List of banned computer and video games
Encyclopedia
This is a list of video games that had been censored
or banned
by government
s of various states in the world. 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 purchase or download such games online. This list is not exhaustive in total, nor is it exhaustive for any country mentioned in particular.
could not be rated R18+, only up to MA15+. At the time, the R18+ classification rating could be given to film
but a video game whose content would be deemed fitting for the R18+ rating would be 'Refused Classification' due to it not being available for the medium.
In July and August 2011 this was changed with all Attorney-Generals agreeing upon the R18+ rating for video games and would be available by the end of 2011. This means many of the previous games refused classification would fit in to the R18+ and if the publisher chooses to pay the reclassification fee, can get the game re-rated and be able to sell the game within Australia.
With the R18+ rating in place, this means that much less videogames will be given the refused classification rating. Despite this, games can still be refused classification if deemed to go above the R18+ category. Content that contains depictions of sexual violence and the promotion of illegal drug use would still lead to games being refused classification. More specifically, games which may be refused classification include content that:
Classification is mandatory, and games that are rated refused classification by the ACB are banned for sale, hire or public exhibition, carrying a maximum fine of $275,000 and/or 10 years jail. It is, however, legal to possess RC films (except in Western Australia and parts of the Northern Territory), unless they contain illegal content (e.g. child pornography).
Material which are refused classification are put on the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service list of prohibited items. Any copies of these games found at the border will be seized, and its recipient, depending on the amount of copies being imported may receive up to A$110,000 in fines.
The list depicted below are of games that are either still banned, or had been banned but have been edited exclusively for Australia. It should be noted that these games were banned before the introduction of the R18+ category, if most of these games were to be re-rated today, they would most likely achieve the R18+ rating uncut. The second list is of games that have been eventually released unedited.
The list below are of games that have been eventually released unedited, rating appealed or the worldwide edition later being released uncut and being identical to other countries.
gained much controversy as there is a mission where the player attempts to assassinate Fidel Castro
, only to end up killing a double.
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. 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.
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.
§ 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 and/or any depiction of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler
) are listed alongside racist propaganda pieces.
§ 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."
§ 130 and § 131 make it to a criminal offense to do following with corresponding scriptures:
This means, that the import or purchase and the possession for personal use are still legal for persons over 18 years.
In a recent announcement, Sega
has confirmed that recently announced The House of the Dead: Overkill
and MadWorld
will not be distributed in Germany. Sega will also not be publishing Aliens vs. Predator.
After 10 years a "Beschlagnahmung" (ban) expires. The ban of the following titles dates back more than 10 years and they have not been banned again:
and BBFC
, there have not been a lot of games banned. Only one game so far, Manhunt 2
, has passed IFCO's rating of 18. But the ban was later lifted.
was edited in Japan due to a weapon in the game called the Fat Man. Because of its relation to the real historic event, the weapon was renamed to the Nuka Launcher in the Japanese version of Fallout 3. Japan's Spike
removed all references to Kim Jong-il and North Korea in Homefront
, as well.
and sexual content. In August 2008, Head of a Malaysian consumer rights organization, Muhammad Idris, called for a ban of Grand Theft Auto
and other similarly violent games such as Manhunt series
. On February 2010, one week after Dante's Inferno
released, the game was banned by Jabatan Agama Islam [JAIS] for cruelty, hellish visions, sexuality and content that was against Sharia
.
was banned in the state of Chihuahua due to Mexican Rebels being antagonist and stereotyping the city of Chihuahua and Ciudad Juarez
. However, the game can still be found in shelves in other states.
, 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.
. Media in North America
and Europe
have falsely reported that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
, which features a storyline in which Russian "ultranationalists" take control of the country and invade the United States, was banned in Russia. Activision called these reports 'erroneous'. The Russian version of this game was edited by removing the optional level (the player is given the option to skip the level at any time) "No Russian" where the player is given the option to shoot Russian civilians in airport.
, 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, although this was later lifted.
will typically ban any games with sexual content, such as many hentai games, with the same reasons as banning any pornographic films.
Additionally, all video games of Grand Theft Auto video game series have been banned in Thailand since August 2008 because of a 18-year old Thai player who killed a taxi-driver similar to the gameplay in GTA.
However, most of the banned games can still be found sold or shared in Thailand and the police do not generally close down those shops or ban file-sharing websites.
Games in the UK usually only receive a ban when they contain real sex scenes or extreme and gratuitous violence. It was planned to make all age rating responsibility go to PEGI in April 2011, but this has been cancelled and some responsibility continues to be held by the BBFC. PEGI age ratings are not compulsory while BBFC age ratings are. Usually, if a game would achieve a rating of 16+ or higher by PEGI it would also have to go through a rating procedure by the BBFC. It is illegal to sell, buy or rent (although not illegal to import) a game that has not been classified by an approved age rating organisation in the UK. This only applies to games stored on physical media
, not to downloadable media.
Manhunt 2
was the only game that has been refused classification by the BBFC. However, a modified version of Manhunt 2 was made after being refused classification which was initially refused classification like the original version, however after an appeal the modified version was allowed to be sold. Carmageddon was threatened with being refused classification but was modified to have zombies instead of humans being killed before refused classification was given. It was therefore given an 18 certificate. The ban for the original version with humans in was soon lifted. The Punisher was also threatened with being refused classification though edits were made at the request of the BBFC and later received an 18 certificate.
The bill was later published in the public journal of that country on December3 and gone into effect 3 months later, March 3, 2010, making Venezuela the first country to completely ban violent videogames in the world and making their manufacturing, distribution, selling, rental, exhibition and use illegal. Even though the proponents were not from the Venezuelan Government's political party, Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela (PSUV)
, President Hugo Chávez
supported the ban, claiming there are some Internet games featuring him so players can "kill him"; and even calling video games consoles, including Nintendo DS and Sony's PlayStation, "poison" and values of the capitalism, which he considers "the road to hell".
According to reports of the Venezuelan National Guard, more than 13,000 objects, including violent video games, were destroyed to the date in the states of Lara and Portuguesa.
The ban is criticized by gamers and experts alike for its ambiguity and lack of clarity on its penalties, asides from being too harsh and indoctrinating a negative point of view. On the other hand, Sony expressed their hopes for the government to make changes for the law for good.
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
or banned
Ban (law)
A ban is, generally, any decree that prohibits something.Bans are formed for the prohibition of activities within a certain political territory. Some see this as a negative act and others see it as maintaining the "status quo"...
by government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
s of various states in the world. Governments have been criticized for banning games for many reasons, in that such bans violate rights
Rights
Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people, according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical theory...
, increase piracy
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
, inhibit business opportunities, and that users can still purchase or download such games online. This list is not exhaustive in total, nor is it exhaustive for any country mentioned in particular.
Australia
Originally video games in AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
could not be rated R18+, only up to MA15+. At the time, the R18+ classification rating could be given to film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
but a video game whose content would be deemed fitting for the R18+ rating would be 'Refused Classification' due to it not being available for the medium.
