Social:List of banned video games

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This is a list of video games that have been censored or banned by governments of various states in the world. Governments that have banned video games have been criticized for a correlated increase in digital piracy, limiting business opportunities and violating rights.[1][2][3]

Afghanistan

During the first reign of the Islamic Emirate government in Afghanistan (1996–2001), Western technology and art was prohibited and this included all video games.[4][5][6][7] Between 2001 and 2021, no video games were officially banned in Afghanistan, except for PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds.[8]

Albania

No video games are currently banned in Albania. Some games were banned during the Hoxhaist regime for allegedly promoting capitalist values.Template:Examples? In 2016, the government discussed banning the game Five Nights at Freddy's apparently for its disturbing backstory, though the ban was later[when?] initially dropped over condemnation from Reporters Without Borders and Albanian fans of the game.[citation needed] The ban was enacted later that year.[9] A few days after the ban of the release of Dead Rising 2's release in Albania, retailer Albagame refused to sell the copies over alleged gambling.[10] In early 2019 Edi Rama, the prime minister, threatened to ban the game after a law was passed by the parliament, banning sports betting.[10]

Argentina

Name Reason
Carmageddon Banned in the capital city of Buenos Aires because it depicts people being killed by motor vehicles.[11]
RapeLay Banned because it promotes and supports the use of violence to compel a person to submit to sexual conduct, as well as the exploitation of young people for sexual purposes.[12][13]

Australia

Main page: Social:List of banned video games in Australia

Originally, video games in Australia could only be rated up to MA15+. At the time, the R18+ classification rating could be given to films, but a video game with content deemed fitting for the R18+ rating would be classed as 'Refused Classification' due to an appropriate classification not being available for the medium.

In July and August 2011, all Australian state Attorney-Generals agreed to instate an R18+ rating for video games, which would be available by the end of 2011.[14] Many games previously refused classification would now fit into the R18+ rating and, if the publisher chose to pay the reclassification fee, would theoretically be able to sell their game in Australia. The date was later changed to allow the rating to be introduced at the beginning of 2013.[15]

With the R18+ rating in place, it is expected fewer video games will be given the Refused Classification rating. Games may still be Refused Classification if deemed to contain material unsuitable for R18+ classification, such as depictions of sexual violence or the promotion of illegal drug use, as well as drug use that is related to incentives and rewards. More specifically, games which may be Refused Classification include:

  • Detailed instruction or promotion in matters of crime or violence.
  • Depiction of rape.
  • The promotion or provision of instruction in paedophile activity.
  • Descriptions or depictions of child sexual abuse or any other exploitative or offensive descriptions or depictions involving a person who is, or appears to be, a child under 18 years.
  • Gratuitous, exploitative or offensive depictions of:
    • (i) violence with a very high degree of impact or which are excessively frequent, prolonged or detailed;
    • (ii) cruelty or real violence which are very detailed or which have an extremely high impact;
    • (iii) sexual violence
  • Depictions of practices such as bestiality
  • Gratuitous, exploitative or offensive depictions of:
    • (i) activity accompanied by fetishes or practices that are offensive or abhorrent;
    • (ii) incest fantasies or other fantasies that are offensive or abhorrent

Classification is compulsory, and games refused classification by the ACB are banned for sale, hire or public exhibition, carrying a maximum fine of $275,000 and/or 10 years in jail. It is, however, legal to possess RC games (except in Western Australia and prescribed areas of the Northern Territory).

Material that is refused classification is put on the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service list of prohibited items. Any copies of such games found at the border will be seized,[16] and the recipient, depending on the number of copies being imported, may receive up to A$110,000 in fines.[17]

Due to the licensing of the International Age Rating Coalition software for developers to rate their own game, several hundred games have been banned from various app stores as of 2015.[18]

Belgium

Phantasy Star Online 2, FIFA 17, Gears of War 4, Mario Kart Tour and other games have been banned due to the usage of loot boxes (which constitute gambling under the country's existing laws) and their equivalents. More are expected to be banned for the same reason.[19]

Brazil

Brazil has banned many video games since 1999, mainly due to depictions of violence and cruelty,[20] making it illegal to distribute and otherwise sell these games.[21][22]

Name Reason
Bully Banned for showing violence and harassment in a school setting.[23] The ban was lifted on 23 June 2016; the game can now be acquired in physical and non-physical format through Steam.[24]
Counter-Strike Banned because of violence and a map simulating a favela in 2008. The ban was later lifted and the game is now available for sale.[25][26]
EverQuest Banned because the player is able to go on quests for both good and evil.[25][27] The ban has been mostly lifted since 2009, except in Minas Gerais.[citation needed]
Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City Banned in Barueri because it uses music by the Brazilian composer Hamilton da Silva Lourenço without proper permission.[28] It has been resolved and was lifted in 2012.[29]

Additionally, the Brazilian advisory rating system requires that all video games be rated by the organization, where unrated video games are banned from being sold in Brazil.[citation needed] Often, bans do not extend to digital platforms.

Mainland China

A very large number of video games are banned in mainland China. Games that depict drugs, sexual themes, blood, organized crime or defamation of the Chinese government are almost always banned. Because of the large size of the Chinese video game market, many studios edit the content of their games to conform to the government's standards.

Home gaming consoles were banned in mainland China from June 2000[30][31] until 2013. When the ban was lifted, eighth-generation consoles such as the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 were allowed in the country.[32]

As of April 2019, after implementing a new mandatory local rating and approval system, any and all games containing depictions of violence, blood, gambling and imperial history are de facto banned from all accessible platforms in the nation (unless otherwise changed to comply with local standards).[33][34][35][unreliable source?][dubious – discuss]

Notable games banned in this region are:

Name Reason
Alliance of Valiant Arms Banned because it contains blood, gore and vulgar content.[36]
Animal Crossing Animal Crossing: New Horizons was banned in mainland China since 10 April 2020. The game was pulled from Taobao as players created and posted anti-government messages in-game with a custom pattern tool. There has been no official announcement whether the ban was enforced by the Chinese government or by Taobao. However, the game is still on-sale on the Chinese grey market.[37]
Battlefield 4 Banned for discrediting China's national image. The Chinese government claims that the game shows a "cultural invasion".[38]
Command & Conquer: Generals Banned for "smearing the image of China and the Chinese army", although the game presents China as a protagonist and glorifies the People's Liberation Army.[39] Additionally, the China campaign has the player destroy questionable targets such as the Three Gorges Dam and the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in order to snuff out an invading terrorist organization.
Devotion Banned due to an easter egg insulting Chinese Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping.[citation needed] The easter egg was later removed, but the game remains banned.[citation needed] On February 21, 2019, players discovered a fulu talisman decorating a wall in the game contained the words "Xi Jinping Winnie-the-Pooh" (Chinese: 習近平小熊維尼) in Chinese seal script, referencing a recent Chinese internet meme that compared him to the Disney character.[citation needed]
Football Manager 2005 Banned for recognizing Hong Kong, Taiwan and Tibet as independent countries. An edited version without them was later released globally.[40]
Free Fire Banned because it contains overly-revealing female characters, blood, gore, and vulgar content.[36]
Hearts of Iron Banned because it depicted disputed territories such as Tibet, Manchuria and Xinjiang as independent nations and because the island of Taiwan is shown to be under Japanese control.[36][41][42]
I.G.I.-2 Banned because of "intentionally blackening China and the Chinese army's image".[43]
Kick The Buddy Banned because of high-impact gory violence. A censored version was released.
Knives Out Banned because it contains overly-revealing female characters, blood, gore and vulgar content.[36]
Paladins A playable character was removed from the game citing gore and his ability to resurrect upon death. The game was later banned outright for citing overly-revealing female characters, blood, gore and vulgar content.[36]
Plague Inc./Plague Inc. Evolved Banned as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.[44]
Quantum Matrix Banned because it contains blood, gore, vulgar content and inharmonious chat.[36]
RapeLay Banned because it promotes and supports the use of violence to compel a person to submit to sexual conduct and the exploitation of young persons for sexual purposes.[citation needed]
Valkyrie Drive: Bhikkhuni Banned because of sexual content and glorifying homosexuality.[citation needed]

Cuba

No video games have ever been banned in Cuba, but few games were sold in that country until 2007 when restrictions were eased. In 2010, the video game Call of Duty generated a lot of controversy as there is a mission where the player attempts to assassinate Fidel Castro, only to end up killing a double.[45]

Denmark

EA Sports MMA was not released in Denmark because of a law prohibiting marketing for energy drinks, which EA chose not to remove from the game.[46] However, distribution is not illegal, as the game can still be found on shelves as an import.

