MadWorld Gets Past U.K. Ratings Board

[Andy Chalk]

MadWorld Gets Past U.K. Ratings Board

Despite the best wishes of the Daily Mail and Mediawatch-uk, the upcoming Wii [http://www.wii.com] bloodfest MadWorld will be hitting U.K. shelves uncut.

Back in August 2008, the Daily Mail Mediawatch-uk [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/85609-Daily-Mail-Criticizes-MadWorld-For-Wii], a group that "actively campaigns for socially responsible broadcasting and against content that is offensive and harmful, for example violence, swearing and pornography."

"I hope the British Board of Film Classification [http://www.bbfc.co.uk] (BBFC) will view this with concern and decide it should not be granted a classification. Without that it cannot be marketed in Britain," Beyer said. "What the rest of world does is up to them. We need to ensure that modern and civilized values take priority rather than killing and maiming people. It seems a shame that the game's manufacturer have decided to exclusively release this game on the Wii. I believe it will spoil the family fun image of the Wii."

Of course, the weight of those opinions were offset somewhat by the fact that they came months before any information about the game beyond a few screenshots was even available. Fortunately for gamers in the U.K., the BBFC has taken a somewhat more balanced approach to the matter, giving MadWorld an 18 rating [http://www.bbfc.co.uk/website/Classified.nsf/e8ea0df3a881175480256d58003cb570/51c6f60eea0938cd8025753f0038afa3?OpenDocument] with no cuts required, saying it contains "very strong, stylized, bloody violence."

Based on gameplay videos available on the Sega's [http://www.sega.com/madworld/uk/index.html] marketing department, which no doubt appreciated the free publicity. MadWorld is set for release at the end of March, exclusively for the Wii.

via: GamesIndustry [http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/bbfc-passes-madworld-with-no-cut]


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[Eagle Est1986]

God I hate the Daily Mail, for some reason we get it every day at my house. The most unbiased thing in it is Garfield and Fred Basset.
Seriously, some of the nonsense they print, especially about games. Anyone remember the Fallout 3 thing?
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.61888

Who cares what games are made for a console? No 8 year old is likely get hold of a copy of an 18 rated game and if they do, it's down to bad parenting anyway.

 

[Bagaloo]

Looking at the website, I would actually find it kinda difficult to play that game, as for the most part the lack of colour made it a little confusing to tell what exactly was going on.

On topic, the daily mail is rubbish, and just because the game is coming to the "kiddy console" doesn't mean the kids will have to play it; responsible parenting should ensure that they don't.

 

[Break]

First time I've seen it in action. Looks like it's got the same spirit as God Hand, which is wonderful. I hope it's as good.

 

[Neko Niisan]

I still can't fathom why the Daily Mail cares about what the Wii's image is. >_>

I'm with Eagle Est1986 on this one. An 18 game is for gamers over 18. What's the all the fuss about.

 

[SomeBritishDude]

THANK FUCK!

I just reasontly got No More Heroes, and though I love the game, the lack of excessive blood in the censored European version can be really irrataiting at times, especially in the cut scenes after boss battles where you know that guy was suppose to explode or whatever, he just turns to dust. I can just about put up with it in No More Heroes, but extreme violence looks even more central to the game in Madworld. It would be pointless without blood.

 

[stompy]

Umm... great. This, I suppose, is just going to end up on the OFLC's 'banned' pile. Which is a shame, since my Wii-owning friend was interested in it (because it's black-and-white).