In July and August 2011 this was changed with all Attorney-Generals agreeing upon the R18+ rating for video games and would be available by the end of 2011. This means many of the previous games refused classification would fit in to the R18+ and if the publisher chooses to pay the reclassification fee, can get the game re-rated and be able to sell the game within Australia.
With the R18+ rating in place, this means that much less videogames will be given the refused classification rating. Despite this, games can still be refused classification if deemed to go above the R18+ category. Content that contains depictions of sexual violence and the promotion of illegal drug use would still lead to games being refused classification. More specifically, games which may be refused classification include content that:
- Depict, express or otherwise deals with matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or abhorrent phenomena in such a way that they offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults to the extent that they should not be classified.
- Depict very high in impact violence and/or contain any type of violence in conjunction with real sexual intercourse (i.e. sexual violence)
- Depict in a way that is likely to cause offence to a reasonable adult a minor who is, or who appears to be, under 18 (whether or not engaged in sexual activity).
- Promote, incite or instruct in matters of crime or violence.
Classification is mandatory, and games that are rated refused classification by the ACB are banned for sale, hire or public exhibition, carrying a maximum fine of $275,000 and/or 10 years jail. It is, however, legal to possess RC films (except in Western Australia and parts of the Northern Territory), unless they contain illegal content (e.g. child pornography).
Material which are refused classification are put on the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service list of prohibited items. Any copies of these games found at the border will be seized, and its recipient, depending on the amount of copies being imported may receive up to A$110,000 in fines.
The list depicted below are of games that are either still banned, or had been banned but have been edited exclusively for Australia. It should be noted that these games were banned before the introduction of the R18+ category, if most of these games were to be re-rated today, they would most likely achieve the R18+ rating uncut. The second list is of games that have been eventually released unedited.
| Name | Reason |
|---|---|
| 50 Cent: Bulletproof 50 Cent: Bulletproof 50 Cent: Bulletproof is a video game for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox platforms. It was developed in response to Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas after 50 Cent was asked to voice the game's protagonist Carl "CJ" Johnson with 50 Cent stating that he will only voice himself in video games... |
Banned because of a high degree of bloody and gory violence throughout. A censored version was later released. |
| Blitz: The League Blitz: The League Blitz: The League is an American football game by Midway as an unlicensed extension of their NFL Blitz series. Released after the NFL signed an exclusive licensing deal with Electronic Arts, it was released in October 2005 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Lawrence Taylor, who provides voice acting... |
Banned due to drug use related to incentives and rewards. |
| BMX XXX BMX XXX BMX XXX is a video game published by Acclaim Entertainment for the Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, and PlayStation 2 and developed by Z-Axis. While primarily a BMX-based action sports title, it earned most of its notoriety for containing nudity, foul language and adult humor... |
Banned because of high impact sexual references. A censored version was later released. |
| Dark Sector Dark Sector Dark Sector is a third-person shooter video game for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows developed by Digital Extremes. The game was released on March 25, 2008, in North America, March 27, 2008, in Japan and April 4, 2008, in Europe.... |
Banned because of gory violence involving mutilations. A censored version was later released. |
| Dreamweb Dreamweb Dreamweb is a DOS and Amiga parser-free cyberpunk top-down adventure game first released in 1992, then later released on CD in 1994, and developed by Creative Reality and published by Empire Interactive Entertainment.... |
Banned because of a scene of "sexualized violence". However, the game was censored, and re-released with an M rating in 1996. |
| The Getaway | Originally released uncut with a MA15+, it was later resubmitted and banned due to a scene of detailed torture. A censored version omitting this scene was later released with a MA15+. The sequel was released uncut. |
| Left 4 Dead 2 Left 4 Dead 2 Left 4 Dead 2 is a cooperative first-person shooter video game. It is the sequel to Valve Corporation's award-winning Left 4 Dead. The game launched on November 17, 2009, for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in the United States and November 20 in Europe; in 2010, Left 4 Dead 2 was made available to... |
Refused classification due to relentlessly gory violence. An edited version has been released using the German cut. This version of game is now less violent than its predecessor which was released with a MA15+. |
| Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude is a 2004 video game, part of the Leisure Suit Larry series. The game introduces a new main character, 'Larry Lovage', as Larry Laffer's nephew.-Gameplay:... |
Banned because of sexuality and nudity in relation to incentives and rewards. |
| Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure Marc Eckō's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure is a video game released on February 14, 2006. It was developed by The Collective, Inc. and published by Atari under license by Marc Ecko... |
Originally released with a MA15+, Federal Attorney-General Philip Ruddock Philip Ruddock Philip Maxwell Ruddock is an Australian politician who is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the Division of Berowra, New South Wales, for the Liberal Party of Australia... used his power to later appeal the decision to get it banned for the glorification of graffiti. |
| Manhunt Manhunt (video game) Manhunt is a stealth game developed by Rockstar Games. It was released to the public on November 18, 2003 for the PlayStation 2 console, and on April 20, 2004 for Xbox and PC. Although it was generally well-received by critics, Manhunt created a controversy due to the graphic violence the player... |
Originally rated MA15+ but Federal Attorney-General Philip Ruddock Philip Ruddock Philip Maxwell Ruddock is an Australian politician who is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the Division of Berowra, New South Wales, for the Liberal Party of Australia... later appealed the rating thus being banned afterwards because of high-impact violence involving torture. The publisher chose not to release Manhunt 2 Manhunt 2 Manhunt 2 is an action/adventure video game developed by Rockstar Games and the sequel to 2003's Manhunt. The game was released in North America for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Wii on October 29, 2007.... in case of it falling the same fate as its predecessor. |
| Mortal Kombat | Banned due to the graphic realistic depictions of mutilations and gore performed by the fatalities. Ban upheld by Australian Classification Review Board on Monday, March 14, 2011. |
| NARC (2005 game) | Banned because of drug use related to incentives. |
| NecroVisioN Necrovision is World War I "alternate" history horror first-person shooter developed by Polish developer The Farm 51 and published by 505 Games. It was released for the Microsoft Windows platform on 20 February 2009. The game was also published by Aspyr Media in the United States, on May 25, 2009, and Canada... |
Banned because of relentlessly graphic violence. A censored version was later released with a M rating. |
| Postal | Banned due to depictions of revolting and abhorrent content. |
| Postal 2 Postal 2 Postal 2 is a first-person shooter video game by Running with Scissors, and it is the sequel to the 1997 game Postal. Both are intentionally highly controversial due to high levels of violence and stereotyping. Unlike its predecessor, Postal 2 is played completely in first-person based on the... |
Originally released unrated to some retail stores in Australia, when it was picked up for publishing in Australia it was banned because of gross, abhorrent content. |
| Phantasmagoria | Banned because of a scene involving rape/sexual violence. |
| Reservoir Dogs Reservoir Dogs (video game) Reservoir Dogs is a video game based on the Quentin Tarantino film of the same name. Released in 2006, it garnered mostly mediocre reviews and caused minor controversies for its violence, being banned in Australia and New Zealand.-Plot:... |
Banned because of frequent depictions of realistic violence and disturbing scenes of torture. |
| Risen | Banned because of sexual activity and drug use related to incentives. |
| Shellshock 2: Blood Trails Shellshock 2: Blood Trails Shellshock 2: Blood Trails is a first-person shooter video game developed by Rebellion Developments and published by Eidos Interactive for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. It is the sequel to Shellshock: Nam '67, developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Eidos in 2004... |
Banned because of frequent and disturbing gory violence throughout. |
| Silent Hill: Homecoming | Banned because of a scene of very disturbing content involving drilling into body parts. Konami has since modified this part of the game to meet MA15+ guidelines. |
| Singles: Flirt Up Your Life Singles: Flirt Up Your Life Singles: Flirt Up Your Life is a video game developed by Rotobee and published by German company Deep Silver in 2004.It is very similar to The Sims in that the player is responsible for characters who have to be taken care of, such as by ordering them to eat, sleep, go to work, etc.The game is... |
Banned because of sexuality and nudity in relation to incentives and rewards. |
| Soldier of Fortune: Payback Soldier of Fortune: Payback Soldier of Fortune: Payback is the third installment of the Soldier of Fortune game series. Unlike the previous two Soldier of Fortune games, which were developed by Raven Software utilizing the Quake 2 and Quake 3 engines, Payback was developed by Cauldron HQ, developed with Cauldron's in-house... |
Banned because of high impact violence involving graphic depictions of dismemberment. Activision Activision Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles... has since modified the game to meet MA15+ guidelines. |
| Voyeur Voyeur (video game) Voyeur and Voyeur II were full motion video games released in 1993 and 1996 respectively. The first game was originally released as the "flagship" product for the short lived Philips CD-i multimedia system/video game console... |
Originally rated MA15+ but later appealed and banned because of a scene of explicit sexual dialogue involving incest. |
The list below are of games that have been eventually released unedited, rating appealed or the worldwide edition later being released uncut and being identical to other countries.
