US and Europe Ratings released

Dew · Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 11:41 pm Post subject: US and Europe Ratings released

No Nipples? Blasted Crom!
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Griven · Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 1:07 am Post subject:

Oh thank you, THANK YOU, ESRB for telling me what I can and cannot see in my entertainment! I am so down with decapitations, blood, gore, and maulings, but those nipples have got to go. Even for mature audiences like us, those nipples are just too over the top. COODIES!
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Now in all seriousness, it's this kind of douchebaggery on the part of our ratings board that pisses me off. M for mature. Decapitations are mature, but nipples are just off the charts pornographic? What the fu... Who the hell is on the ratings board anyway? The lovechild of Jerry Falwell and Charles Manson?

I wonder if bringing in the Euro version of the game will unlock all the content, or if they're filtering by IP ranges. If it's the former, then we can expect imported copies of Age of Conan to cost a pretty penny (and since when did nipples cost anything but?). If it's the latter, then both Funcom and the ESRB can shove the game up their asses--if it'll fit.
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Dew · Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 1:10 am Post subject:

The game will be regional, so Europe version on Eruo server etc, but come on, its an art change, dont tell me this wont be one of the first mods out the door.... probably secretly released by a developer smile

I would rather my kids see a nipple than a decapitation, but lets face it, they can find all that on google.
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xyryn · Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 6:28 am Post subject:

Most kids start off life by seeing nipples at least 5 times a day. Wonder why those become such a taboo subject?
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Griven · Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 6:29 am Post subject:

Because by the time half of them turn 12, they want to see them twenty more times a day.

To avoid annoying anyone, they had to do something...
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I like my coffee like I like my women. Ground up and in the freezer.

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Jaminos · Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 2:23 pm Post subject:

UPDATE

A few hours later after hundreds of AOC fans complained there was a re release of the information saying Americans will see nipples just not full nudity. The dev was mistakened and quickly put up the correct information.

http://forums.ageofconan.com/showthread.php?t=55373
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Dew · Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 6:16 pm Post subject:

Ah, high beams but no V-J-J....I can live with that....back in those times of Conan, I can imagine those were pretty un-kept.
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Sai'nu · Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 6:49 pm Post subject:

So...

People were getting their panties in a twist because they thought there weren't going to be nipples over will it be a buggy game at launch?

Almost as hilarious to think about as the butt slider. laughing

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I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve. ---Bilbo Baggins.

Dew · Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 6:56 pm Post subject:

I think the subject of regional release is a touchy subject, specially when it comes to features being different between the games. So on the surface it looks like an issue over people wanting to see nipples, but I think the true issue is the fact that people want everything that is available from one version to the next.

It is silly to see the restictions they put up for this region or that. Growing up in Canada, there was a TV show on about a hockey player, it was aired on English and French channels, on the French there was full nudity, on English, it was all censored. Does that make any sense to anyone? If the answer is no, then you can understand the concern from the article above.
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Sai'nu · Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 7:16 pm Post subject:

Similar to the SWG regional thing with the digital download rewards like the Naboo ITV.

It still seems silly to think about in this case though. laughing

In the end people got what they wanted so that at least is a plus.
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I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve. ---Bilbo Baggins.

Griven · Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:21 pm Post subject:

Dew · Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:29 pm Post subject:

Sai'nu · Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:42 pm Post subject:

True, but it isn't surprising either. Europe tends to have far less taboo subjects than how we view them here in the U.S. What you bring up about the television in Canada is a great example as well.

I can see it now. Butt slider censored in Japan. Nipples censored in the U.S.

Everything in Taiwan and in most European Countries excluding France is Full Monty Conan.

Game Experience May Change During Online Modding
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I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve. ---Bilbo Baggins.

Jaminos · Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:58 pm Post subject:

There never was full nudity except for the slaves and when Conan initiated in Bow-chika-wow-wow mode. There was some countries that had priests who did not wear tops but that was it. There never was full nudity in AoC just nipples. But see that is not what got me angry. It was the fact I was not getting everything I payed for because it offends someone.
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Salocin · Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 2:27 am Post subject:

I've never been angry about it, just perplexed. It's fine to show a man's head get slashed off and blood spurt out of it. That's fun and games. But a nipple? That's WAY over the line!

Censorship is funneling games into the pretty and shallow category. What developer is going to spend money making a game with actual mature themes, perhaps have tasteful nudity, realistic characters, perhaps a bit of swearing, just to have it rated AO and not be sold on most store shelves? Why not just make Blood Explosion 3: Rivers of Gore (Now...with SUPER GRAPHICS!) and make a crapload of money?

I'm all for having a private business censor the medium over the government doing it (they've shown many times that they have no idea what games even are), but the ESRB needs to get their crap together. Maybe take a few cues from PEGI.
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