It appears that more and more games are getting banned each year. Despite the fact that in America, the game developers are protected under the First Amendment, their rights do not extend to other countries such as United Kingdom, Germany, China, and Australia. If games are fantasies and purely for entertainment, why are games still being censored or banned?
What is appropriate or not in a game? I have heard many people claim that video games promote violence and sexual activities before. Whether or not that is true, there are some game contents that are unsuitable for children. That is one of the reasons why we have age-rating system. Even so, the age-rating system is no longer reliable. Young children can get their hands on games such as Grand Theft Auto or Playboy: The Mansion if they want to. Does it even matter anymore who play which kinds of games? We should not take games so seriously, right?
Well, some of the games that are banned are listed here (you can find more details at the link I provide below):
- Pokemon (Nintendo)- I could not help but laughed when I saw this being one of the games being censored. I love Pokemon and have a couple of games stored in my closet. According to the article, Saudi Arabia banned Pokemon because it promotes Zionism. If anyone can enlighten me on Zionism, Saudi Arabia and Pokemon, please let me know. I would love some explanation on this!
- The Guy Game (Gathering of Developers)- The title speaks for itself. If I read it correctly, this game is like Girls Gone Wild combined with other similar kind of shows. The game has footages of "topless girl and trivia questions," which sounds pretty normal to me since it's an adult game. Nudity isn't really new in the gaming industry. Unfortunately, a girl filed a law suit against people who were associated with the game. "She alleged that the game contained footage of her, topless, taken during a South Padre Island 'Hottie Challenge' contest...when she was 17, and underage." Hmm...this is very interesting indeed.
- Manhunt 2 (Take 2)- I played the first Manhunt before and it wasn't so bad. I recalled enjoying it very much. But Manhunt 2 "was initially refused certification by just about every ratings board on the planet." Haha. I wonder what was initially included in there that made it so extreme. Even after some editing, the British board of censors still rejected the game content. Oh well, if British gamers want a piece of Manhunt 2, they can always get it from Ebay.
I don't really see the point of banning games. If they are already available in the market, people can pick them up and make copies. No matter how much the government, teachers or parents try to have us avoid violent or erotic games, we will find a way to get our hands on them. Adults should educate younger children rather than relying on suitable video games to do it for them. What's the point of a game if we don't play it, correct? Although sometimes I question when will the gaming industry cross the line between appropriate and inappropriate, I always find myself enjoying these games anyway. It's purely for entertainment and it helps me take my minds off many stressful things in life. I would rather see people playing games at home than them going outside and committing crimes.
Here's the link:
http://videogames.yahoo.com/feature/video-game-nasties-hottest-banned-ga...