| Name | Reason |
|---|---|
| Aliens vs. Predator Aliens vs. Predator (video game) Aliens vs. Predator is a science fiction first-person shooter video game, developed by Rebellion Developments, the team behind the 1999 original PC game, and published by Sega for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game is based on the Alien vs... |
Originally banned because of violence involving graphic depictions of mutilation. Rating later appealed and overturned and now is rated MA15+. |
| Fallout 3 Fallout 3 Fallout 3 is an action role-playing game released by Bethesda Game Studios, and the third major installment in the Fallout series. The game was released in North America, Europe and Australia in October 2008, and in Japan in December 2008 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360... |
Originally banned because of drug use in relation to real world drugs and subsequent connection to its incentive/rewards. Edited world wide due to the insignificant change that was done (the name of morphine being changed to Med-x). Therefore the same game that was rated 17+/18+ in other countries was rated MA15+ in Australia. |
| F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin | Originally banned because of frequent and gory violence, Warner bros. interactive later appealed the decision and received an MA15+ uncut on the basis that the violence was unrealistic. |
| Grand Theft Auto III Grand Theft Auto III Grand Theft Auto III is a 2001 open world action computer and video game developed by DMA Design in the United Kingdom, and published by Rockstar Games. It is the first 3D title in the Grand Theft Auto series. It was released in October 2001 for the PlayStation 2, May 2002 for Microsoft Windows,... |
Originally banned because of the use of prostitutes. A censored version was later released. PC version was released uncut with MA15+. |
| Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a 2004 open world action video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the third 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise, the fifth original console release and eighth game overall... |
Had its classification revoked following the Hot Coffee controversy. Edited worldwide with this version of the game also achieving a MA15+. |
| Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a 2002 open world action computer and video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the second 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise and sixth original title overall... |
Pre-Censored before submission because of the use of prostitutes. In 2010 the game was released uncut again receiving a MA15+. |
| Grand Theft Auto IV Grand Theft Auto IV Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system... |
Pre-censored before submission because of sex scenes involving prostitutes. An uncut version was later released for the PC with an MA15+. A patch was later released to completely uncensor the PS3 version and the 360 version. The complete edition is fully uncut and all it's expansions are unedited with an MA15+. |
| The House of the Dead: Overkill Extended Cut The House of the Dead: Overkill The House of the Dead: Overkill is a first-person rail shooter video game developed by Headstrong Games and published by Sega. It is the fifth game developed in the The House of the Dead series, a prequel to the original House of the Dead chronologically and the first in the series to be released... |
Originally banned due to relentlessly graphic and detailed depictions of violence and gore. Sega successfully appealed the rating and is now rated MA15+ uncut on the basis that the over the top violence mitigated the impact. |
| Sexy Poker Sexy Poker Sexy Poker is a strip poker video game by Gameloft originally released for mobile phone platforms in 2004. A WiiWare version was released in North America on August 3, 2009 and in Europe on September 25, 2009... |
Originally banned from being released on WiiWare WiiWare WiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section... due to nudity being used as an incentive. Edited worldwide to replace nudity with revealing under garments and this edition received an M rating. |
| Shellshock: Nam '67 Shellshock: Nam '67 Shellshock: Nam '67 is a third-person shooter set during the Vietnam War in which the player takes control of a newly drafted U.S. soldier. It was released for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC platforms on September 14, 2004. It was published by Eidos Interactive and developed by Guerrilla... |
Originally banned because of themes and violence that were high in impact; however, it was re-rated MA15+ uncut when the game was resubmitted and objectionable content was shown within proper context. |
| Tender Loving Care | Originally banned because of high impact sexual references and nudity; however, due to being more of an interactive live-action movie than a videogame, it was later submitted as an interactive DVD and due to being under different guidelines it was re-rated MA15+ uncut. |
| The Punisher | Originally banned because of disturbing and graphic scenes involving torture. Edited worldwide due to troubles with other countries as well (such as being threatened with an AO rating in America and also being threatened as being objectionable by the UK's BBFC) and this edition was passed through with an MA15+. Australia got the same version as Europe. |
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.| Name | Reason |
|---|---|
| Cat In The Hat: The Game | Banned because of copyright from the said movie. |
| Blood | Banned because of high impact violence. |
| Bully Bully (video game) Bully, also known as Canis Canem Edit for the PAL PlayStation 2 version, is an open world video game released by Rockstar Vancouver for the PlayStation 2 on 17 October 2006 in North America, and 25 October 2006 in the United Kingdom... (including Scholarship Edition) |
Banned for showing violence and harassment in a school setting. |
| Carmageddon Carmageddon Carmageddon is the first of a series of graphically violent vehicular combat video games produced by Stainless Games, published by Interplay and SCi... |
Banned because of high impact violence against pedestrians. |
| Carmageddon II: Carpocalypse Now Carmageddon II Carmageddon II: Carpocalypse Now is the sequel to the graphically violent vehicular combat computer game Carmageddon, released on November 30, 1998. The game was developed by Stainless Games and published by Sales Curve Interactive... |
Banned because of high impact violence against pedestrians. |
| Counter-Strike Counter-Strike Counter-Strike is a tactical first-person shooter video game developed by Valve Corporation which originated from a Half-Life modification by Minh "Gooseman" Le and Jess "Cliffe" Cliffe... |
Banned because of high impact violence. In June 2009, the game was allowed to be sold again (however, retail sales still banned) |
| Doom | Banned because of high impact violence. |
| Duke Nukem 3D Duke Nukem 3D Duke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter computer game developed by 3D Realms and published by GT Interactive Software. The full version was released for the PC . It is a sequel to the platform games Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II published by Apogee... |
Banned because of high impact violence. |
| EverQuest EverQuest EverQuest, often shortened to EQ, is a 3D fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game that was released on the 16th of March, 1999. The original design is credited to Brad McQuaid, Steve Clover, and Bill Trost... |
Banned because of X18+ references. |