Germany

A video game can be banned in Germany if it is confiscated by court orders because it violates a section of the Strafgesetzbuch (criminal code). Private possession (and thus playing it) and acquisition (such as downloading a demo from the Internet) are still legal, but any dissemination is not. The seller would break the law if a sale took place, not the buyer. However, on 10 December 2002, an "Oberlandesgericht" (higher regional court) in Hamm decided that a single sale of a single copy does not qualify as dissemination.[47] Unlike indexing by the BPjM, which restricts the sale of all content-equal versions. Versions that are confiscated are enumerated in the court order. Being put on the index by the BPjM or, since April 1, 2003, being refused a rating by the USK, does not equal a ban. Rather, it imposes strict trade restrictions on the title. While only very few games have been confiscated, the list of indexed games is very long.[48]

StGB § 86a outlaws the use of symbols of unconstitutional organisations, StGB § 130 Volksverhetzung (agitation of the people), and StGB § 131 instructions for committing crimes. In the official lists, these three sections are always bundled, so any game that contains swastika flags and/or any depiction of Adolf Hitler is listed alongside racist propaganda pieces.

StGB § 131 outlaws representation of excessive violence in media which "describe cruel or otherwise inhuman acts of violence against human or humanoid beings in a manner which expresses a glorification or rendering harmless of such acts of violence or which represents the cruel or inhuman aspects of the event in a manner which injures human dignity".[49]

StGB § 130 and § 131 make it a criminal offence to do the following with corresponding scriptures:

  1. distribute/sell them
  2. issue in public, demonstrate or otherwise make them available
  3. leave them to a person under the age of 18
  4. produce, buy, deliver, store, offer, announce, praise, import or export them within the meaning of points 1 to 3.

This means that import or purchase and possession for personal use of such games is still legal for persons over 18 years of age.

In the case of video games that contain pornography with minors, where a real or realistic event is depicted, the possession of the video game or working towards possessing it would be illegal under StGB § 184b or §184c. Otherwise, if the work depicts a fictitious event, the distribution of such material is illegal.

Name Reason
Commandos Banned by the district court of Kassel in 1999 for violating German Criminal Code section 86a (Use of symbols of unconstitutional organisations). A censored version was released.[50]
Condemned Banned by the district court of Munich in 2008 for violating German Criminal Code section 131 (depictions of violence).[51]
Condemned 2 Banned by the district court of Munich in 2008 for violating German Criminal Code section 131 (depictions of violence).[52]
Dead Rising 2 Banned by the district court of Bautzen in 2011 for violating German Criminal Code section 131 (depictions of violence).[53]
Hatred While the game itself is only on the List of Media Harmful to Young People with a reminder that the game is potentially violating German Criminal Code section 131 (depictions of violence) a series of 7 walkthrough videos have been banned by the district court of Berlin-Tiergarten in December 2016 for the same criminal code.[54]
Manhunt Banned by the district court of Munich in 2004 for violating German Criminal Code section 131 (depictions of violence).[55]
Manhunt 2 Banned by the district court of Munich in 2010 for violating German Criminal Code section 131 (depictions of violence).[56]
Mortal Kombat (2011) Banned by the district court of Duisburg in 2012 for violating German Criminal Code section 131 (depictions of violence).[57]
Mortyr Banned by the district court of Munich in 2001 for violating German Criminal Code section 86a (Use of symbols of unconstitutional organisations). A censored version was released.[58]
Scarface Banned by the district court of Munich in 2007 for violating German Criminal Code section 131 (depictions of violence). A censored version was released.[59]
Silent Hill Banned by the district court of Frankfurt in 2010 for violating German Criminal Code section 131 (depictions of violence). A censored version was released.[60]
Soldier of Fortune Banned by the district court of Amberg in 2008 for violating German Criminal Code section 131 (depictions of violence). A censored version was released.[61]
Wolfenstein Banned by the district court of Detmold in 2010 for violating German Criminal Code section 86a (use of symbols of unconstitutional organisations) and section 131 (depictions of violence). A censored version was released.[62]

Since 2018 there have been a few games where the ban has been lifted.

Name Reason
Dead Rising Originally banned by the district court of Hamburg in 2007 for violating German Criminal Code section 131 (depictions of violence). The ban was lifted in February 2018 but remains on the List of Media Harmful to Young People.[63]
Left 4 Dead 2 Originally banned by the district court of Berlin-Tiergarten in 2010 for violating German Criminal Code section 131 (depictions of violence). A censored version was released. The ban was lifted in May 2018 and removed from the List of Media Harmful to Young People in January 2021.[64]
Mortal Kombat (1992) The version for the Sega Mega Drive was originally banned by the district court of Munich in 1994 for violating German Criminal Code section 131 (depictions of violence). The version for the Super Nintendo was censored and allowed for distribution. The ban was lifted in October 2019 and removed from the List of Media Harmful to Young People in March 2020.[65]
Mortal Kombat II Originally banned by the district court of Munich in 1995 for violating German Criminal Code section 131 (depictions of violence). The ban was lifted in October 2019 and removed from the List of Media Harmful to Young People in March 2020.[66]
Mortal Kombat 3 Originally banned by the district court of Munich in 1997 for violating German Criminal Code section 131 (depictions of violence). The ban was lifted in November 2019 and removed from the List of Media Harmful to Young People in August 2020.[67]
Wolfenstein 3D Originally banned by the district court of Munich in 1994 for violating German Criminal Code section 86a (Use of symbols of unconstitutional organisations). The ban was lifted in August 2019 and removed from the List of Media Harmful to Young People in October 2019 on grounds of social adequacy.[68]

Greece

No known games have been banned in Greece. Law 3037–2002, which was meant to fight illegal gambling, was deemed controversial due to it being vague in regards to which electronic games were being banned in public places. It mentioned that mechanically executed games for entertainment purposes without betting were allowed.[69][70][71][72]

Guatemala

Name Reason
Roblox Banned because it can violate the safety of children and adolescents.[73]

India

Name Reason
Fallout 3 Not officially banned, but Microsoft India refused to release it for Xbox 360 due to cultural sensitivities as the game depicts a two-headed cow named after a caste.[74][75] For the same reason, the game is not available on Steam.
Fallout Not officially banned, but is not available on Steam for the same reason as Fallout 3.[citation needed]
PUBG Mobile[lower-alpha 1] Banned because of extreme violence. The move came after a direction from the states of Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir seeking a ban on the game, as it was claimed to affect the minds of youths. It was banned in the cities of Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Bhavnagar and Rajkot of Gujarat, as well as all of Jammu and Kashmir.[76] Players have also been prosecuted for playing the game.[77] The game was later completely banned due to mishandling of data on 2 September 2020.[78][79]
Rules of Survival, Mobile Legends, Clash of Kings and Free Fire Part of the Indian government's ban on 59 Chinese-owned apps.[80] On 14 February 2022, the government banned 54 more apps, including Free Fire after that on July 28 2022, BGMI (Indian version of Pubg) was also banned

Indonesia

Video game Reason
Far Cry 3 Banned because it was deemed harmful to the country's public image as it portrays the inhabitants of the fictional island it is set in as insane. The ban has since been lifted for digital versions of the game.[citation needed]
Mortal Kombat 11 Banned because of excessive violence and gore as well as depiction of communist symbolism which is strictly banned in the country.[81][82]

Iran

Iran typically bans any game that contains excessive violence, depicts cruelty, features strong sexual content, nudity, or portrays the Middle East negatively.

Video game Reason
1979 Revolution: Black Friday The game focuses on the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and was banned for presenting "false and distorted information" regarding the revolution, and for being anti-Iranian.[83]
ARMA 3 Banned due to the game's portrayal of a fictional faction, which includes Iran and is an enemy of NATO.[84]
Battlefield 3 Banned because it presented a fictional U.S. invasion on Iran. Even before the ban, many retail stores were removing copies of the game from their shelves.[85]
Clash of Clans Banned because it encourages violence, tribal war and is extensively addictive, as the government states.[86]
Call of Duty Services cancelled by developer Activision for unspecified reasons, but thought to involve United States sanctions against Iran.[87]
Pokémon Go Banned due to security reasons.[88]
Valkyrie Drive: Bhikkhuni Banned for excessively glorifying homosexuality and immoral values via eroge style animation. However, the ban does not extend to digital distributions.[89]
inFAMOUS Banned due to the character having superpowers, which is considered Witchcraft in Islam.

