Commit murder with your console...

[AlexJ]

My plan to import this after the BBFC banned it has failed (It passed with an advisory 18-rating in Norway which would work fine on a UK PS2). It looks like Sony & Nintendo themselves have banned it after it was awarded a Adults Only rating in America (seemingly equivalent to a 18 rating in the UK). Apparently their policy is not to licence 3rd party games that are awarded an AO rating. This seems quite ridiculous. Nintendo I can understand, but Sony? Surely Adults can be trusted to make their own decisions. Imagine if the licensees of the DVD technology banned all 18-rated films?

The problem (in the UK at least) comes from too many shops/parents not taking the age ratings as seriously with games as they do with films and then mass hysteria in the media when a 13 year old kid decides to go and copy what he saw in real life and then say "they did it in the game, so I thought it was alright" (which personally doesn't wash with me - when I was 13 everyone knew it was wrong to go kill people in real life and could see games/films/books were just fantasy.) the fault is not placed with the parents for buying him the 18-rated game but with the developer for making the game.

[v85rawdeal]

I agree, after all, if you go into a shop and buy cigarettes or alcohol for someone who is under-age, you can get arrested.

It seems stupid that we consider ourselves to be one of the freeest (sic) countries on this planet and yet we have to be dictated to as to what we can or cannot play on our consoles. Rockstar themselves are not at fault, in fact, they could almost be applauded for showing some common-sense and not making the game on the PS3 or 360 (with photo-realistic graphics). I can imagine they are pretty p155ed off by all this themselves as I dont imagine that the game was cheap to produce.

It is just a shame that the media doesnt seem to be that interested in the story behind the game concept and just want to sensationalise the situation. Maybe what is needed is a good live debate on TV discussing the various forms of media-based entertainments there are and what should be banned and what shouldnt be banned based on a pre-determined set of criteria.

I for one can imagine a fair few books that would be banned because of their content. One book that comes to mind includes: incest, mass-murder, regicide, prejudice, violence and torture amongst the material in it... and yet it is readily available to anybody (including minors).

Mind you, if Rockstar cant legally sell it... they could always give me a copy ... just so I could give an unbiased opinion. (As Rockstar's No1 fan, I can guarantee my impartiality)

[Teho]

One book that comes to mind includes: incest, mass-murder, regicide, prejudice, violence and torture amongst the material in it... and yet it is readily available to anybody (including minors).

A Song of Ice and Fire, I bet. And I agree, if they really care that much about restricting adult material for the younger audiences, they really should start putting age restrictions on books. They, and many comics also for that matter, are far worse than what passes for acceptable in movies and games. Allthough mature comics are usually marked with "suggested for mature readers" or something similar.

And hey, if that game really does make it out in Norway against present odds, we can probably work something out.

[Harrison]

I agree regarding books. Their content can be more graphic than anything seen in film or in games, but there is no age rating for books. Some of the horror books I read are far more descriptive of torture and death than anything that work be permitted in films. About the only printed age restrictions are for porn!

And the point about games and their age ratings is very true. Parents just don't seem to notice the ratings on games in quite the same way as in films.

I was in a local Game store the other month and a mother was in there with your son who looked about 12. They were stood right next to me and she asked him which game he wanted and to be quick because she was in a rush. He picked an 18 certificate game that I knew was quite violent and was rated as 18 for a reason. He handed it to his mother saying he wanted it and she just said OK and started to walk towards the checkout. She hadn't even looked at the game, just going to pay the £45 for whatever it was her son wanted.

I happened to join the queue for the checkout right behind them a few minutes later and so thought I would mention that the game was an 18 only game, and she quickly looked at the game box and noticed the age restriction, and then thanked me, put the game back and started to drag her son from the store giving him a verbal telling off. Don't think he will be getting exactly what he wants any time soon.

And the age restrictions on games and films between countries is quite mad, as is the policies of publishers and console manufacturers. I'm just glad I don't live in Germany!

BTW, why not just chip your PS2, or by a swap disk, and then download the game?

[v85rawdeal]

One book that comes to mind includes: incest, mass-murder, regicide, prejudice, violence and torture amongst the material in it... and yet it is readily available to anybody (including minors).

A Song of Ice and Fire, I bet. And I agree, if they really care that much about restricting adult material for the younger audiences, they really should start putting age restrictions on books. They, and many comics also for that matter, are far worse than what passes for acceptable in movies and games. Allthough mature comics are usually marked with "suggested for mature readers" or something similar.

And hey, if that game really does make it out in Norway against present odds, we can probably work something out.

actually the book I am thinking of is quite a bit older than that, and generally not found in the fiction section... Mind you, pinning down a single author would be impossible (although some dude called Gideon seems to make that claim), but between you and me (and the Old and the New 'hint! hint!') i don't beleive the majority of the stories.

[Teho]

Ah, I think I get it now. It really does contain all of that, doesn't it. Not something you'd normally associate it with though.

ASoIaF does include all of those elements though (I also almost said 'you left out pedophilia'), and is a very popular bookseries. Each volume has been a best-seller so far. Don't misjudge them though, these books are good for other reasons than those elements. Even so they are there, and judging by the editions in my shelf, there's no hint of a warning on any of them.

[J T]

... regicide ...

Regicide has to be one of the coolest sounding words to describe a type of crime. If you're gonna go down for something, it'd have to be this - it's quite rare and would carry a fair amount of cachet I would imagine

[Harrison]

Could a Presidential killing be termed as regicide?

I know many that would currently like to perform that act!

[Demon Cleaner]

Some hacker deleting your registry would be regicide.

[AlexJ]

Could a Presidential killing be termed as regicide?

I know many that would currently like to perform that act!

That's more likely to be considered tyrannicide.