| Grand Theft Auto Grand Theft Auto (series) Grand Theft Auto is a multi-award-winning British video game series created in the United Kingdom by Dave Jones, then later by brothers Dan Houser and Sam Houser, and game designer Zachary Clarke. It is primarily developed by Edinburgh based Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games... |
Banned because of high impact violence. This is only to the original GTA, and is no longer banned. |
| Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City is a standalone compilation of the downloadable content episodes for the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV. Created by Rockstar North in the United Kingdom, it contains both The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony on one disc... |
Banned in the city of Barueri Barueri Barueri is a Brazilian city in the state of São Paulo located in the northwestern part of the Greater São Paulo metropolitan area. The population in 2006 is estimated to be 265,549, the population density is 4,149.2 per km² and the area of 64 km².... because it uses a music by a Brazilian composer without permission. Also applies to DLC that use that music (the stock IV game does not feature the track). |
| Mortal Kombat Mortal Kombat (video game) Mortal Kombat is a 1992 fighting-game developed and published by Midway for arcades. In 1993, home versions were released by Acclaim Entertainment. Released in the Fall of 1994, the Microsoft Windows 3.1x version was released by Activision Interactive. It is the first title in the Mortal Kombat... |
Banned because of high impact violence. |
| Requiem: Avenging Angel Requiem: Avenging Angel Requiem: Avenging Angel is a first-person shooter developed by Cyclone Studios and published by 3DO and Ubisoft in April 1999.-Background:Requiem draws heavily upon the Bible and Christianity for its influences, as well as the more usual sci-fi sources as found in other games. The background story... |
Banned because of high impact violence. |
| Postal | Banned because of high impact violence. |
People's Republic of China
| 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. Additionally, the Chinese campaign has the player destroy questionable targets such as the Three Gorges Dam Three Gorges Dam The Three Gorges Dam is a hydroelectric dam that spans the Yangtze River by the town of Sandouping, located in the Yiling District of Yichang, in Hubei province, China... and the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre is one of the two major convention and exhibition venues in Hong Kong, along with AsiaWorld-Expo. It is located in Wan Chai North, Hong Kong Island. Built along the Victoria Harbour, it is linked by covered walkways to nearby hotels and commercial... . |
| Football Manager 2005 Football Manager 2005 Football Manager 2005 is a game in the Football Manager computer game series. It was developed by Sports Interactive and released on November 5, 2004, published by Sega.... |
Banned for recognizing Tibet Tibet Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people... as an independent country. An edited version globally was later released. |
| Hearts of Iron Hearts of Iron Hearts of Iron is a grand strategy computer game developed by Paradox Interactive and published by Strategy First, set in the years 1936-1948. In the game you can control any one nation as World War II unfolds. It was released for Windows-compatible PCs in 2002. A Macintosh version was also... |
Banned for portraying Tibet Tibet Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people... , Sinkiang Xinjiang Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2... , and Manchuria Manchuria Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast... as independent countries and Taiwan Taiwan Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following... as under Japanese control. |
| I.G.I.-2: Covert Strike I.G.I.-2: Covert Strike I.G.I.-2: Covert Strike is a computer game developed by Innerloop Studios and released by Codemasters in 2003. The game is a stealth-based first person shooter. It is the sequel to Innerloop's Project I.G.I.: I'm Going In. The original, published by Eidos Interactive, offered only single-player play... |
Banned because of "intentionally blackening China and the Chinese army's image." |
Cuba
No video games have ever been banned in Cuba, but few games were sold in that country until 2007 when restrictions were eased. In 2010, the video game Call of Duty: Black OpsCall of Duty: Black Ops
Call of Duty: Black Ops is a first-person shooter video game developed by Treyarch, published by Activision and released worldwide on November 9, for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii consoles, with a separate version for Nintendo DS developed by n-Space. Announced on April 30, 2010,...
gained much controversy as there is a mission where the player attempts to assassinate Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
, only to end up killing a double.
Denmark
| Name | Reason |
|---|---|
| EA Sports MMA EA Sports MMA EA Sports MMA is a fighting video game which was published by EA Sports and developed by EA Tiburon from 2008 to 2010. It was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on October 19, 2010 in North America and October 22, 2010 everywhere else.... |
This game was not released in Denmark because of a law prohibiting marketing for energy drinks, which is a central part of the game. |
Germany
A game can be considered banned in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
if it has been confiscated by court order because it violates a section of the Strafgesetzbuch
Strafgesetzbuch
Strafgesetzbuch is the German name for Penal Code and is abbreviated to StGB.- History :In Germany the Strafgesetzbuch goes back to the Penal Code of the German Empire passed in the year 1871 which was largely identical to the Penal Code of the North German Confederation.This Reichsstrafgesetzbuch ...
(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
Hamm
Hamm is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia , Germany. It is located in the northeastern part of the Ruhr area. As of December 2003 its population was 180,849. The city is situated between the A1 motorway and A2 motorway...
) decided that a single sale of a single copy does not qualify as dissemination. Unlike indexing by the BPjM
Bundesprüfstelle für jugendgefährdende Medien
The Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons is an upper-level German federal agency subordinate to the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. It is responsible for examining media works allegedly harmful to young people and entering these onto an...
, 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
Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle
Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle is the organization responsible for computer game ratings in Germany.- Ratings :...
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.
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.
§ 86a outlaws the use of symbols of unconstitutional organizations, § 130 Volksverhetzung
Volksverhetzung
Volksverhetzung is a concept in German criminal law that bans the incitement of hatred against a segment of the population. It often applies in, though it is not limited to, trials relating to Holocaust denial in Germany...
(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 and/or any depiction of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
) are listed alongside racist propaganda pieces.
§ 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."
§ 130 and § 131 make it to a criminal offense to do following with corresponding scriptures:
- distributing / selling
- issuing in public, demonstrating or otherwise making available
- leaving it to a person under the age of 18
- producing, buying, delivering, storing, offering, announcing, praising, importing or exporting to use them within the meaning of the letters 1 to 3.
