.”

The edited version of Manhunt 2 finally saw a US release around a month a go with an M rating. Clearly the game isn't intended for children and stopping that from happening is down to retailers and parents. Where this 'permits children' part comes from I don't get. If they're saying the game will be played by children anyway then what's the point of having the rating system at all? Lets have a system where everything that gets released has to be suitable for children shall we, and if it isn't, ban it! Problem solved.

Should the Wii only have games for kids? Should Wii games be rated on a different scale from other versions? Have a rant on the GAMEOV3R Forum

Seal of Censorship

Nintendo are famous for being touchy about game content and have become renowned for being family friendly and innocent, or soft and cuddly depending on your point of view. Buying a Nintendo game meant that you were buying a fun game that was suitable for everyone to play and that's an image that Nintendo are struggling to shake to this day.

The Nintendo Seal of Quality was created to uphold this innocent aura and it was applied to all NES and SNES games during the 80’s and 90’s guaranteeing that Nintendo had vetted the games before they hit the shelves and that all content they thought inappropriate had been removed. With the quality of a lot of games being substandard calling the Seal "The Seal of Censorship" would certainly have been a more appropriate. Wouldn't have sold as many games though. Or would it...

Probably the most famous of Nintendo censorship was the removal of all the blood from Mortal Kombat replacing it with grey sweat. This mad decision cost Nintendo a lot of revenue as their fans defected to the gore filled Mega Drive version.

A few years earlier and it was a NES game that caused Nintendo to get all hot and bothered. The fabulous Lucas Arts adventure Maniac Mansion had been converted from the Amiga and was submitted to be stamped with the Seal by Jaleco. Nintendo however didn’t like quite a few things, no sense of humour, and made demands that changes be made. One thing that had to go was the ability for Dave, the main character, to put a hamster in the microwave and watch it explode. Ok, so that’s a bit cruel but it’s funny!

When the cartoon boxing game Punch Out was converted from arcade to NES there were race issues that caused Nintendo to sweat. The Russian boxer known as Vodka Drunkenski in the arcades had to be renamed, they chose Soda Popinski, in an effort to avoid racial stereotyping. Again Nintendo fail to spot the humour.

Tell GAMEOV3R what you think of censorship on his FORUM He promises not to edit or delete what you write. Honestly.

Greek Tragedy

Sophocles, Euripides and Aeschylus, often cited as the founding father of Tragedy, are three of the greatest writers of Greek Tragedy. These tragedies were usually performed as a contest, one playwright against another, as a trilogy played over three days, at an annual state religious festival in honour of Dionysus.

Aristotle got in on the tragedy act a hundred years or so later commenting that, "Tragedy is an imitation of an action that is admirable, complete (composed of an introduction, a middle part and an ending), and possesses magnitude; in language made pleasurable, each of its species separated in different parts; performed by actors, not through narration; effecting through pity and fear the purification of such emotions." I couldn't have put it better myself.

This was all a long time ago, around 500/400 BC, and although there was a renaissance in the 17th century Greek Tragedy has never again been as popular.

Until 2002 that is, because in 2002 the Greek government created a tragedy that would make Aeschylus himself, had he owned a games console, envious and outraged. This tragedy was called, "A blanket ban on all video games". I jest not. The legislation was introduced after a government official was found playing a gambling game, something the government wanted to eradicate, but the wording of the new law meant that all electronic games were included in the crackdown. Residents and tourists alike were facing fines of up to 150,000 euro (£95,000) and a 12 month prison sentence just for firing up Grandmaster Chess on a Game Boy. Thankfully the ban has since been lifted, it lasted for over a year, but even before it was lifted judges had begun throwing out these cases labelling the mad law as being unconstitutional. This change of heart might also have had something to do with a campaign encouraging people to stop eating kebabs as a rebellious protest.

With Manhunt 2 hogging the censorship limelight I thought this story needed an airing. It's also gotten me in the mood for more censorship fun of the same ilk so I think I'll write a part 2. And perhaps a part 3. Stay tuned.

Until then, come and be a Drama Queen on the GAMEOV3R forum and share your tragedies. Or just share your opinions on videogame censorship. But make sure your language is made pleasurable.