Fu**ing censorship

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Computer gaming is, obviously, the most recent of the popular entertainment media. It is also the least understood by non users. Unfortunately it is these non users who run the world and it is they who have made computer gaming so restricted and controlled, far more than the older media are. They see our industry from a Daily Mail/Fox News perspective and do so much harm with their consequent ignorance.

Gaming is over censored, this leads to bland genres and content and holds the industry back. Meanwhile books can and do contain absolutely anything. Even the holiday blockbusters you buy at the airport are far, far naughtier than any mainstream console game. The cinema and television also allow just about anything and support a multi billion porn industry, whilst in games a nipple is too much, even in an 18+ game. It is truly pathetic, the customers who buy these games and provide us all with a living are largely grown ups, why can’t they be treated as such?

Now we have the Rockstar/Manhunt appeal. I don’t understand what this is about. There are a huge number of books and films that are far, far worse. In fact many horrendously violent films are highly acclaimed. This game is also only available to adults. Yet the state and the ignorant people who run it say that we can’t handle the content of this game. This is just patently absurd.

It is about time the computer games industry grew up. It’s customers have. We should demand the same censorship laws as film. Then we should demand of the platform owners (Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft) that they allow us to publish adult content within these laws. If this happened you would see an unleashing of talent, there would be a massive growth in the industry as it made products that appealed to whole new audiences and we would be taken a lot more seriously in the world. Obviously, one day, the industry will grow up and it will happen, the sooner the better for everyone.

So what do you think about this whole game censorship issue. Am I wrong, or only a bit right? Reply with your thoughts on this important issue.

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3 Comments


  1. Loved this post. I don’t agree with the logic i’m about to present, but just for the sake of arguement, what would you say to a person who insists that the interactive nature of games is a unique element that warrants a stricter set of guidelines for censorship? I hear that rhetoric tossed around a lot, and I’d be interested to hear your thoughts.


  2. Good post. Jealousy and envy, lace the tongues of other entertainment industries, when they look over at games. They think to themselves, ‘how dare they, come out of nowhere in thirty years no less, and steal our thunder, that it took us hundred of years to build (books, music and films combined)’. They won’t say it, but they hate games because of this, yes, its that simple.

    With the power and fanbase these media have, is it any wonder the games industry is strangled and held back from progressing further to their heights, or perhaps beyond them?

    The Manhunt 2 issue is a good example of news media not playing fair and giving games fair, justyfied press. I found it insulting to watch my tv coverage by Sky TV (i’m a u.k gamer), who surely never done any journalism to investigate adult games properly, with Manhunt 2 at the heart of that. They paint that olde picture of games as fodder for kids and no one else, and they’ll continue to do so, because games are a rival and enemy for customers. We must be evil and a danger to youth.

    I know Rockstar have appealed the Manhunt 2 decision by the BBFC, and I hope Rockstar win. Its pure and utter hypocrisy at work, that they can greenlight Saw or Hostel film series, but not Manhunt 2, which is actually aimed at an adult audience too (their excuses are ridiculous). What the adult gamer gets from Manhunt 2, is up to the gamer, but if I’m right it’ll be a good ,dark story, with violence you can see in any horror film.

    I have a feeling this rift will always exist, but like any gamer, I wish for the day the mainstream take the time to understand gaming and see it can do anything, the kinds of things, other big media have done for ages.

    Now you know why I hate Sony, trying to sell us films on PS3 instead of games. It seems we must accomodate and bend over for them, but not them for us. This is wrong.

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