This means, that the import or purchase and the possession for personal use are still legal for persons over 18 years.
| Name | Reason |
|---|---|
| Mortyr Mortyr Mortyr 2093-1944 is a first person shooter computer game from Interplay and Mirage released 1999. Mortyr's ક logo is used thoroughly in the game.-Plot:... (2001-10-24) |
Banned because of Nazi references. |
| Soldier of Fortune: Payback Soldier of Fortune: Payback Soldier of Fortune: Payback is the third installment of the Soldier of Fortune game series. Unlike the previous two Soldier of Fortune games, which were developed by Raven Software utilizing the Quake 2 and Quake 3 engines, Payback was developed by Cauldron HQ, developed with Cauldron's in-house... |
Banned due to high levels of gore (decapitations, dismemberments, and excessive blood-letting) |
| KZ Manager KZ manager KZ Manager is a name shared by many similar resource management computer games putting the player in the role of a Nazi concentration camp "manager", where the "resources" to be managed include, depending on the version of the game, prisoners , poison gas supplies, "normal" money and various... (1990-10-29/1990-11-19) |
Banned because of Nazi references. |
| Condemned: Criminal Origins Condemned: Criminal Origins Condemned: Criminal Origins is a psychological horror first-person shooter video game, developed by Monolith Productions and published by Sega. It was launched worldwide in 2005 on the Xbox 360, with a Microsoft Windows version released later in 2006... (Decision AG Munic February 2008) |
Banned because of high impact violence and cruelty. |
| Condemned 2: Bloodshot Condemned 2: Bloodshot Condemned 2: Bloodshot is a psychological horror first-person shooter video game, developed by Monolith Productions and published by Sega for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360... |
Banned because of high impact violence and cruelty. |
| Manhunt Manhunt (video game) Manhunt is a stealth game developed by Rockstar Games. It was released to the public on November 18, 2003 for the PlayStation 2 console, and on April 20, 2004 for Xbox and PC. Although it was generally well-received by critics, Manhunt created a controversy due to the graphic violence the player... (all versions, 2004-07-19) |
Banned because of high impact scary violence and cruelty. |
| Manhunt 2 Manhunt 2 Manhunt 2 is an action/adventure video game developed by Rockstar Games and the sequel to 2003's Manhunt. The game was released in North America for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Wii on October 29, 2007.... |
Banned because of high impact scary violence and cruelty. |
| Dead Rising Dead Rising is an action-adventure, survivor horror video game, developed by Capcom and produced by Keiji Inafune. It was released on August 8, 2006 exclusively for the Xbox 360 video game console. The game was a commercial success. It has been introduced into the Xbox 360 "Platinum Hits" lineup, and a cell... |
Banned because of high impact violence and cruelty. |
| Silent Hill: Homecoming (Uncut) | Banned because of high impact violence and cruelty. |
| Wolfenstein Wolfenstein (series) Wolfenstein is a franchise of World War II fantasy-themed computer and video games first developed by Muse Software and followed up by id Software... (Uncut) |
Banned because of Nazi references. |
| Scarface: The World is Yours Scarface: The World is Yours Scarface: The World Is Yours is a video game developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Vivendi Universal Games. The game is based on and is a quasi-sequel to the 1983 motion picture Scarface starring Al Pacino reprising his role as Tony Montana, with André Sogliuzzo providing Montana's... (Uncut) |
Banned because of high impact violence and cruelty. |
| Left 4 Dead 2 Left 4 Dead 2 Left 4 Dead 2 is a cooperative first-person shooter video game. It is the sequel to Valve Corporation's award-winning Left 4 Dead. The game launched on November 17, 2009, for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in the United States and November 20 in Europe; in 2010, Left 4 Dead 2 was made available to... (Uncut) |
Banned because of high impact violence and cruelty. |
| The Darkness The Darkness (video game) The Darkness is a first-person shooter video game, developed by Starbreeze Studios and published by 2K Games for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. It was released on June 25, 2007 in North America and on June 20, 2007 in Europe. The video game is based on the comic book of the same title... (Uncut European XBox360 version) |
Banned because of Nazi signs in bonus comic. |
| Dead Island Dead Island Dead Island is a first person horror action-adventure video game developed by Techland and published by Deep Silver for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. It is centered on the challenge of survival on a zombie-infested open world island with a major emphasis on melee combat. It was... |
Banned because of extreme graphic violence. |
In a recent announcement, Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
has confirmed that recently announced The House of the Dead: Overkill
The House of the Dead: Overkill
The House of the Dead: Overkill is a first-person rail shooter video game developed by Headstrong Games and published by Sega. It is the fifth game developed in the The House of the Dead series, a prequel to the original House of the Dead chronologically and the first in the series to be released...
and MadWorld
MadWorld
is a video game developed by Platinum Games and published by Sega. It was released for the Wii on March 10, 2009 in North America, on March 20 in Europe, March 26 in Australia, and February 10 in Japan...
will not be distributed in Germany. Sega will also not be publishing Aliens vs. Predator.
After 10 years a "Beschlagnahmung" (ban) expires. The ban of the following titles dates back more than 10 years and they have not been banned again:
| Name | Reason |
|---|---|
| Wolfenstein 3D Wolfenstein 3D Wolfenstein 3D is a video game that is generally regarded by critics and gaming journalists as having both popularized the first-person shooter genre on the PC and created the basic archetype upon which all subsequent games of the same genre would be built. It was created by id Software and... |
Was banned because of Nazi references. |
| Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines is a single player real-time tactics computer game developed by Pyro Studios and published by Eidos Interactive. The first installment in the "Commandos" series, the game was released in 1998 and is set in wartime Europe and Africa where a group of six Allied Commandos... (English version 1999-06-24) |
Was banned because of Nazi references. |
| Mortal Kombat Mortal Kombat (video game) Mortal Kombat is a 1992 fighting-game developed and published by Midway for arcades. In 1993, home versions were released by Acclaim Entertainment. Released in the Fall of 1994, the Microsoft Windows 3.1x version was released by Activision Interactive. It is the first title in the Mortal Kombat... (all Sega Sega , usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world... platforms, 1994-11-11) |
Was banned because of high impact violence and cruelty. |
| Mortal Kombat II Mortal Kombat II Mortal Kombat II is a competitive fighting game originally produced by Midway Games for the arcades in . It is the second game in the Mortal Kombat series. Like its predecessor, various home versions were produced... (all versions except Game Boy Game Boy The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on... , 1995-02-08) |
Was banned because of high impact violence and cruelty. |
| Mortal Kombat 3 Mortal Kombat 3 Mortal Kombat 3 is a fighting game developed by Midway and released in 1995, first as an arcade game. It is the third game in the Mortal Kombat series... (Sega Genesis, PlayStation PlayStation The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000... , SNES Super Nintendo Entertainment System The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short... 1997-06-12) |
Was banned because of high impact violence and cruelty. |
Greece
In 2002, the Greek government banned all electronic gambling games in public places in an attempt to fight illegal gambling. Currently, this law has been suspended, being deemed unconstitutional.Ireland
Because IFCO almost never rates video games, and leaves decisions to PEGIPan European Game Information
Pan European Game Information is a European video game content rating system established to help European parents make informed decisions on buying computer games with logos on games boxes. It was developed by the Interactive Software Federation of Europe and came into use in April 2003; it...
and BBFC
British Board of Film Classification
The British Board of Film Classification , originally British Board of Film Censors, is a non-governmental organisation, funded by the film industry and responsible for the national classification of films within the United Kingdom...
