Coming as no surprise seeing that the original shared the same fate, Gears of War 2 has been deemed too violent, resulting in a sales ban in the great country of Germany. Then again, we don't quite understand the ban seeing that Microsoft could have made the German edition locked into Gears 2's new family friendly mode. But we digress.Even more odd is that Gears 2 has also been banned in Japan. We guess the Japanese market just can't handle the awesomeness that is Gears of War 2. Sucks for them.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
10-22-2008 @ 12:51PM
offday said...
Doesn't Japan have game shows where topless women race around on pogo sticks. Why is Gears banned?
Reply
10-22-2008 @ 1:21PM
Evan said...
Perhaps because real-life violence is illegal and harmful. Nudity is neither.
10-22-2008 @ 2:50PM
Type2Compensator said...
Does Gears 2 have 'topless women race around on pogo sticks'?
10-22-2008 @ 4:10PM
Vcize said...
"Perhaps because real-life violence is illegal and harmful. Nudity is neither."
Then why the hell do I get arrested for indecent exposure every time I want to do a little nude walking around in public?
10-22-2008 @ 12:57PM
Gemini Ace said...
Why do we care about this? It's always "news" when something is banned in another country and I just don't get why anymore.
Reply
10-22-2008 @ 1:52PM
Muffin_man said...
Because if you go on the xbox Japan forums they link to X3F news articles maybe?
Not everyone on the planet comes from USA! USA! USA!
Maybe if you thought about what was over the horizon you would know about the existence of other countries.
10-22-2008 @ 2:15PM
david said...
Because we need to make it clear that we are not like those other countries. If you don't think that we'll eventually face things like that someday, then apparently you don't pay attention to much.
Nanny states are becoming more and more prevalent in the world today, and we are even seeing the beginning of it in our country right now.
What people forget is that the government does not know best.
I'm not saying that violence in video games is good, nor bad. What I am saying is that by letting OTHER people tell you what is right or wrong for you do is fascism. All you have to do is look at California for the latest news of fascists in our own country.
10-22-2008 @ 2:19PM
david said...
And Muffin_man is correct, they call it the world wide web for a reason...
10-22-2008 @ 2:34PM
Doug said...
David, what are you afraid the government is going to take away? Your right to chainsaw a guy from his crotch to his forehead and watch geysers of blood spill all over the screen? Well, you live in a country that will allow you to do that all you want. Even in California.
But while you are conditioning yourself to want more and more gore to feed your bloodlust, there are people out in the world trying to make kids who aren't where you are see that they don't need it. That's called the other side.
And your comment about California is a joke, you can do practically anything here. If SF passes Prop K, prostitution will even be legal.
10-22-2008 @ 4:39PM
The Fuzz 53 said...
I think david meant to say New Jersey instead of California. This hell hole get more ridiculous by the day.
10-22-2008 @ 1:05PM
DBoyFlex said...
Wow, maybe I will shed a tear of empathy while ripping a locust up with my lancer. Hmm, not likely. Sorry. We all have our own problems.
Reply
10-22-2008 @ 1:06PM
bshot said...
yea, Japs would be okie with it if there was tentacle rape & the german are just being repressed from getting any ideas
as for america, it would surely get banned if there was some sex scenes
so yea, the world is a bit odd
Reply
10-22-2008 @ 1:15PM
joeybeast said...
banning violence V.S. banning sex
Doesn't it make you wonder who's got it right?
10-22-2008 @ 1:39PM
Mr Khan said...
indeed. banning the act of bringing people into the world vs banning the act of taking them out of it
an interesting contrast
10-22-2008 @ 1:07PM
bigC24 said...
The land of the octopus tentacle pron has deemed that Gears of War is unacceptable?!
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10-22-2008 @ 2:30PM
josh said...
I'm moving to Mars.. too much bull shit on earth. no wonder it stinks... lol
10-22-2008 @ 1:12PM
joeybeast said...
That's weird, Gears sold reasonably well in Japan.
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10-22-2008 @ 2:26PM
elmersglue said...
this is actually a pretty big deal. Microsoft is losing the potential of having a pretty good seller on their system in a very important region to them at this point...
10-22-2008 @ 1:21PM
Doug said...
Dustin, you're a smart writer until the subject of game violence comes up. It seems to tank your IQ 100 points.... ;)
We all know Germany and Japan have a good historical reason to be sensitive to extreme violence, especially nauseating violence that's being consumed as entertainment. (GOW2's trailers are nauseating if you're not hardened to its stylized depictions of gore, flesh and blood.)
We should be impressed that societies with bad histories of some of the worst war violence ever would have a sensitive view of extreme gore.
I know it goes against your "anything the game maker wants to throw in there should be gospel" approach. But that's why there are other countries, and other approaches to living.
How about trying to understand that, and maybe even say, good for them? Even if it goes against your game-violence-religion that seems to be pushed on this site every few weeks?
Reply
10-22-2008 @ 2:17PM
sparkster said...
I don't see the point in this. Banning games is just the wrong approach. But in this case: Better banned than cut!
So people who want it, can import it and a castrated freak version will never see the light of day. I'm used to import games from the UK anyway. Specially titles with original English language, since German versions usually get horrible voice overs and translations in general.