South Park: The Stick of Truth Will Be Censored In UK, Europe - Update

[Steven Bogos]

South Park: The Stick of Truth Will Be Censored In UK, Europe - Update

The same anal probing and abortion scenes that caused South Park: The Stick of Truth to be censored in Australia caused the new censorship decision.

Update: Get Games is reporting that the PC version of the game will only be censored in Germany, Austria, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong & Taiwan. All other countries, including the UK, will receive the uncensored version.

[tweet t="https://twitter.com/Get_Games/status/438607697114849280"]

Original Story: Australia's extremely tight video game censorship has become somewhat of a running joke - despite the introduction of an R 18+ rating, games like BT reports [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/130677-The-Stick-of-Truths-Australian-Censorship-is-Due-To-Anal-Probing] that the The European (including the UK), Middle Eastern and African (EMEA) releases of the game will feature the same censorship.

The following documentation was reportedly sent out along with review copies to outlets in the aforementioned territories:

"Seven scenes of about 20 seconds each are censored in the EMEA console versions of South Park: The Stick of Truth. The decision to cut this content from the game was made by Ubisoft EMEA."

The scenes censored include:

A mini-game where a doctor is performing an abortion on the player.
A mini-game where the player is performing an abortion on the character Randy.
Five 'anal probing' scenes in which characters are 'actively' being probed.

According to the publisher, "each censored scene is replaced by an image background and a description text selected by [South Park creators] Matt [Stone] & Trey [Parker]," similar to how in the Australian version, the scenes are replaced with the image of a crying Koala.

It also appears that the censorship only applies to the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, as the PC version will remain intact and uncensored.

Source: BT [http://home.bt.com/entertainment/games/gamesnewspreviews/south-park-game-censored-in-europe-11363879319989]

Permalink

 

[Shocksplicer]

Speaking as an Australian: Welcome to the party. There's no food, no booze, and the stereo won't stop playing The Cure for some reason.
In other words, the most depressing party ever.

 

[Racecarlock]

I don't live in the UK, but this is bullshit. This game is made for ADULTS. Adults, which, presumably, can handle this shit and also are probably already familiar with how crazily over the top offensive for the sake of being funny south park can be.

I thought we were past this shit. Although on the bright side, at least it proves that america isn't the only stupid nation out there, prompting people to back off the cheeseburger eating cowboy with a big gun and a confederate flag shirt stereotype. At least I hope so.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

It also appears that the censorship only applies to the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, as the PC version will remain intact and uncensored.

FUCK yes!

But seriously, why only sensor the console versions?

 

[Queen Michael]

I'm pretty sure that the UK is part of Europe, guvnuh. No need to add it seperately.

 

[ron1n]

It also appears that the censorship only applies to the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, as the PC version will remain intact and uncensored.

As if I even needed another reason to love my PC.

But seriously, why only sensor the console versions?

My guess is it has something to do with the digital nature of PC sales? *shrug*

 

[DEAD34345]

"It also appears that the censorship only applies to the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, as the PC version will remain intact and uncensored."

I was all set to be pissed off, but now I'm just confused. Who exactly is enforcing this censorship, and why on earth would it only apply to consoles? The source doesn't seem to have any answers either.

 

[ron1n]

Ok so just saw this from another article:

Ubisoft says that the game's censorship was a "market decision."

The fuck?

 

[Callate]

My suspicion is of why the PC version remains uncensored is more along the lines of "because PC users would just find a way to patch the censored material back in, anyway."

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

"It also appears that the censorship only applies to the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, as the PC version will remain intact and uncensored."

I was all set to be pissed off, but now I'm just confused. Who exactly is enforcing this censorship, and why on earth would it only apply to consoles? The source doesn't seem to have any answers either.

It sounds as if its Ubi itself that's doing this. If the PC version is really uncensored then that version of the game should be cleared by the respective countries rating authorities.

Its either that or the console manufacturers themselves are getting on the sensor wagon but that seems a little too implausible to me.

 

[Evil Smurf]

So who's going to gift the uncensored game to me? I'll repay you.

 

[VanQ]

It also appears that the censorship only applies to the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, as the PC version will remain intact and uncensored.

Mind sharing where you heard this? I couldn't see it in the source you provided. I'm hoping that it's true since I preordered it on the Australian Steam store. I really don't want to regret breaking my usual avoidance of preordering.

 

[kajinking]

My suspicion is of why the PC version remains uncensored is more along the lines of "because PC users would just find a way to patch the censored material back in, anyway."

Let's face it, if simcity can be modded to be at least somewhat playable offline in just a week it'd take less than 3 minutes to patch this stuff back in.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

seems somewhat proper to place this here, considering the creators...