, there have not been a lot of games banned. Only one game so far, Manhunt 2
Manhunt 2
Manhunt 2 is an action/adventure video game developed by Rockstar Games and the sequel to 2003's Manhunt. The game was released in North America for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Wii on October 29, 2007....
, has passed IFCO's rating of 18. But the ban was later lifted.
| Name | Reason |
|---|---|
| Manhunt 2 Manhunt 2 Manhunt 2 is an action/adventure video game developed by Rockstar Games and the sequel to 2003's Manhunt. The game was released in North America for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Wii on October 29, 2007.... |
Banned for "gross, unrelenting, and gratuitous violence." |
Italy
In 2007, a ban was decided for Manhunt 2, blocking its distribution over Europe. Later, the ban was lifted.Japan
Games are rarely banned in Japan, and it holds the place as one of the top video game producers in the world. However, Fallout 3Fallout 3
Fallout 3 is an action role-playing game released by Bethesda Game Studios, and the third major installment in the Fallout series. The game was released in North America, Europe and Australia in October 2008, and in Japan in December 2008 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360...
was edited in Japan due to a weapon in the game called the Fat Man. Because of its relation to the real historic event, the weapon was renamed to the Nuka Launcher in the Japanese version of Fallout 3. Japan's Spike
Spike (company)
is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. Most of the staff were part of Human Entertainment. Human's Fire Pro Wrestling series is owned by Spike.-Games developed:*Crimson Tears*Dangan Ronpa: Kibou no Gakuen to Zetsubou no Koukousei...
removed all references to Kim Jong-il and North Korea in Homefront
Homefront (video game)
Homefront is a first-person shooter video game developed by now defunct Kaos Studios and published by THQ, in which players play as members of a resistance movement fighting against a near-future Korean military occupation of the United States. The story was written by John Milius, who co-wrote...
, as well.
Malaysia
Malaysia tends to ban high impact violence, depictions of cruelty, anti-MuslimMuslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
and sexual content. In August 2008, Head of a Malaysian consumer rights organization, Muhammad Idris, called for a ban of Grand Theft Auto
Grand Theft Auto (series)
Grand Theft Auto is a multi-award-winning British video game series created in the United Kingdom by Dave Jones, then later by brothers Dan Houser and Sam Houser, and game designer Zachary Clarke. It is primarily developed by Edinburgh based Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games...
and other similarly violent games such as Manhunt series
Manhunt (series)
Manhunt is a stealth style video game series primarily developed by Scottish company Rockstar North, as well as several other Rockstar studios, and published by Rockstar Games....
. On February 2010, one week after Dante's Inferno
Dante's Inferno (video game)
Dante's Inferno is a 2010 action-adventure video game developed by Visceral Games and published by Electronic Arts for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles. The game was also released on the PlayStation Portable and was developed by Artificial Mind and Movement...
released, the game was banned by Jabatan Agama Islam [JAIS] for cruelty, hellish visions, sexuality and content that was against Sharia
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
.
Mexico
Though no video games have ever been nationally banned, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 is the sequel to Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter. It expands on the game play of Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter and is the fourth installment in the popular Ghost Recon tactical shooter video game series, published by Ubisoft.The game...
was banned in the state of Chihuahua due to Mexican Rebels being antagonist and stereotyping the city of Chihuahua and Ciudad Juarez
Ciudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez , officially known today as Heroica Ciudad Juárez, but abbreviated Juárez and formerly known as El Paso del Norte, is a city and seat of the municipality of Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Juárez's estimated population is 1.5 million people. The city lies on the Rio Grande...
. However, the game can still be found in shelves in other states.
New Zealand
In New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, games are classified by the Office of Film and Literature Classification
Office of Film and Literature Classification (New Zealand)
The Office of Film and Literature Classification is the government agency in New Zealand that is responsible for classification of all films, videos, publications, and some video games in New Zealand...
. 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 Manhunt (series) Manhunt is a stealth style video game series primarily developed by Scottish company Rockstar North, as well as several other Rockstar studios, and published by Rockstar Games.... |
Banned because of high impact scary violence and cruelty. |
| Manhunt 2 Manhunt 2 Manhunt 2 is an action/adventure video game developed by Rockstar Games and the sequel to 2003's Manhunt. The game was released in North America for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Wii on October 29, 2007.... |
Banned because of high impact scary violence and cruelty. |
| Postal 2 Postal 2 Postal 2 is a first-person shooter video game by Running with Scissors, and it is the sequel to the 1997 game Postal. Both are intentionally highly controversial due to high levels of violence and stereotyping. Unlike its predecessor, Postal 2 is played completely in first-person based on the... |
Banned because of gross, abhorrent content (urination, high impact violence, animal cruelty, homophobia, racial/ethnic stereotypes, etc.) |
| Reservoir Dogs Reservoir Dogs (video game) Reservoir Dogs is a video game based on the Quentin Tarantino film of the same name. Released in 2006, it garnered mostly mediocre reviews and caused minor controversies for its violence, being banned in Australia and New Zealand.-Plot:... |
Banned because of high impact violence and cruelty. |
Russia
Russia has no formal ratings board and no games have been banned in Russia due to excessive violence or nudity because of freedom of speech guaranteed by the Constitution of RussiaConstitution of Russia
The current Constitution of the Russian Federation was adopted by national referendum on 12 December 1993. Russia's constitution came into force on 25 December 1993, at the moment of its official publication...
. Media in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
have falsely reported that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 video game consoles and the Microsoft Windows operating system. Officially announced on February 11, 2009, the game was released worldwide on...
, which features a storyline in which Russian "ultranationalists" take control of the country and invade the United States, was banned in Russia. Activision called these reports 'erroneous'. The Russian version of this game was edited by removing the optional level (the player is given the option to skip the level at any time) "No Russian" where the player is given the option to shoot Russian civilians in airport.
