What Games Have Been Banned for Violence?

Parents and anti-gaming organizations are always quick to point fingers at Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and other video game publishers and companies for putting violent games on the market. However, these people and groups do not realise that the three game system creators do not allow any game that is rated adults only on their platforms, and they also often ask publishers to tone down some of the violence in their games. Some games, even after being retooled, are still not certified.

One of the most famous games to not be certified is Manhunt 2. It was originally rated adults only and, even after its editing, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) refused to classify it. This means that it was illegal for any company in the UK to sell the game. However, Rockstar Games appealed the decision and the ban was later overturned. The BBFC challenged the decision, saying that the game was only released because of a legal misinterpretation. They won that case, but the game was later approved for release.

Few games in the United States have been banned completely, but Thrill Kill was. This game was actually censored by Electronic Arts after they bought out the game’s original publisher, Virgin Interactive. EA found the fighting game so violent, bloody, and gory that they felt it was not even worth attempting to sell. However, former Virgin Interactive employees later put the entire game online for players to download.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was also banned for a short period of time after it was discovered that players could find a way to access pornographic material that was embedded in the game code. However, the game was re-released after the adult-related material was deleted.

These are just a few of the games that the gaming industry has worked to make more suitable for teens. Carmageddon, The Guy Game, and Night Trap are other titles that have been censored or re-released with less sensitive material after game publishers listened to parents’ complaints.