I don't get why adults can't decide for themselves what they do and don't want to see, hell just have the "censor on/off" button in the menu or something...if someone is buying this game, THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE GETTING INTO.


I'll gladly be getting this game very soon though.

 

[Karadalis]

Ahyes... the double standard.

When crude offensive stuff gets censored then its an outcry...

When ass n tiities get censored its okay...

Anyways.. censoring is bullshit no matter what the case. If a game is for adults only, and sold as adults only and it doesnt break any actuall laws, then the goverments have no friggin business to tell me what i can and can not see/play/read.

 

[Therumancer]

It really doesn't surprise me at this point, given that the gaming industry won't fight properly to get the games through uncensored, there is no reason for the nations involved not to start waving the censorship hammer around left and right. In Australia's case in particular the gaming industry backed down so many times without any repercussions, why exactly should the people demanding the censorship even care?

The point here being that in the case of Australia they have their 18+ year rating right, I'm sure their ratings are defined. Australia also at least claims to be a lot more sexually liberated than the US, and despite my opinion on gay rights I'm pretty sure I've run into Aussies and Kiwis going off about how backwards the US here in not being even more open. I also seem to remember shows about "real sex" and kinky practices and stuff being on Australian TV at one point (and compared to America's "prudish" standards) even if not taking it to an anatomical level. The point I'm getting at is that the game industry needs to sit down take this censorship, and then do what people fighting in the US have been known to do when they actually fight and say "here is something already rated that is similar to, or has gone further than what we did, now justify why our rating is higher or we need to censor ourselves". Of course the gaming industry doesn't have the nads to do this which is the big problem, all of the battles in the world to get the door opened for 18+ ratings and such don't matter if your not willing to take those opportunities and actually fight the bloody
battles that they allow. Basically, if half of what the aussies I've talked to have told me about things that have gotten past (sexually at least) a bit of anal probing shouldn't raise an eyebrow, especially seeing as going by the trailer the whole "punchline" is that it's "Big Gay Al" that's being probed, and well... it's Big Gay Al, so needless
to say he's not concerned and laid back about the whole thing.

As far as The Middle East goes, well your dealing with a lot of theocratic cultures where they pretty much force women to submit to men in all things, wear full body tents, and will have them stoned to death for not marrying their rapists. To be honest I'm kind of shocked the game is even being considered for release through most of that region, and that it hasn't inspired another attack on a US embassy, because South Park is at least as offensive as anything in that comedy movie trailer that set off Benghazi.

When it comes to separating the UK from the rest of Europe, well that's more a matter of practicality because the UK tends to be a bit more on the sane side. You expect countries like France and Germany to play censorship games back and forth with the US just because they can. To be honest I do have to admit I'm a bit surprised because the UK is where I've imported from before to get around censorship issues with the US. When "The Witcher" first came out for example the US version was censored, so I imported the UK Collector's version from overseas (and paid a decent amount for it). It somehow seems wrong to me (almost bizzaro-world wrong) that the UK would be censoring a South Park game coming from the US. If I had to guess this is all part of some much large trade-based tit for tat back and forth between nations which the UK happens to be involved in. I kind of expect the UK will eventually let the uncensored version in eventually when whatever political game us normal people aren't seeing finally simmers down. Basically we're probably seeing government muscle being flexed across a large number of products of which this happens to be one, just to demonstrate that the UK can be difficult if it wants to. I just really can't see the UK caring about South Park for some reason.

 

[Steven Bogos]

It also appears that the censorship only applies to the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, as the PC version will remain intact and uncensored.

Mind sharing where you heard this? I couldn't see it in the source you provided. I'm hoping that it's true since I preordered it on the Australian Steam store. I really don't want to regret breaking my usual avoidance of preordering.

I'm an Australian and my review copy is uncensored

 

[VladG]

Wooo! Go PC Anal Probing! Yeah!

That being said, I just don't understand the whole thought process behind censoring a game that's marketed to adults only in the first place.

 

[Doom972]

It also appears that the censorship only applies to the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, as the PC version will remain intact and uncensored.

FUCK yes!

But seriously, why only sensor the console versions?

Many people see the PC as a platform used by adults and consoles as platforms made for a younger audience.

The PC version probably won't require a gaming PC, so most console users should be able to play it on their PCs.

 

[TheEvilCheese]

My suspicion is of why the PC version remains uncensored is more along the lines of "because PC users would just find a way to patch the censored material back in, anyway."

I would guess it has something to do with the ease of pirating an uncensored version and the sheer terror publishers feel at the notion of piracy. It's an odd reaction to be sure.

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I honestly think the censored version will be funnier in a way. But why does this happen in the UK? I honestly don't understand.