Saudi Arabia
It should be noted that most of these games can be found in most stores due to the government's lack of enforcing the banning of these games with the exception of Pokémon cards which are considered a form of gambling.| Name | Reason |
|---|---|
| God of War (series) God of War (series) God of War is a series of action-adventure video games based on Greek mythology.The main trilogy—God of War I, II, & III—in the series were developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division , with Ready at Dawn Studios developing the PSP and Javaground the mobile phone installment... |
Banned due to the presence of interactive sex scenes, partial nudity and sexual themes as well as the word "God" in the title. |
| Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a 2007 first-person shooter video game, developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii. A handheld game was made for the Nintendo DS. The game was released in North America, Australia, and... |
Banned due to negative portrayal of Arabs. |
| Assassin's Creed Assassin's Creed Assassin's Creed is an award-winning historical third person, stealth action-adventure video game developed by Ubisoft for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. The bulk of the game takes place during the Third Crusade, with the plot revolving around a sect known as the Secret Order of... |
Was banned (for two weeks) because of perceived negative portrayal of Arabs. |
| Grand Theft Auto (series) Grand Theft Auto (series) Grand Theft Auto is a multi-award-winning British video game series created in the United Kingdom by Dave Jones, then later by brothers Dan Houser and Sam Houser, and game designer Zachary Clarke. It is primarily developed by Edinburgh based Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games... |
Banned because of the presence of prostitutes and heavy sexual themes. |
| Pokémon series Pokémon (video games) Pokémon is a series of video games developed by Game Freak and Creatures Inc. and published by Nintendo as part of the Pokémon media franchise. First released in 1996 in Japan for the Game Boy, the main series of role-playing video games has continued on each generation of Nintendo's handhelds... (trading cards only) |
Banned because of "promoting Zionism Zionism Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state... and gambling Gambling Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods... ." However, that ban only applied to the trading cards, as Pokémon video games are still sold today in Saudi Arabia. |
| Dante's Inferno Dante's Inferno (video game) Dante's Inferno is a 2010 action-adventure video game developed by Visceral Games and published by Electronic Arts for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles. The game was also released on the PlayStation Portable and was developed by Artificial Mind and Movement... |
Banned because of hellish visions, religious sensitivity and nudity. |
| Heavy Rain Heavy Rain Heavy Rain is an interactive drama psychological thriller video game created by Quantic Dream exclusively for the PlayStation 3. The game is written and directed by Quantic Dream's founder and CEO David Cage.... |
Banned because of nudity and a sex scene. |
| L.A. Noire L.A. Noire L.A. Noire is a 2011 crime video game developed by Team Bondi and published by Rockstar Games. It was released for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows. It was released as a 3-disc game for the Xbox 360 console, which prompts the player to switch to another disc at certain points in the... |
Banned because of nudity. |
| Red Dead Redemption | Banned due to nudity, prostitution, violence and cruelty. |
Singapore
| Name | Reason |
|---|---|
| Mass Effect Mass Effect Mass Effect is an action role-playing game developed by BioWare for the Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows by Demiurge Studios. The Xbox 360 version was released worldwide in November 2007 published by Microsoft Game Studios... |
Banned because of a lesbian encounter between an alien and a human. The ban was later lifted. |
| The Darkness The Darkness (video game) The Darkness is a first-person shooter video game, developed by Starbreeze Studios and published by 2K Games for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. It was released on June 25, 2007 in North America and on June 20, 2007 in Europe. The video game is based on the comic book of the same title... |
Banned because of excessive violence. The ban was later lifted for the Playstation 3 PlayStation 3 The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles... version. |
South Korea
South Korea has typically banned any game that mentions the war between North and South Korea in order to avoid tensions between the two countries. However, in December 2006, South Korea announced that these games will no longer be banned in order to comply with the principle of free expression. However, Grand Theft Auto IIIGrand Theft Auto III
Grand Theft Auto III is a 2001 open world action computer and video game developed by DMA Design in the United Kingdom, and published by Rockstar Games. It is the first 3D title in the Grand Theft Auto series. It was released in October 2001 for the PlayStation 2, May 2002 for Microsoft Windows,...
, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a 2002 open world action computer and video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the second 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise and sixth original title overall...
, Manhunt
Manhunt (video game)
Manhunt is a stealth game developed by Rockstar Games. It was released to the public on November 18, 2003 for the PlayStation 2 console, and on April 20, 2004 for Xbox and PC. Although it was generally well-received by critics, Manhunt created a controversy due to the graphic violence the player...
, and Manhunt 2
Manhunt 2
Manhunt 2 is an action/adventure video game developed by Rockstar Games and the sequel to 2003's Manhunt. The game was released in North America for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Wii on October 29, 2007....
are still banned because of violence and cruelty. In addition, Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction
Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction
Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction is a third-person shooter video game developed by Pandemic Studios and published on January 11, 2005 by LucasArts for PlayStation 2 and Xbox...
was also banned, although this was later lifted.
| Name | Reason |
|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto III Grand Theft Auto III Grand Theft Auto III is a 2001 open world action computer and video game developed by DMA Design in the United Kingdom, and published by Rockstar Games. It is the first 3D title in the Grand Theft Auto series. It was released in October 2001 for the PlayStation 2, May 2002 for Microsoft Windows,... |
Banned because of violence and cruelty. |
| Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a 2002 open world action computer and video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the second 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise and sixth original title overall... |
Banned because of violence and cruelty. |
| Kira Hara | Banned due to various sensitive materials. |
| Manhunt Manhunt (video game) Manhunt is a stealth game developed by Rockstar Games. It was released to the public on November 18, 2003 for the PlayStation 2 console, and on April 20, 2004 for Xbox and PC. Although it was generally well-received by critics, Manhunt created a controversy due to the graphic violence the player... |
Banned because of violence and cruelty. |
| Manhunt 2 Manhunt 2 Manhunt 2 is an action/adventure video game developed by Rockstar Games and the sequel to 2003's Manhunt. The game was released in North America for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Wii on October 29, 2007.... |
Banned because of violence and cruelty. |
| Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction is a third-person shooter video game developed by Pandemic Studios and published on January 11, 2005 by LucasArts for PlayStation 2 and Xbox... |
Banned to avoid increasing diplomatic tensions with North Korea. Later lifted. |
| Homefront Homefront (video game) Homefront is a first-person shooter video game developed by now defunct Kaos Studios and published by THQ, in which players play as members of a resistance movement fighting against a near-future Korean military occupation of the United States. The story was written by John Milius, who co-wrote... |
Banned most likely for negative portrayal of Korean culture. |
Thailand
ThailandThailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
will typically ban any games with sexual content, such as many hentai games, with the same reasons as banning any pornographic films.
Additionally, all video games of Grand Theft Auto video game series have been banned in Thailand since August 2008 because of a 18-year old Thai player who killed a taxi-driver similar to the gameplay in GTA.
However, most of the banned games can still be found sold or shared in Thailand and the police do not generally close down those shops or ban file-sharing websites.