Iraq

Fortnite and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds are banned in Iraq because of negative effects caused by some electronic games on the health, culture, and security of Iraqi society.[90]

Republic of Ireland

The IFCO rarely rates video games and leaves decisions to PEGI and the BBFC. Manhunt 2 was banned for "gross, unrelenting and gratuitous violence", but the ban was later lifted and the game was given a PEGI 18 rating.[91]

Italy

In 2006, following the release of the trailer to the game Rule of Rose, the magazine Panorama ran an article claiming live burials of children at the protagonist's hand. Shortly after, then-mayor of Rome, Walter Veltroni, called for a ban of the game in Italy. The game's European publisher, 505 Games, dismissed these claims,[92] and the game was not banned following Veltroni's comments.

In 2007, following the decision of the governments of the United Kingdom and Ireland, the Minister of Communications Paolo Gentiloni publicly expressed the desire to ban the distribution of Manhunt 2 in Italy, due to the gratuitous violence and excessive cruelty in the video game, but the ban was never put into practice.[93]

In 2008, Counter-Strike was banned in Genoa, after reports of teenagers in high schools cutting classes to play the game on Internet cafes.[citation needed] The ban was met with support by parents yet was ridiculed by local teens for being a tool to keep the local city hall from putting time and effort on other social problems.[citation needed]

Japan

Main page: [[:

Video games in Japan| Video games in Japan]]

Video games are rarely banned in Japan, and it holds the place as one of the top video game producers in the world.[94] However, for some games, usually western, they may edit or censor their games if they appear offensive to Japan; an example being the Japanese release of Fallout 3. "The Power of the Atom" quest was edited to relieve concerns about atomic detonation in inhabited areas and the Fat Man weapon was renamed to the Nuka Launcher due to its relation to the real historic event.[95] Another example is the Japanese version of Crash Bandicoot 2 in which a death animation that has Crash squashed into a head and feet was altered due to its resemblance to the Kobe child murders. Japan's Spike removed all references to Kim Jong-il and North Korea in Homefront, as well.[96] Resident Evil 4, Call of Duty, Bulletstorm, Gears of War 3, Grand Theft Auto V, Dead Island, Metal Gear Rising and numerous other violent titles[citation needed], distributed physically and digitally, were heavily edited for excessive violence, but only on the localization level; the games can still be played if the locale is switched from Japanese to English. The Mortal Kombat series was subsequently banned in Japan, including its newest release, due to heavy amounts of violence [citation needed]. On 13 March 2019, the sales of Judgment had stopped producing future sales in Japan, following Pierre Taki's arrest on suspicion of cocaine use. As a result, Sega had replaced both the voice actor and the character model having been subsequently removed.[citation needed]

Jordan

Name Reason
Roblox Banned due to nudity (Condo Games).[citation needed]

Malaysia

Malaysia tends to ban offensive content such as extreme-impact violence, depictions of cruelty, any content considered anti-Muslim, sexual content and nudity. In August 2008, after the Grand Theft Auto series ban in Thailand (see below), head of a Malaysian consumer rights organization, Muhammad Idris, called for the ban of the entire Grand Theft Auto series and other similarly violent video games such as the Manhunt series and Mortal Kombat.[97][98] In February 2010, one week after Dante's Inferno was released, the game was banned by the Jabatan Agama Islam (JAIS), a Muslim organisation in Malaysia, for depictions of Judeo-Christian hell iconography which was against Sharia, as well as cruelty and sexuality.[citation needed]

In 2016, Pokémon Go was banned by the Federal Territory for Muslims for "promoting the search for power" [sic], which leads to gambling and safety issues related to playing the game[citation needed] The ban was later lifted following massive backlashes on social media and an update that slightly modified security measures on the app.[citation needed]

In September 2017, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) blocked access to the entire Steam store following the discovery of a controversial fighting game involving religious deities, Fight of Gods.[99] The ban was lifted one day later after Valve agreed to block the game in Malaysia.[100]

Mexico

Though no video games have ever been banned in the country, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 was banned in the state of Chihuahua due to Mexican rebels being depicted as antagonists and stereotyping the cities of Chihuahua City and Ciudad Juárez.[101] However, the game can still be found in shelves in other federal entities.

Nepal

Name Reason
PUBG Used to be banned because of delinquency issues involving youths.[102] Currently, the ban has been lifted.[103]

North Korea

North Korea bans all foreign video games as well as almost all foreign products.[citation needed]

New Zealand

In New Zealand, games are classified by the country's Office of Film and Literature Classification. If they are dubbed "objectionable" in all cases, they are banned. In this case, the game in question is not only illegal to sell, but also to own, possess, or import. Games are typically banned and classified as "objectionable content" when they contain extreme violence, offensive depictions of cruelty, animal cruelty, sexual content involving minors, or graphic depictions of sexual content, including sexual fetishes that are "revolting or abhorrent" (such as depictions of urination, bestiality, necrophilia, urophilia, coprophilia, and/or incest).

Name Reason
Criminal Girls Banned because of sexual content that focuses on young persons and elements of sexual violence.[104]
Gal Gun Banned because "it tends to promote and support both the exploitation of children and young people, and the use of coercion to compel a person to submit to sexual conduct".[105]
Manhunt Banned because of extreme violence and offensive depictions of cruelty.[106]
Manhunt 2 Banned because of extreme violence and offensive depictions of cruelty.[107]
Postal 2 Banned because of "gross, abhorrent content: Urination, High Impact Violence, Animal Cruelty, Homophobia, Racial and Ethnic Stereotypes”.[108]
RapeLay Banned because it "tends to promote and support the use of violence to compel a person to submit to sexual conduct, and the exploitation of young persons for sexual purposes".[citation needed]
Reservoir Dogs Banned because it "tends to promote and support the infliction of extreme violence and extreme cruelty for the purpose of entertainment".[109]
Three Sisters' Story Banned because it "tends to promote and support the use of violence to compel a person to submit to sexual conduct, and the exploitation of young persons for sexual purposes".[110]
Valkyrie Drive: Bhikkhuni Banned because it "tends to promote and support incest between the two lead focal sisters, and the exploitation of young persons for sexual purposes".[citation needed]

Oman

Name Reason
Roblox Banned for an unknown reason.[111]

Pakistan

Name Reason
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Banned for "showing the country in a negative light". The ban does not extend to digital versions of the game.[112]
Postal 2 Banned because of violence against Muslims, who are portrayed as terrorists.[citation needed] The ban does not extend to digital versions of the game.[113]
Valkyrie Drive: Bhikkhuni Banned for sexual content and glorifying homosexuality.[citation needed] The ban does not extend to digital versions of the game.[89]
Negligee: Love Stories Banned for sexual content and glorifying homosexuality.[citation needed] The ban does not extend to digital versions of the game.[114]

Philippines

In 1981, a presidential decree issued by Ferdinand Marcos outlawed the use and distribution[115] of all video game consoles, arcade games and pinball machines, deeming them as a "destructive social enemy"[116] and "to the detriment of the public interest".[117][118] Despite the law being technically in effect following the EDSA Revolution, it has since been disregarded and unenforced.[citation needed]

While no video games are banned nationwide so far since 1986, at least one title, Defense of the Ancients, has been banned at a barangay in Dasmariñas, Cavite following complaints of delinquency issues, and two murder incidents involving youths in the area resulting from brawls in relation to the game.[119] The ban, however, only covers internet shops and does not extend to computers in private homes.

Russia

In Russia, games are classified by the "On Countering Extremist Activity" federal law and are included in the "Federal List of Extremist Materials".

Media in the United States and Europe have incorrectly reported that Call of Duty, which features a storyline in which Russian ultra-nationalists take control of the country and invade the United States, was banned in Russia. Activision called these reports "erroneous".[120] Instead, a censored version of the game was published, omitting the controversial "No Russian" level. This also presumably prevented the game from being released on consoles in Russian, with only a PC version officially available.

In 2019, Sony Interactive Entertainment Russia refused to sell Call of Duty: Modern Warfare digitally.[citation needed]

Because of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, few games are being released because many game developers are ceasing operations in Russia.

Name Reason
Call of Duty Not officially banned, but the "No Russian" mission was censored out by the publisher. No PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 versions were released.[citation needed]
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Not officially banned, but Sony Interactive Entertainment refused to sell the game digitally on PlayStation 4.[121] The game also never released in Russia on discs.[citation needed]
For Freedom Ichkeriya: BAMUT Banned because of "justifying the implementation of extremist activities: incitement to ethnic and religious hatred, intended to form a hostile attitude towards soldiers of the Russian army as "occupants", "aggressors", and towards Russians by nationality as invaders. has signs of inciting ethnic hatred: Chechens are contrasted with Russians"[122][123]
Tell Me Why Not officially banned, but Xbox Game Studios decided[124] to not release it in Russia because of one of the main protagonists of the game being transgender, which would likely be offensive to local audiences.[citation needed] The game was also not released in several other countries for the same reason, including Turkey,[citation needed] Singapore[citation needed] and China[citation needed].

