Bethesda's Pete Hines Frustrated By Censorship Rules

[Andy Chalk]

Bethesda's Pete Hines Frustrated By Censorship Rules

Fallout 3 [http://www.bethsoft.com], but Product Manager Pete Hines says dealing with varying censorship laws in a large-scale international game release is "frustrating."

In an interview with CVG [http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=196337], Hines said the wide-ranging standards of acceptable content in major markets presents a real challenge for game publishers. "The frustrating thing for us is that the standards and rules can be so varied across territories, that we work with five or six ratings agencies and each one has different 'hot buttons'," he said. "In one place nudity is a big deal but violence is fine, and in another place drugs are a problem but nudity is fine."

"I guess that's the way of the world - not every country is the same," he added. "You're not aiming at one target, you're aiming at six different ones worrying about how each one will feel about different things."

But Hines claimed that while adjustments to games had to be made to accommodate individual markets, like dialing down [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/85422] the drug use in Fallout 3 for the Australian release of the game, the impact of censors on overall game design is minimal. "We just go through and make the game that we want to make," he said. "We have our eyes wide open, mindful of the things that could be flagged up and how we're going to resolve them if that becomes a problem."


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[Melaisis]

Here in Britain, even with all that content, it would only probably get a 15. I think our censors just don't like vice.

 

[SargentToughie]

American here, it's likely to get an M rating, but that won't stop thirteen year olds from getting their hands on it

 

[MikeTheElf]

Yes, we're definitely getting an M rating for it in America, no doubt.

 

[Limos]

They'll give it an M rating here. And some people will probably complain. But the kids will get it anyway. I hope they enjoy it. I know I will.


Americans tend to have a loose attitude in regards to "law" with respect to themselves. Most of them are all for limiting the freedoms of other people, as long as they get everything.

 

[meatloaf231]

M all the way. Heck, it would get an M for the gore alone.

 

[stompy]

Gah, it's not even most Australians that are worked up over this... it's just one Attorney General. The OFLC, while filled with pricks that seem to look down upon games, have their hands tied about this issue, due to them having to follow Australian law.

I hate censorship, but this time, (and this doesn't really make sense to me either), but it's not the censor's fault... well, not the OFLC anyways.

 

[MrBliss]

Here in Britain, even with all that content, it would only probably get a 15. I think our censors just don't like vice.

Not sure, I think it will get an 18 certificate here because of the swearing, bloody mess, prostitution etc... I must say the BBFC (The UK's censors) have been getting a little less ridiculous recently, although they did ban Manhunt 2 (not that anyone really cares).

I still think the various Governments should go with using the ELSPA system, as the industry is fairly responsible and realise there is no benefit to them if a 12-year old buys a really violent game.

In the UK we are having some ridiculous review of children's mental wellbeing (groan) and they seem to be focussing on computer games as the main cause of societies ills again. We've had a lot of stabbings recently, and it's always computer games people seem to want to blame, rather than the fact these kids come from horrible sinkhole estates, live in poverty, have a poor education and no opportunities, have illiterate parents, are involved in gangs and drugs etc...

The problems above are difficult ones to fix, and politicians and censors love to blame computer games because that is much easier for them to deal with and win some votes from.

 

[Fraught]

Someone else want to say "the M rating" again?

Yeah, I'm a 14-year-old "that guy", but all my friends at the same age, younger, and abit older, all play games that are 15+, 18+. I get it if a baby cannot control what he says, and when he hears "shit", then he automatically says it everywhere, but what should gore and sex do to a teenager more, than it does to a grown up?

And about the game-editing thing with Australia, all I have to hope, is that one day Australia will be flooded by the United States. Wait no, the whole Escapist community would collapse when Yahtzee would die. But I heard there's only one law away from getting ESRB to Australia. Or something, can't remember what a guy said to me once.

 

[TheWallsofJericho]

Way to have a backbone.

I kid.

But seriously, I can't say I blame for toning it down, but still, there was once day when artistic integrity meant something. Unfortunately, today all it means is less money and the right to pretentiousness.

 

[Najos]

It generally pisses me off when they do things like this. I'm not even an Aussie and this makes me angry at whoever makes these stupid decisions. At least this time it was drugs and not just sex.

 

[Bored Tomatoe]

It'll get an M rating here, but that won't stop anyone from getting it.
Fuck censorship, it doesn't work so stop trying!

 

[Imitation Saccharin]

But seriously, I can't say I blame for toning it down, but still, there was once day when artistic integrity meant something.

Didn't Vault 69 have like 1 guy and thousands of women?

The ship sailed on artistic integrity a long time ago, and the ship "Don't deny me a fun experience because it can't be absolutely what you want" has been in port ever since. The ship "Run On Sentence" is also in dock.

 

[Kahuna-Kurt]

Didn't Vault 69 have like 1 guy and thousands of women?

I can see how the whole herim in v69 is inappropriate for little kiddies but for those of us who're the target audiennce it's meh. It's not mean't for little kids and they can't buy them because the vast majority of stores deny them, so they bring in parents who are so ignorant they don't even bother looking at the clearly stated esrb warning, then they see what their kid's doing and think 'this is the spawn of satan! quick billy to the bathroom!' and get mad and blame everybody but themselves for having their kid be 'influenced' by it.

soory just think all bad parents shloud have their kids torn away and imprison the so called parents.(wow that was a mouthful and maybe a slighter punishment but you get the jist)

 

[Imitation Saccharin]

watch Walmart weep as people go elsewhere to buy it.
/Rant

And watch the other commonwealth countries weep bitter tears of rage at your stupid indignation, because now the game's illegal as they won't rate it.

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

Khell, you fail to realize that Nintendo and Sony have also refused to handle any AO games, as has Target and Gamestop.

 

[Imitation Saccharin]

Bottom line people, these nazi-run morality police will always control you until someone has the balls to stand up to them.

Whenever the media goes crazy and starts blaming video games, we can always fall back on the truth that "You're lying about the game's content" because 9/10 it's true.

And most voters are STILL on the seat's edge about them.

I think there will come a day when we have to stand up and say enough's enough, but I also think doing so too early may make our little community crumble into the dreaded pit of D&D=Satan worship in the public at large's understanding. Video games are becoming more socially accepted every day. If we're patient and wait for people to adjust, we'll be far better off.
It is perhaps best to remember 'they' outnumber 'us' by a "Modify the Canadian charter to read Torture of Bob is ok" majority.

it may just open peoples' eyes to what bullshit the ESRB is.

Or it may trigger a video game-equivalent of the Comics Code.

 

[stompy]

it may just open peoples' eyes to what bullshit the ESRB is.

Or it may trigger a video game-equivalent of the Comics Code.

The whole point of the ESRB is to avoid this dilemma. So... I say we stick to the ESRB.