United Arab Emirates
| Name | Reason |
|---|---|
| Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a 2007 first-person shooter video game, developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii. A handheld game was made for the Nintendo DS. The game was released in North America, Australia, and... |
Banned possibly due to violence against Muslims. |
| Darksiders | Banned likely due to contradicting with customs and traditions. |
| Dead Rising 2 Dead Rising 2 is an action-adventure horror-comedy video game, developed by Capcom in partnership with Blue Castle Games, and was distributed by Capcom. It was released on September 24, 2010 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and September 28, 2010 for Microsoft Windows. The Dead Rising staff returned to create... |
Banned due to violence, gambling, and nudity. |
| Dragon Age: Origins Dragon Age: Origins Dragon Age: Origins is a single-player role-playing video game developed by BioWare's Edmonton studio and published by Electronic Arts. It is the first game in the Dragon Age franchise... |
Banned likely due to sexual themes, including having possible homosexual relationships. |
| Dragon Age II Dragon Age II Dragon Age II is a role-playing video game developed by BioWare's Edmonton studios, and published by Electronic Arts. It is the second major game in BioWare's Dragon Age franchise... |
Banned likely due to sexual themes, including having possible homosexual relationships. |
| Fallout: New Vegas Fallout: New Vegas Fallout: New Vegas is a first person action role-playing video game in the Fallout series developed by Obsidian Entertainment, and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game is based in a post-apocalyptic environment in and around Las Vegas, Nevada... |
Banned likely due to gambling and sexual themes. |
| The Godfather II The Godfather II (video game) The Godfather II is a 2009 video game based on The Godfather Part II, a 1974 crime drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and co-written by Coppola and Mario Puzo. The game is published by Electronic Arts and was released on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows... |
Banned likely due to nudity. |
| God of War series God of War (series) God of War is a series of action-adventure video games based on Greek mythology.The main trilogy—God of War I, II, & III—in the series were developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division , with Ready at Dawn Studios developing the PSP and Javaground the mobile phone installment... |
Banned likely due to high impact of violence, gore, and cruelty. |
| Grand Theft Auto series Grand Theft Auto (series) Grand Theft Auto is a multi-award-winning British video game series created in the United Kingdom by Dave Jones, then later by brothers Dan Houser and Sam Houser, and game designer Zachary Clarke. It is primarily developed by Edinburgh based Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games... |
Banned likely due to high impact of violence and cruelty. |
| Heavy Rain Heavy Rain Heavy Rain is an interactive drama psychological thriller video game created by Quantic Dream exclusively for the PlayStation 3. The game is written and directed by Quantic Dream's founder and CEO David Cage.... |
Banned likely due to a sultry seduction scene. |
| Mafia II Mafia II Mafia II is a third-person action-adventure video game, the sequel to Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven. It is developed by 2K Czech, previously known as Illusion Softworks, and is published by 2K Games... |
Banned likely due to excessive violence and nudity. |
| Mass Effect 2 Mass Effect 2 Mass Effect 2 is an action role-playing game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 on January 26, 2010 and for PlayStation 3 on January 18, 2011... |
Banned likely due to lesbian relationships. |
| Red Dead Redemption | Initially banned, likely due to nudity. Ban later lifted circa two months after official release date. |
| Dead Island Dead Island Dead Island is a first person horror action-adventure video game developed by Techland and published by Deep Silver for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. It is centered on the challenge of survival on a zombie-infested open world island with a major emphasis on melee combat. It was... |
Banned due to "extreme depictions of violence and scantily-clad game characters." |
United Kingdom
There is currently no legislation in force, owing to a legislative mistake in 1984. It is anticipated that the system described below will continue on a voluntary basis, and the legal structure enacted in November 2009.Games in the UK usually only receive a ban when they contain real sex scenes or extreme and gratuitous violence. It was planned to make all age rating responsibility go to PEGI in April 2011, but this has been cancelled and some responsibility continues to be held by the BBFC. PEGI age ratings are not compulsory while BBFC age ratings are. Usually, if a game would achieve a rating of 16+ or higher by PEGI it would also have to go through a rating procedure by the BBFC. It is illegal to sell, buy or rent (although not illegal to import) a game that has not been classified by an approved age rating organisation in the UK. This only applies to games stored on physical media
Data storage device
thumb|200px|right|A reel-to-reel tape recorder .The magnetic tape is a data storage medium. The recorder is data storage equipment using a portable medium to store the data....
, not to downloadable media.
Manhunt 2
Manhunt 2
Manhunt 2 is an action/adventure video game developed by Rockstar Games and the sequel to 2003's Manhunt. The game was released in North America for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Wii on October 29, 2007....
was the only game that has been refused classification by the BBFC. However, a modified version of Manhunt 2 was made after being refused classification which was initially refused classification like the original version, however after an appeal the modified version was allowed to be sold. Carmageddon was threatened with being refused classification but was modified to have zombies instead of humans being killed before refused classification was given. It was therefore given an 18 certificate. The ban for the original version with humans in was soon lifted. The Punisher was also threatened with being refused classification though edits were made at the request of the BBFC and later received an 18 certificate.
| Name | Reason |
|---|---|
| Carmageddon Carmageddon Carmageddon is the first of a series of graphically violent vehicular combat video games produced by Stainless Games, published by Interplay and SCi... |
Was threatened refused certification in its uncut form due to excessive violence against pedestrians. It was altered to replace humans with zombies in order to circumvent this. The restriction was later lifted and a patch released to restore the original content. |
| Manhunt 2 Manhunt 2 Manhunt 2 is an action/adventure video game developed by Rockstar Games and the sequel to 2003's Manhunt. The game was released in North America for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Wii on October 29, 2007.... |
Banned because of excessive violence. However, a modified version of Manhunt 2 was made after being refused classification which was initially refused classification like the original version, however after an appeal the modified version was allowed to be sold. |
| The Punisher The Punisher (2005 video game) The Punisher is a 2005 action game which stars the Marvel Comics antihero, The Punisher. After his family was murdered by the mafia, Frank Castle devoted his life to the punishment of criminals. Players take control of the vigilante hero to track down criminals and kill them... |
Was asked to edit as they were threatened as being objectionable. This was due to the interrogation scenes which were deemed very high in impact and could cause harm to the public. Thus the BBFC worked with the publishers to further mask these scenes despite the game already being the edited American release. |
Venezuela
In November 2009, the Government of Venezuela announced that it would ban all video games in which the objective was to shoot people. The ban was due to widespread violence in the country.The bill was later published in the public journal of that country on December3 and gone into effect 3 months later, March 3, 2010, making Venezuela the first country to completely ban violent videogames in the world and making their manufacturing, distribution, selling, rental, exhibition and use illegal. Even though the proponents were not from the Venezuelan Government's political party, Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela (PSUV)
United Socialist Party of Venezuela
The United Socialist Party of Venezuela is the name of a democratic socialist political party in Venezuela which resulted from the fusion of some of the political and social forces that support the Bolivarian Revolution led by incumbent President Hugo Chávez...
, President Hugo Chávez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
supported the ban, claiming there are some Internet games featuring him so players can "kill him"; and even calling video games consoles, including Nintendo DS and Sony's PlayStation, "poison" and values of the capitalism, which he considers "the road to hell".
According to reports of the Venezuelan National Guard, more than 13,000 objects, including violent video games, were destroyed to the date in the states of Lara and Portuguesa.
The ban is criticized by gamers and experts alike for its ambiguity and lack of clarity on its penalties, asides from being too harsh and indoctrinating a negative point of view. On the other hand, Sony expressed their hopes for the government to make changes for the law for good.
See also
- Video game controversyVideo game controversyViolent video game debates often center on topics such as video game graphic violence, sex and sexism, violent and gory scenes, partial or full nudity, portrayal of criminal behavior, racism, and other provocative and objectionable material. Video games have been studied for links to addiction and...
- List of regionally censored video games
- List of recalled video games
- List of books banned by governments