Saudi Arabia

Most banned games can be found in many stores due to a lack of government enforcement of bans (often at a substantial price). However, some major stores will not stock banned titles.[125]

Name Reason
God of War franchise Banned for a few weeks due to the presence of interactive sex scenes, partial nudity, and sexual themes, as well as the word "God" in the title. In 2018, the newest game in the series was approved for release.[citation needed]
Call of Duty 4 Banned for a few weeks because of role-playing the Middle East as terrorists.[citation needed]
Assassin's Creed Banned for two weeks because of a perceived negative portrayal of Arabs.[citation needed] Later completely banned due to its use in the Blue Whale Challenge.[citation needed]
Grand Theft Auto series Banned for extreme impact violence and nudity.[citation needed]
Heavy Rain Banned because of high impact violence, nudity, and a sex scene.[citation needed]
L.A. Noire Originally banned because of extreme impact violence and nudity. The ban was lifted in 2017.[citation needed]
The Last of Us Part II Banned due to homosexual-related content.[126]
Postal 2 Banned because of extreme impact violence, nudity and the portrayal of Muslims as terrorists.
Red Dead Redemption Banned due to nudity, prostitution, violence, and cruelty.[citation needed]
Red Dead Redemption 2 Initially banned due to nudity, prostitution, violence, and cruelty. A modified version of the game was launched on May 7, 2020.[127]
Manhunt series Banned because of high impact scary violence and cruelty.[citation needed]
Manhunt 2 Banned for "gross, unrelenting, and gratuitous violence".[citation needed]
South Park/The Fractured but Whole Banned due to extremely offensive content.[citation needed]
Valkyrie Drive: Bhikkhuni Banned due to sexual content and excessive themes of glorifying homosexuality.[citation needed]
Wolfenstein series Banned because of the presence of interactive sex scenes and nazi references.[citation needed]
Metro series Banned due to its use in the Blue Whale Challenge.[citation needed]
The Witcher 3 Banned because of the presence of sex scenes and its use in the Blue Whale Challenge.[citation needed]
Watch Dogs 2 Banned due to frequent use of sexual expletives, sexual activity with visible genitals, and the motiveless killing of innocent human characters.[citation needed]
Saints row series

Singapore

Singapore has banned games in the past and still occasionally does (including a ban on arcades nationwide from 1983 to the 1990s). With the implementation of the Video Game Classification in 2008 by the Media Development Authority, most games are widely available for purchase to their respective age group, such as those containing full frontal nudity or strong graphic violence under an "M18" rating. Games that were previously banned such as Mass Effect were re-rated either "Age Advisory" or "M18" after the implementation of the classification system.

Name Reason
Half-Life Banned because of violence.[128] The ban was met with uproar as the local gaming community and retailers scrambled to start petitions to save the game. The government decided to lift the ban after a week, as the game had been released for more than a year and the ban would impact the local LAN gaming and retail market.[129]
Mass Effect Banned because of a homosexual encounter between a feminine alien and female human.[130] The ban was later lifted and the title re-rated M18.[131]
The Darkness Banned because of excessive violence.[132] The ban was later lifted and the title re-rated M18.[citation needed]

South Korea

Since 2006, South Korea has only banned video games on rare occasions. Even before this, games were very rarely banned unless that game mentioned elements of the Korean War in order to avoid tensions between the countries North Korea and South Korea . However, Manhunt, Manhunt 2, and Mortal Kombat are still banned because of violence and cruelty. Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto and Mercenaries were previously banned, but the bans were later lifted.[133]

The Game Rating Board requires that all video games be rated by the organization. Unrated titles are absolutely banned from being sold in the country, and websites selling them can be blocked.

Name Reason
Minecraft Not officially banned, but because of the Cinderella law, people under 20 could not play the game. The law was repealed in 2021.
Mortal Kombat (2011) Banned because of excessive violence and cruelty.[134]
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Banned for portraying military and political actions against North Korea, ban was lifted in 2007.[135]
Homefront Banned because of its negative portrayal of a unified Korea under Northern rule.[134]
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2 Banned for portraying military and political actions against North Korea, ban was lifted in 2007.[135]
Mercenaries Banned for portraying military and political actions against North Korea, ban was lifted in 2007.[135]
Danganronpa V3 The September 2017 release was cancelled because of a March 2017 case in South Korea where a 17-year-old girl killed and dismembered an 8-year-old child.[136] The game was banned to prevent controversies.[136]

Turkey

No games have officially been banned, but many requests and recommendations were made to ban certain bestseller games featuring violence (such as those against women) since as early as the 2000s, but none took place and the games were left untouched.

Though on March 10, 2015, the Turkish Ministry of Family and Social Services recommended a ban on Minecraft, specifically after online trolls sent videos (Made to make it appear as if it was featured in the original version of the game) of a modded Minecraft session featuring mods that included violence “not suited for such a game aged for young children” to big media outlets and television channels in Turkey, which then they made news covering the sent reports, and later catching the attention of the ministry and parents, resulting in such a recommendation. [137][138]

Minecraft back then had a quite large player-base in Turkey, and the ministry seeing such a game supposedly featuring violence being played by most of the young people in the country saw it as a big problem. However, the ban never took place, but the investigation stood on halt for sometime without any progression, later being dropped and forgotten.[139][140]

The case was widely joked about not just across the country but globally by both Turkish and foreign gamers, commentators, online media outlets, and television news too.[141]

( See video games in Turkey for more information )

Although certain online games are unavailable in the Turkish region, and some are unavailable to be purchased digitally, but are available physically. The availability is mostly set by the publisher’s decisions and not directly by the government (except site blockings), though unlikely, some may be to avoid trouble with the current conservative government in any-way.

Same applies in the Northern Cypriotic State.

Thailand

Thailand will typically ban any games with excessive violence and sexual content, such as many eroge from Japan, for the same reasons as its ban on any pornographic films.[citation needed]

Additionally, since August 2008, all video game titles of the Grand Theft Auto series have been completely banned in Thailand,[142] because of a case where an 18-year-old Thai player supposedly influenced by Grand Theft Auto killed a taxi driver from Bangkok.[143] The ban, however, does not extend to the digital PC versions of Grand Theft Auto V.[144]

Tropico 5 is yet another banned title. The ruling military junta claims that it could "affect peace and order" within the country.[145]

United Arab Emirates

In the United Arab Emirates, a branch of the government called the National Media Council (NMC) works to control the media and entertainment industry in the country, and they have the authority to issue bans on any specific media products, including video games, to comply with the country's legal and cultural values. Usually, the NMC do not explicitly state their actual consensus for any kind of issued ban on a product, so official reasons behind their bans remain unclear. However, bans issued by the NMC apply only to the sale of those products through local outlets; they do not make private ownership illegal. There are certain exceptions, notably for Spec Ops (see below). Some banned games may be available and sold on the nation's grey market.[citation needed]

In 2018, the NMC introduced a localised rating system for various media, including video games.[146]

The following titles are banned from mainstream physical retail. However, unlike Saudi Arabia, most of these games can still be seen on digital storefronts such as the PlayStation Store.

