The EC frets over video game violence, and Italy tries to ban Rule of Rose [Archive]

View Full Version : The EC frets over video game violence, and Italy tries to ban Rule of Rose

flowerettefan

11-15-2006, 08:50 AM

I don't know if anyone in Italy reads the forums off hand, but the main gist of the article about a proposed Code of Conduct probably affects most of Europe anyway.
What with the Bully controversy on the wane, the new target in Europe is Rule of Rose apparently. Link it up! (http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level_English.php?cat=CultureAndMedia&loid= 8.0.360012118&par=0)

I'm particularly amused by the quote from SCEE, considering they were the ones that had to okay the game for release in the first place. Still all this could give the game's sales a shot in the arm, and I'm all for supporting 505 GameStreet.

Johnny

11-15-2006, 09:07 AM

Yeah, it's similar to Dead Rising (and Gears of War too IIRC) which weren't released in Germany at all because their ratings board wouldn't rate the games.

indigo0086

11-15-2006, 10:30 AM

Neither will Gears of War. Plus Dead rising has a Z rating in japan, and I'm sure Gears will as well. People still complain about american censorship these days.

DeadlyMessiah

11-15-2006, 12:39 PM

That is just stupid. Is it any wonder why those countries don't know how to stop wars, they can't even let video games be sold there. Talk abut the most retarded government I have ever read about.

Chris Beveridge

11-15-2006, 12:50 PM

Keep the unrelated politics out of here.

DustoMan

11-15-2006, 01:17 PM

I don't understand Rule of Rose. I havn't seen anything bad in the game from the videos and screens I've seen.

Vicserr

11-15-2006, 02:09 PM

[ QUOTE ]
DustoMan said:
I don't understand Rule of Rose. I havn't seen anything bad in the game from the videos and screens I've seen.

[/ QUOTE ]
And this from the country that gave the world Cannibal Holocaust (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannibal_Holocaust) and all those Lucio Fulci and Dario Argento movies /images/graemlins/icon_rolleyes.gif

Tokachan

11-15-2006, 08:08 PM

[ QUOTE ]
DustoMan said:
I don't understand Rule of Rose. I havn't seen anything bad in the game from the videos and screens I've seen.

[/ QUOTE ]

Besides the underage lesbian undertones and cruel punishments against the lead conducted by kids, there are supposedly scenes of animal cruelty (mostly hints, but it's there nonetheless). From what I've read, however, it doesn't sound like any of these are all that bad. I've only read about it and watched all the trailers, so I'm not the best resource.

Zorak

11-16-2006, 01:32 AM

Really obscure game. How did they find out about it?

flowerettefan

11-24-2006, 09:19 AM

Sorry for the bump, but for those who're interested, the game (which was supposed to be released today) ain't coming out in the UK any more. Seems it's still coming out in the rest of Europe though.

Boo... (http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=70356)

Johnny

11-24-2006, 09:24 AM

[ QUOTE ]
FloweretteFan said:
Sorry for the bump, but for those who're interested, the game (which was supposed to be released today) ain't coming out in the UK any more. Seems it's still coming out in the rest of Europe though.

Boo... (http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=70356)

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I was reading that earlier. Poor decision from 505 IMO. Apparently there are copies on eBay selling for quite a bit more than the RRP as people cash in on the controversy so I imagine they could have done quite well sales wise.

Still though, giving in to the Daily Mail and their ilk = shit decision /images/graemlins/relief1.gif

ic14

11-24-2006, 09:51 AM

I read it was abnned in the whole of the EU.

Im not surprised, afetr the BS that has been said about this game by certain people its probabky just not worth the risk.

Now excuse me, ive got to go buy some plane tickets to rome.

flowerettefan

11-24-2006, 09:55 AM

[ QUOTE ]
IanC said:
I read it was abnned in the whole of the EU.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know. According to posts on another message boards, it is actually out and on store shelves in Italy, despite being the original source of the controversy. In addition, I had a look on some French websites which list the game as being in stock and readily available.

quenelf

11-24-2006, 10:35 AM

I won't be buying the game as I don't have a PS2, but god damn, that decision's a disgrace.

(OK, at least the game wasn't banned by courts or anything like that, which would have been much worse...)

Leaving that aside:

[ QUOTE ]
FloweretteFan said:
In addition, I had a look on some French websites which list the game as being in stock and readily available.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is it the same disc i.e. it has selectable languages including English? If so then I guess there's no problem for serious fans as they can easily pick it up there, without needing a different-region console or anything.

--quen

Johnny

11-24-2006, 11:02 AM

[ QUOTE ]
quen said:

Is it the same disc i.e. it has selectable languages including English? If so then I guess there's no problem for serious fans as they can easily pick it up there, without needing a different-region console or anything.

[/ QUOTE ]

505, the company releasing the PAL version, are actually based in Italy. As far as I can remember all or most of their games give language options (as well as a 60Hz option).

ZenAmako

11-24-2006, 11:08 AM

I'm a big fan of survival horror, but I'd originally passed on this game. Most of the reviews said it was exceedingly boring. It's also selling for $50, which is more than I want to pay for what seems like a rather average game. Would anyone who has actually played it recommend it? I think the bad publicity will likely only help the game, which few had really paid attention to before.

Johnny

11-24-2006, 11:13 AM

[ QUOTE ]
ZenAmako said:
I'm a big fan of survival horror, but I'd originally passed on this game. Most of the reviews said it was exceedingly boring. It's also selling for $50, which is more than I want to pay for what seems like a rather average game. Would anyone who has actually played it recommend it? I think the bad publicity will likely only help the game, which few had really paid attention to before.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've been following the game for a while as it grabbed my attention when it was first announced for a PAL release.
From what I've read, it's not going to set the Survival Horror world on fire but is apparently not a bad game.
£60 eBay auctions though? No thanks. I'll pick up the US release if I decide I want it that badly.

Nork22

11-24-2006, 05:01 PM

flowerettefan

11-24-2006, 06:07 PM

[ QUOTE ]
johnny said:
[ QUOTE ]
ZenAmako said:
Would anyone who has actually played it recommend it? I think the bad publicity will likely only help the game, which few had really paid attention to before.

[/ QUOTE ]

From what I've read, it's not going to set the Survival Horror world on fire but is apparently not a bad game.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've played it. I quite like it, but that's mainly because it's got an interesting story and a wonderful sense of atmosphere. The game in and of itself has one major flaw, namely the wretched combat. (Mainly because the collision detection's a bit iffy in places.)
Fortunately for the most part you can just leg it past enemies and get on fine, but it naturally doesn't change the fact that the game would be so much better if it were ironed out.
$50 though... hmm, while I'd say to hold out for it getting cheaper, given how Atlus games go, it's probably more likely to rise in price, isn't it?

[ QUOTE ]
ZenAmako said:
I think the bad publicity will likely only help the game, which few had really paid attention to before.

[/ QUOTE ]

One cynical theory would be that the game, despite how it sounds, is only delayed rather than out and out cancelled; the vague wording of the statement could be interpreted as such. The retailer/publisher discussions could in that case be them deciding to go back and get a BBFC rating after all so as to cover their arses (much like SCEE did this summer with Forbidden Siren 2 and its not-so-mysterious delay in UK only), as it'd seem to be the reasonable thing to do. Indeed, seeing as the controversy surrounding the game apparently started out as a PR invention anyway, it doesn't seem that unlikely that they'd milk the delay for all it's worth too.
But that's just me speculating like an idiot.