Name Reason
BlazBlue Banned likely due to suggestive and revealing outfits on some characters.[147] However, the ban did not extend to digital versions of the game.[citation needed]
Call of Duty This game was banned after players in the GCC noticed that the picture frames in some maps had quotations from the Qur'an, which were very offensive to Muslims.[citation needed] The ban was lifted after the developers removed the text on the frames.[citation needed]
Darksiders Banned likely due to contradicting with customs and traditions.[148] However, the ban did not extend to the digital version of the game.[citation needed]Its sequel, Darksiders II, which features similar themes, was released without issues, and even had a localised print release for the PlayStation 3 version.[citation needed]
Dead Island and Dead Island Both banned likely due to "extreme depictions of violence and scantily-clad game characters".[149] However, the ban did not extend to digital versions of the games.[citation needed]
Dead Rising 2 Banned likely due to violence, gambling, and nudity.[150] The ban has since been lifted for newer prints of the game.[citation needed]
Dragon Age Banned likely due to sexual themes, including possible homosexual relationships.[151] The ban has since been lifted for the digital versions of the game.[citation needed]
Fallout Banned likely due to gambling and sexual themes.[152] However, the ban did not extend to the digital version of the game.
Gal Gun, Gal Gun 2 Both banned likely due to sexual themes. However, the ban did not extend to the digital versions of the games.[153][154]
The Godfather II Banned likely due to nudity.[155]
God of War series The first title in the series was banned after complaints were filed regarding religious and sexual content in the game, and subsequently, the next seven games in the series were banned for similar reasons[citation needed] The 2018 title God of War was the first entry to be legally approved for release in the U.A.E.[156]
Grand Theft Auto series Banned likely due to violence, cruelty and sexual content.[citation needed] For unknown reasons, Grand Theft Auto has been available via Steam ever since the PC version of Grand Theft Auto V was launched, which itself is openly available on Steam from the debut.[citation needed] Shortly after Steam introduced the dirham as the official currency for U.A.E. user accounts on 10 November 2015,[157] the majority of Rockstar's games became available for purchase for those user accounts, including most Grand Theft Auto titles (For unknown reasons, almost all of Rockstar's games were regionally locked out on Steam, whether banned or not.).[citation needed]
Heavy Rain Banned likely due to graphic violence, sexual content, nudity[158] and a sultry seduction scene.[159]
Injustice Despite being initially marketed for Middle Eastern distribution under the title of Injustice: The Mighty Among Us, the game failed to surpass the NMC's censors for a period of time,[160] and was banned likely due to the case package and on-disc software title itself being identical to its European release, with the term "God" retained (the official reason was not given).[citation needed] The game had been demonstrated at various events in the U.A.E. without incident for many months before the official release date.[citation needed] However, the ban on the title has since been lifted.[160] The expanded Ultimate Edition was released on schedule and distributed regularly.[citation needed]
The Last of Us Part II Banned due to homosexual-related content.[126]
Mafia II Banned likely due to excessive violence and nudity.[161] The ban has since been lifted for digital versions of the game.[citation needed]
Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3 Both banned likely due to possible homosexual relationships.[151] However, the ban did not extend to the digital versions of the games.[citation needed]
Max Payne 3 Banned likely due to excessive violence and sexual themes.[162] The ban was issued roughly three weeks after the official release. The ban has since been lifted for digital versions of the game.[163]
Omega Labyrinth Z Banned likely due to excessive sexual themes. However, the ban did not extend to the digital version of the game.[citation needed]
Postal 2 Banned likely due to violence against Muslims, as well as excessive violence, sexual themes and other highly questionable content.[citation needed] However, the ban did not extend to the digital version of the game.[citation needed]
Red Dead Redemption Was initially banned,[164] likely due to nudity. The ban was lifted two months after the official release date.[165][166]
Roblox Was banned in 2018 likely due to content deemed harmful for children.[167] The ban was later lifted.[168]
Saints Row, Saints Row IV Both banned because of sexual themes, excessive violence, and use of drugs and alcohol.[169] However, the ban did not extend to the digital versions of the games.[citation needed]
Spec Ops Banned likely due to the game's fictional depiction of the UAE's real-life city of Dubai in a state of ravage and destruction. Unlike other banned video games, the NMC had extended their focus for this title going far as to issue the TRA to block the game's official website[170] and subsequently prevent the title from being distributed throughout the rest of the GCC, as well as Jordan, and Lebanon.[171] Even local retailers, such as Geekay Games, are unable to sell the game via their online shops to UAE residents.[172] The game remains unavailable via digital platforms such as Steam and PSN.[citation needed] However, the game is still available on PSN in Qatar and Kuwait.[citation needed]
Valkyrie Drive: Bhikkhuni Banned likely due to homosexual relationships between characters and high-impact sexual themes. However, the ban did not extend to the digital version of the game.[89]
Watch Dogs, Watch Dogs 2 Unknown reason for ban, possibly due to hacking and nudity.[citation needed] Watch Dogs' ban did not extend to the DLC,[173] and is only available on non-Steam distributors, furthermore, this version of the ban extends throughout the GCC[174] while the ban for Watch Dogs 2 has been lifted.[citation needed]

United Kingdom

Games in the UK usually only receive a ban when they contain real sex scenes and/or gratuitous violence. BBFC age ratings are compulsory and backed by legislation, taking effect 30 July 2012.[175] It is illegal to sell, buy or rent, but not import, a game that has not been classified by an approved age rating organisation in the UK. This only applies to games stored on physical media, not downloadable media.[176]

Name Reason
Carmageddon Was threatened with being refused certification in its uncut form. Was subsequently altered to replace pedestrians with zombies.[177] The restriction was later lifted, and a patch was released to restore the original human content.[citation needed]
Manhunt 2 The uncut version was the only game to be refused classification by the BBFC (therefore banned), due to excessive graphic violence and cruelty.[178] After this, a modified version was made and submitted for certification – this was initially refused classification as well, but was allowed to be sold after an appeal (despite a successful challenge to this ruling).[citation needed]
Omega Labyrinth Z Banned because of interactive sexual activity involving a person who is, or appears to be, a minor.[citation needed]
The Punisher The version of the game that had been edited for the American market was further censored for the British release.[citation needed] The interrogation scenes were deemed graphically controversial and edits were made at the request of the BBFC to further mask these scenes.[179] The edited version received an 18 certificate.
Sex Vixens from Space Not submitted to the BBFC, but in 1989, official shipments of copies were seized by customs and destroyed in order to "protect the youth of today".[180][181][182]

United States

In the United States, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)—a self-regulatory organization, issues ratings for video games and enforces voluntary regulations on how they are marketed and sold.[183] The Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association—which challenged a California law restricting the sale of "violent video games" (defined using a variation of the Miller test separate from ratings assigned by bodies such as the ESRB) to minors, insisting that video games were considered a protected form of expression under the First Amendment, meaning that federal or state law cannot be used to regulate their distribution based on content.[184][185]

However, games can still be recalled as the result of court orders; a nude model featured in The Guy Game sued its developer and publisher over use of her likeness, as she was underage at the time of filming and thus could not personally consent to her depiction. All remaining copies of the game that contained her likeness were recalled from stores.[186][187] In 2012, a court found that Silicon Knights had plagiarized Epic Games' proprietary Unreal engine, and had used it in Too Human and X-Men, along with other unreleased projects. The studio was ordered to recall and destroy all remaining copies, materials, and source code relating to the games.[188][189]

The ESRB's highest rating, "Adults Only", has been considered a total ban on the mainstream sale of certain games, as most retailers refuse to stock games carrying the rating, and they cannot be published on major video game consoles due to company policies.[190][191][192][193] The release of Thrill Kill, an AO-rated fighting game with extreme violence and strong sexual themes, was outright cancelled by Electronic Arts (who had acquired its developer) due to objections over its content.[194] Following the discovery of an incomplete sex minigame that was not included in the final game but was still present in the game's code and could be accessed using a modification or cheating device, Grand Theft Auto was re-rated Adults Only and recalled by Rockstar Games, in favor of a new revision of the game that omitted the offending content entirely and carried the original Mature rating. Custer's Revenge has been banned in Oklahoma City because it is offensive to Native Americans, which a large number of residents identify as.[195][196][197]

Ukraine

Name Reason
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Banned due to the storyline that follows Russian ultra-nationalists and communists banding together to recreate the Soviet Union and taking over Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan.[citation needed]
Mortal Kombat 11 Banned due to high-impact blood and gore and depictions of communist symbolism, which is banned per Ukrainian law.[81]

Uzbekistan

Authorities in Uzbekistan banned a number of games over concerns that they could be "used to propagate violence, pornography, threaten security and social and political stability", most notably first-person shooters such as Call of Duty and Doom, horror games like Silent Hill and Resident Evil, Mortal Kombat and even relatively non-violent simulations such as The Sims. The ban was condemned and ridiculed for taking precedence over more important societal issues and a waste of time and effort.[198]

See also

  • Video game controversies
  • List of regionally censored video games
  • List of recalled video games
  • List of banned films
  • List of books banned by governments
  • List of controversial video games

Notes

  1. ↑ excluding versions released exclusively in India

References

  1. ↑ Schiesel, Seth (2011-06-28). "Supreme Court Has Ruled; Now Games Have a Duty". https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/29/arts/video-games/what-supreme-court-ruling-on-video-games-means.html?_r=0. 
  2. ↑ Barnes, Robert (2011-06-27). "Supreme Court strikes Calif. law banning sale of violent video games to minors". The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/supreme-court-strikes-calif-law-banning-sale-of-violent-video-games-to-minors/2011/06/26/AGwtxenH_story.html. 
  3. ↑ "Supreme Court Violent Video Games Ruling: Ban On Sale, Rental To Children Unconstitutional". 2011-06-27. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/27/supreme-court-violent-video-games_n_884991.html. 
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  7. ↑ Green, Jonathon; Karolides, Nicholas J. (14 May 2014). Encyclopedia of Censorship. ISBN 9781438110011. https://books.google.com/books?id=bunHURgi7FcC&pg=PA7. Retrieved 2015-02-16. 
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  24. ↑ "Bully: Scholarship Edition on Steam" (in en). http://store.steampowered.com/app/12200/Bully_Scholarship_Edition/?cc=br. 
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Bishop, Stuart (2008-01-21). "Banned in Brazil: Counter-Strike and EverQuest". http://www.computerandvideogames.com/179980/banned-in-brazil-counter-strike-and-everquest/. 
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  30. ↑ Hook, Leslie (2012-06-18). "Lenovo's Kinect-clone evades Chinese ban on video-game consoles". The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/gaming/gaming-news/lenovos-kinect-clone-evades-chinese-ban-on-video-game-consoles/article4104133/. 
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  32. ↑ Jou, Eric (30 September 2013). "China Lifts Their Console Ban...But With Strings Attached". http://kotaku.com/china-lifts-their-console-ban-but-theres-strings-at-1425338783. 
  33. ↑ "China's new gaming rules prohibit blood and gambling" (in en). https://www.engadget.com/2019/04/22/china-gaming-rules-gambling-blood/. 
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  73. ↑ "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in en). https://twitter.com/agn_noticias/status/1347652422487969796. 
  74. ↑ Cavalli, Earnest (2008-10-22). "'Cultural Sensitivities' Bar Fallout 3 from India". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. https://www.wired.com/2008/10/cultural-sensit/. Retrieved 2020-07-17. 
  75. ↑ "India subjected to Fallout 3 ban". 23 October 2008. https://hexus.net/gaming/news/pc/16027-india-subjected-fallout-3-ban/. 
  76. ↑ "Now, PUBG banned in city" (in en). March 14, 2019. https://ahmedabadmirror.indiatimes.com/ahmedabad/others/now-pubg-banned-in-city/articleshow/68399514.cms. 
  77. ↑ "PUBG Mobile Ban: You Will Get Arrested For Playing The Battle Royal Game in These Cities in India". 14 March 2019. https://www.news18.com/news/tech/pubg-mobile-ban-you-will-get-arrested-for-playing-the-battle-royal-game-in-these-cities-in-india-2066153.html. 
  78. ↑ "PUBG Mobile among latest Chinese apps banned in India: Full list here". India Today. 2 September 2020. https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/pubg-mobile-among-latest-chinese-apps-banned-in-india-full-list-here-1717882-2020-09-02. 
  79. ↑ "PUBG Mobile may never return to India with govt's permanent ban". India Today. 27 January 2021. https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/pubg-mobile-may-never-return-to-india-with-govt-s-permanent-ban-1763276-2021-01-27. 
  80. ↑ Cimpanu, Catalin. "India bans 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok, UC Browser, Weibo, and WeChat" (in en). https://www.zdnet.com/article/india-bans-59-chinese-apps-including-tiktok-uc-browser-weibo-and-wechat/. 
  81. ↑ 81.0 81.1 "Mortal Kombat 11 banned in Japan, Indonesia and Ukraine for gore | ONE Esports". 24 April 2019. https://www.oneesports.gg/gaming/mortal-kombat-11-banned-in-japan-indonesia-and-ukraine-for-gore/. 
  82. ↑ Kuncorojati, Cahyandaru (18 April 2019). "Ada Simbol Komunis, Mortal Kombat 11 Batal Rilis di Indonesia?" (in id). https://www.medcom.id/teknologi/game/Wb7jqn0N-ada-simbol-komunis-mortal-kombat-11-batal-rilis-di-indonesia. 
  83. ↑ Cragg, Oliver (June 9, 2016). "PC game 1979 Revolution: Black Friday banned in Iran, accused of "hostile intentions"". IBT Media. https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/pc-game-1979-revolution-black-friday-banned-iran-accused-hostile-intentions-1564600. 
  84. ↑ "ARMA 3 banned in Iran". 19 September 2012. http://www.polygon.com/gaming/2012/9/19/3357600/arma-3-banned-in-iran. 
  85. ↑ "Iran bans US video game showing Tehran invasion". AFP. Nov 28, 2011. https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jCwtm31oYnU70sTJKF8iltAfNHnA?docId=CNG.8af6b7bf5835350c0f276c56855993c1.201. 
  86. ↑ "Clash of Clans mobile game 'blocked' in Iran". BBC. December 28, 2016. https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-38450101. 
  87. ↑ "COD Mobile banned in Iran, "confused" players beg Activision to reverse block" (in en). Dexerto. 13 April 2021. https://www.dexerto.com/call-of-duty/cod-mobile-banned-in-iran-1552395/. 
  88. ↑ "Pokemon Go banned by Iranian authorities over "security"". BBC News. 5 August 2016. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-36989526. 
  89. ↑ 89.0 89.1 89.2 "Valkyrie Drive -Bhikkhuni- on Steam" (in en). http://store.steampowered.com/app/550080/VALKYRIE_DRIVE_BHIKKHUNI/?cc=ir. 
  90. ↑ Chalk, Andy (2019-04-18). "Fortnite and PUBG are now banned in Iraq" (in en-US). https://www.pcgamer.com/fortnite-and-pubg-are-now-banned-in-iraq/. 
  91. ↑ "Manhunt 2 Video Game Prohibited." Irish Film Classification Office.
  92. ↑ GamesIndustry International (17 November 2006). "505 Games responds to Rule of Rose controversy". Eurogamer.net. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/news171106ruleofrose. 
  93. ↑ Maruccia, Alfonso (22 June 2007). "Censura, Gentiloni blocca Manhunt 2" (in it). Punto Informatico. http://punto-informatico.it/2024293/PI/News/censura-gentiloni-blocca-manhunt.aspx. 
  94. ↑ "Game over? Not yet: Japan's video game industry appears vibrant despite a crisis of confidence" Daily Yomiuri Online.
  95. ↑ "The games they tried to ban: Fallout 3". MSN Games. http://games.uk.msn.com/gaming/photos/photos.aspx?cp-documentid=155028519&page=2. 
  96. ↑ Parker, Laura (2011-03-15). "Kim Jong-il axed from Homefront in Japan". Gamespot.com. http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/homefront/news.html?sid=6297959. 
  97. ↑ "Fomca: Regulate video games". Malaysianbar.org.my. 2011-10-13. http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/legal/general_news/fomca_regulate_video_games.html. 
  98. ↑ Bennett, Colette (8 August 2008). "Malaysian Consumer Group blame it all on GTA". http://www.destructoid.com/malaysian-consumer-group-blame-it-all-on-gta-98824.phtml. 
  99. ↑ "MCMC Blocks Entire Steam Store Following God Fighting Game Controversy". 7 September 2017. https://www.lowyat.net/2017/140309/fighting-game-featuring-jesus-buddha-receives-condemnation-religious-leaders/. 
  100. ↑ "MCMC Unblocks Steam After Offending Game Geoblocked". 9 September 2017. https://www.lowyat.net/2017/140631/mcmc-unblocks-steam-offending-game-geoblocked/. 
  101. ↑ Gaudiosi, John (2007-03-26). "Locally-made "GRAW2" Banned in Mexico". WRAL News. http://www.wral.com/entertainment/blogpost/1248223/. 
  102. ↑ Sean Hollister (12 April 2019). "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds was temporarily banned in Nepal". https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/12/18308618/pubg-ban-nepal-violence-video-game-addiction. 
  103. ↑ "PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS on Steam" (in en). https://store.steampowered.com/app/578080/PLAYERUNKNOWNS_BATTLEGROUNDS/?cc=np. 
  104. ↑ "Classification decision snapshots". Office of Film and Literature Classification (New Zealand). https://www.classificationoffice.govt.nz/news/classification-decision-snapshots. 
  105. ↑ "Gal*Gun: Double Peace". Film & Video Labelling Body (New Zealand). 2011. http://www.fvlb.org.nz/nz/pages/publication-details.html?title=199675. 
  106. ↑ "Manhunt: Reasons for Decision". Archived from the original on 3 February 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070203011642/http://www.censorship.govt.nz/PDFWORD/manhunt.pdf. 
  107. ↑ "Manhunt 2 Banned in NZ". http://nzgamer.com/news/2660/manhunt-2-banned-in-nz.html. 
  108. ↑ [1] By K. Thor Jensen 08.11.2018 :: 2:00PM EST kthorjensen.
  109. ↑ "Reservoir Dogs Computer Game Banned" (Press release). New Zealand Office of Film and Literature Classification. 2006-07-07. Archived from the original on 16 July 2006. Retrieved 2006-07-07.
  110. ↑ Howell, Oskar (26 March 2019). "We need to review how we treat graphic content in video games". https://thespinoff.co.nz/games/26-03-2019/we-need-to-review-how-we-treat-graphic-content-in-video-games. 
  111. ↑ "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in en). https://twitter.com/roblox_rtc/status/1479851666333708288. 
  112. ↑ "Call of Duty®: Black Ops II on Steam" (in en). https://store.steampowered.com/app/202970/. 
  113. ↑ "Postal 2 on Steam" (in en). https://store.steampowered.com/app/223470/. 
  114. ↑ "Negligee: Love Stories on Steam" (in en). https://store.steampowered.com/app/1002100/Negligee_Love_Stories/?cc=pk. 
  115. ↑ Long, Tony (19 November 2010). "Nov. 19, 1981: Marcos Regime Puts the Kibosh on Games". Wired. https://www.wired.com/2010/11/1119marcos-bans-videogames-philippines/. 
  116. ↑ "President Marcos bans video game machines". Logansport Pharos-Tribune: p. 17. 19 November 1981. https://www.newspapers.com/image/10056192/?terms=marcos+video+games.  open access
  117. ↑ "Presidential Decree No. 519 - Supra Source". http://source.gosupra.com/docs/provision/78753. 
  118. ↑ Dillon, Roberto (12 April 2011). The Golden Age of Video Games: The Birth of a Multibillion Dollar Industry. Page xvii: CRC Press. ISBN 978-1439873236. https://books.google.com/books?isbn=1439873232. 
  119. ↑ "DOTA banned in internet shops in Cavite village". GMA News. 21 January 2015. http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/413042/news/regions/dota-banned-in-internet-shops-in-cavite-village. 
  120. ↑ Cowen, Nick (2009-11-17). "Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 not banned in Russia, says Activision". The Daily Telegraph (London). https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/6588218/Call-Of-Duty-Modern-Warfare-2-not-banned-in-Russia-says-Activision.html. 
  121. ↑ Calum Patterson (22 October 2019). "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare banned from Russian PlayStation store". Dexerto. https://www.dexerto.com/call-of-duty/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-banned-russian-playstation-store-1171401. 
  122. ↑ "Extremist materials (#1091)" (in ru). https://minjust.gov.ru/ru/extremist-materials/?page=11. 
  123. ↑ "Decision of the Leninsky District Court of Grozny of 14.04.2011" (in ru). http://docs.pravo.ru/document/view/27157223/. 
  124. ↑ "Tell Me Why пропала из Steam в ряде стран, включая Россию и Украину". August 31, 2020. https://dtf.ru/games/202012-tell-me-why-propala-iz-steam-v-ryade-stran-vklyuchaya-rossiyu-i-ukrainu. 
  125. ↑ "التصنيف العمرى للألعاب" (in ar). General Commission for Audiovisual Media (Saudi Arabia). http://www.gcam.gov.sa/ar/AboutGcam/AgeClassification/Pages/AgeClassificationList.aspx. 
  126. ↑ 126.0 126.1 Saed, Sherif (May 26, 2020). "The Last of Us: Part 2 banned in the Middle East". VG247. https://www.vg247.com/2020/05/26/the-last-of-us-part-2-banned-middle-east/. 
  127. ↑ "Red Dead Redemption 2 gets a game in Saudi Arabia". Saudi 24 News. 2020-05-01. https://www.saudi24.news/2020/05/red-dead-redemption-2-gets-a-game-in-saudi-arabia.html. 
  128. ↑ "Singapore Bans Half-Life". Gamespot. 24 January 2000. http://www.gamespot.com/articles/singapore-bans-half-life/1100-2446255/. 
  129. ↑ "Half-Life ban lifted". Gamespot. 3 February 2000. http://www.gamespot.com/articles/half-life-ban-lifted/1100-2446436/. 
  130. ↑ "Singapore Bans Game Over Lesbian Scene." ABC News.
  131. ↑ "Ban lifted on Xbox game with sex scene". The New Zealand Herald. Reuters. 18 November 2007. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/location/story.cfm?l_id=3&objectid=10476791. 
  132. ↑ "The Darkness - Banned in Singapore (Game Axis)". http://www.gameaxis.com/home/?blog=1558. 
  133. ↑ Korea lifts game censorship by Emma Boyes, 2006-12-29, GameSpot
  134. ↑ 134.0 134.1 (in ja)ZDNet Korea. 2011-04-07. http://www.zdnet.co.kr/news/news_view.asp?artice_id=20110407102001. 
  135. ↑ 135.0 135.1 135.2 "Korea lifts game censorship" (in en-US). https://www.gamespot.com/articles/korea-lifts-game-censorship/1100-6163609/. 
  136. ↑ 136.0 136.1 "Danganronpa V3 Is Banned In South Korea [Update"] (in en-us). 3 August 2017. https://kotaku.com/danganronpa-v3-is-banned-in-south-korea-1797292010. 
  137. ↑ "Türkiye'de yasaklanması tartışılan MineCraft, İsveç'te mecburi ders olarak okutuluyor" (in Turkish). https://t24.com.tr/yazarlar/fusun-sarp-nebil/turkiyede-yasaklanmasi-tartisilan-minecraft-isvecte-mecburi-ders-olarak-okutuluyor,11456. 
  138. ↑ (in en) TÜRKİYE'DE YASAKLANMAK İSTENİLEN OYUN: MINECRAFT, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcux9cLTA_I, retrieved 2022-06-27 
  139. ↑ "Türkiye'nin Minecraft Yasağına Dünya Basını Nasıl Tepki Verdi?" (in tr). https://onedio.com/haber/turkiye-nin-minecraft-yasagina-yabanci-oyun-basini-nasil-tepki-verdi-469413. 
  140. ↑ "Aile Bakanlığı: Minecraft yasaklansın". https://m.haberturk.com/ekonomi/teknoloji/haber-amp/1051643-aile-bakanligi-minecraft-yasaklansin. 
  141. ↑ "Minecraft, Ülkemizde Yasaklanabilir!" (in tr). https://www.webtekno.com/oyun/minecraft-yasak-h5200.html. 
  142. ↑ "สั่งแบนGTA ร้านเกมไหนมีโดนจับ" (in th). Daily News. ThaiNN.com. 2008-08-06. http://www.thainn.com/exchange/temp_news.php?type1=1&type2=4&page=0&topic=5346&view=0. 
  143. ↑ "สลด! ม.6 แทงโหดฆ่าแท็กซี่ เลียนแบบเกมโจร GTA" (in th). Thai Rath. Sanook.com. 2008-08-04. http://news.sanook.com/crime/crime_293428.php?. 
  144. ↑ "Grand Theft Auto V on Steam" (in en). http://store.steampowered.com/app/271590/Grand_Theft_Auto_V/?cc=th. 
  145. ↑ Eddie Makuch (4 August 2014). "Tropico 5 Banned in Thailand Because It Could "Affect Peace and Order"; [UPDATE Kalypso Media says it is "disappointed"."]. Gamespot.com. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/tropico-5-banned-in-thailand-because-it-could-affe/1100-6421473/. 
  146. ↑ Salama, Samir (2018-02-20). "New UAE ratings system for films, games, books". Gulf News. https://gulfnews.com/news/uae/media/new-uae-ratings-system-for-films-games-books-1.2176427. 
  147. ↑ Nagata, Tyler (1 February 2011). "BlazBlue: Continuum Shift banned in United Arab Emirates". gamesradar. http://www.gamesradar.com/blazblue-continuum-shift-banned-in-united-arab-emirates/. 
  148. ↑ "UAE: Darksiders banned". http://www.mcvuk.com/news/37056/UAE-Darksiders-bannedrnrnUAE-Darksiders-bannedrn. 
  149. ↑ "Dead Island banned". http://www.itp.net/586074-dead-island-banned-in-the-uae. 
  150. ↑ "Official Geekay Games (U.A.E.'s biggest video game retailer) Facebook page stating Dead Rising 2 is banned in the U.A.E.". https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=491026752624&id=27495087624. 
  151. ↑ 151.0 151.1 "Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age: Origins now banned in the UAE". http://tbreak.com/megamers/7311/news/mass-effect-2-now-banned-in-the-uae.html. 
  152. ↑ "Official Geekay Games (U.A.E.'s biggest video game retailer) Facebook page stating Fallout: New Vegas is banned in the U.A.E.". https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150093681037625&id=27495087624. 
  153. ↑ "Gal*Gun: Double Peace on Steam" (in en). https://store.steampowered.com/app/511740/GalGun_Double_Peace/. 
  154. ↑ "Gal*Gun 2 on Steam" (in en). https://store.steampowered.com/app/851890/GalGun_2/. 
  155. ↑ "The Godfather II Banned in the UAE". http://tbreak.com/megamers/3868/news/the-godfather-ii-banned-in-the-uae.html. 
  156. ↑ Lau, Evelyn (2018-04-17). "God of War approved for UAE release". The National. https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/god-of-war-approved-for-uae-release-1.722384. 
  157. ↑ Fakhruddin, Mufaddal (2015-11-04). "Steam to Show Prices in UAE Dirhams". IGN Middle East. http://me.ign.com/en/pc/112849/news/steam-to-show-prices-in-uae-dirhams. 
  158. ↑ Elsa Baxter (24 February 2010). "UAE bans latest Playstation 3 game". http://www.arabianbusiness.com/uae-bans-latest-playstation-3-game-66005.html. 
  159. ↑ "Heavy Rain? Not in the UAE.". http://tbreak.com/megamers/7280/news/heavy-rain-not-in-the-uae.html. 
  160. ↑ 160.0 160.1 Fakhruddin, Mufaddal (2013-04-29). "Injustice: Gods Among Us Banned in UAE, Kuwait". IGN Middle East. http://me.ign.com/en/news/10356/injustice-gods-among-us-banned-in-uae-kuwait. 
  161. ↑ "Mafia II video game banned in the UAE". http://www.arabianbusiness.com/mafia-ii-video-game-banned-in-uae-348114.html. 
  162. ↑ Fakhruddin, Mufaddal (2012-06-14). "Max Payne 3 Banned in UAE". IGN Middle East. http://me.ign.com/en/news/1595/Max-Payne-3-Banned-in-UAE. 
  163. ↑ "Max Payne 3 on Steam" (in en). http://store.steampowered.com/app/204100/Max_Payne_3/?cc=ae. 
  164. ↑ "Red Dead Redemption Banned?". http://megamers.tbreak.com/8622/news/red-dead-redemption-banned.html. 
  165. ↑ "Official Geekay Games (U.A.E.'s biggest video game retailer) Facebook page stating Red Dead Redemption now unbanned in the U.A.E.". https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=461869667624&id=27495087624. 
  166. ↑ "Wild West video game bucks trend". 11 June 2010. http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/wild-west-video-game-bucks-trend. 
  167. ↑ "UAE bans gaming website popular among children". 21 May 2018. https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/uae-bans-gaming-website-popular-among-children-1.732121. 
  168. ↑ "Fact check: Is Roblox unbanned in UAE?" (in en). https://gulfnews.com/technology/fact-check-is-roblox-unbanned-in-uae-1.1615811567142. 
  169. ↑ "Saints Row: The Third banned in the UAE". http://www.itp.net/587021-saints-row-the-third-banned-in-the-uae. 
  170. ↑ Simpson, Colin Simpson (2012-06-21). "Spec Ops game preview blocked in UAE". The National. http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/spec-ops-game-preview-blocked-in-uae. 
  171. ↑ "Spec Ops: The Line - Banned in the UAE and the region". Moey's.net. 2012-06-20. http://moeys.net/amman-jordan/spec-ops-the-line-banned-in-uae-and-the-region/. 
  172. ↑ "PlayStation 3 port of Spec Ops: The Line available via Geekay Games' online store, but notes is not for sale in the U.A.E. (Xbox 360 port is also included, and treated likewise.)". http://www.geekaygames.com/ps3/spec-ops-the-line.html. 
  173. ↑ "Watch_Dogs - Bad Blood on Steam" (in en). https://store.steampowered.com/app/293061/. 
  174. ↑ "Watch_Dogs · Watch_Dogs™ · AppID: 243470" (in en). https://steamdb.info/app/243470/. 
  175. ↑ "PEGI ratings become UK's single video game age rating system". The Association For UK Interactive Entertainment. 2012-07-30. http://ukie.org.uk/content/pegi-ratings-become-uk%E2%80%99s-single-video-game-age-rating-system. 
  176. ↑ The Digital Download BBFC Loophole by Phil Lee & Ray Coyle, 2007-11-28, (MCV)
  177. ↑ "Banned But Still On The Road" The Independent.
  178. ↑ "UK: Manhunt 2 Banned, Rockstar Responds - Edge Magazine". Next-gen.biz. 2007-06-19. http://www.next-gen.biz/news/uk-manhunt-2-banned-rockstar-responds. 
  179. ↑ "Case Study: The Punisher". bbfc.co.uk. https://www.bbfc.co.uk/case-studies/punisher. 
  180. ↑ "Your Sinclair 01-93". https://archive.org/stream/YourSinclair37Jan89/YourSinclair/YourSinclair38-Feb89#page/n7/mode/2up. 
  181. ↑ "Info Magazine Issue 24". January 1989. https://archive.org/details/info-magazine-24/page/n31/mode/2up. 
  182. ↑ "Australian Commodore and Amiga Review, the - Volume 6 Issue 2 (1989-02)(Saturday Magazine)(AU)". February 1989. https://archive.org/details/Australian_Commodore_and_Amiga_Review_The_Volume_6_Issue_2_1989-02_Saturday_Magazine_AU/page/n9/mode/2up. 
  183. ↑ "FTC report: retailers clamping down on M-rated game sales". Ars Technica. Condé Nast Publications. 8 May 2008. https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2008/05/ftc-report-retailers-clamping-down-on-m-rated-game-sales/. 
  184. ↑ Boyd, S. Gregory (1 November 2010). "Video Game Regulation and the Supreme Court: Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchants Association". Gamasutra. UBM plc. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/6191/video_game_regulation_and_the_.php. 
  185. ↑ Kravets, David (27 June 2011). "States May Not Ban Sale, Rental of Violent Videogames to Minors". Wired (Condé Nast Publications). https://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/06/violent-video-games-scotus/. Retrieved 16 December 2013. 
  186. ↑ "Topless teen sues over 'The Guy Game'". https://www.cnet.com/news/topless-teen-sues-over-the-guy-game/. 
  187. ↑ "The Guy Game banned, goes straight to video". http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-guy-game-banned-goes-straight-to-video/1100-6128746/. 
  188. ↑ "Epic judgment doubled, Silicon Knights ordered to pay over $9 million. Silicon Knights were ordered to pay $4.45 Million in damages to Epic Games.". 9 November 2012. http://www.vg247.com/2012/11/09/epic-judgment-doubled-silicon-knights-ordered-to-pay-over-9-million/. 
  189. ↑ "Silicon Knights, Inc. v. Epic Games, Inc. Filing: 862". http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/north-carolina/ncedce/5:2007cv00275/89570/862/. 
  190. ↑ "We could use more 'Adults Only' games, says ESRB's Vance". Gamasutra. 10 April 2012. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/168266/We_could_use_more_Adults_Only_games_says_ESRBs_Vance.php. 
  191. ↑ "Why the Adults Only rating may be pointless and harmful to games as an art form". Polygon. Vox Media. 10 February 2014. http://www.polygon.com/2014/2/10/5362502/adults-only-rating-pointless-and-harmful-games-as-art-form. 
  192. ↑ Kuchera, Ben (20 February 2014). "The cold war on the Adults Only rating must stop if gaming is to grow up". Polygon. http://www.polygon.com/2014/2/10/5397680/the-cold-war-on-the-ao-rating-must-stop-if-gaming-is-to-grow-up. 
  193. ↑ "A history of (muted) violence". Polygon. Vox Media. 8 August 2013. http://www.polygon.com/features/2013/8/8/4595050/adults-only-ao-games. 
  194. ↑ "EA kills 'Thrill Kill' game before release". ZDNet. October 15, 1998. http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-512347.html. 
  195. ↑ "Hidden sex scenes hit GTA rating". BBC News. 21 July 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4702737.stm. 
  196. ↑ "San Andreas rated AO, Take-Two suspends production". GameSpot. CNET Networks. http://www.gamespot.com/news/6129500.html. 
  197. ↑ "FTC Hot Coffee ruling scalds, but doesn't burn Take-Two". GameSpot. CNET Networks. http://www.gamespot.com/news/6152490.html. 
  198. ↑ "Uzbekistan bans video games over 'distorting values'" (in en-GB). BBC News. 2017-05-30. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40089679. 




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