The Witcher - Rated "Mature"
 

So, CD Projekt has announced The Witcher has been through two ratings boards - German players in particular will be pleased:
More information.

Note that this is uncensored for the German version and with censored nudity for the yanks

No surprise. I expected a 16 in Germany. BPjM and USK have a problem with shooters and politically intolerant scenarios, but generally not with RPGs.
The only question was if Atari would have a typical case of "foreign publisher misunderstands German rating system" and insist on cuts before sending the game to the USK. Thank god the answer is "No".

btw., the USK lists the tested version as "multilingual".

I'm guessing it'll be an 18 from the BBFC.

I was concerned about AO based on some of the stuff they were saying, so this is good …

Yeah, well, they did have to censor it a bit. But yeah, it's good. I won't miss pixelated nudity, it's never been my thing

yeah..great news. way to hype a game.

meh :P

Brother None
"Yeah, well, they did have to censor it a bit"
So you mean there is cut/removed cotent in the US version?
Any chance I could find out more about this info, I looked on the thread link posted and don't see references to cut content there, either?

Thanks. :)

I want the original even if I have to pay $100 for an import like G3.

I thought G3 was uncut over there?

UK version is likely to be 18, and legally binding (offense to sell to under 18s), which I think is a good way to go.

Yup, they removed the naughty postcards you get for getting into bed with da ladeez. (Possibly also the bit about getting into bed with da ladeez altogether.)

In any case, I'm under the impression that it's not exactly central to the experience.

Prime Junta
"Yup, they removed the naughty postcards……"
Ahh to bad, well I am sure your correct about not being central but honestly I don't need the government deciding what they think I should and should not see in a game, so I will get the EU version as well.

Thanks. :)

@Acleacius, that's not the government -- that's industry self-regulation at its finest. I agree though, it's silly.

Yes, it is industry self-regulation, the ratings, except in Germany and possibly in the UK as well?

I, too, agree, that it seems silly to make an 18+ game (or 17+) and then (perhaps) cut some naughty postcards from it. I mean, if you're 18+, you're of legal age, and should be able to decide for yourself, if and when you would like to see naughty postcards in a game. How naugthy are these postcard anyway? Are they similar to the socalled French postcards? circulating in the beginning of the 2oth century? If they are, they don't offend me, nor will they offend any normal European, I think.

I just went to PEGI's site, no rating yet. But it could either be 16+ or 18+,
I think. But since the German version did get rated 16+ with all the content in it, I'm guessing that The Witcher probably will recieve a 16+ rating as well from PEGI.

And the whole ratings things is moot anyways as people in the UK or in Germany or Australia or the US just will import the European versions of games, regardless of the costs.

Ah, the delight of the internet…

This isn't hype or PR, merely information and in that regard, greatly appreciated.

I'm scanning the threads at the Witcher forums looking for exact info from developers about what was actually changed but can't find it … where is your source?

In my estimation the number of people who will actually do that as a percentage of total sales doesn't even amount to 'rounding error' …

Sorry, I can't find it now. I came across this tidbit in an article some time last June IIRC. Could have been GamersHell. IOW, treat it as hearsay for the time being, and knock off some brownie points from me for not putting in this disclaimer.

Funny how they don't remove the bedding of women from the porn industry.

But then I forgot the beautiful way women are portrayed in porno.

Germany is also self-regulated, although the USK has to remain consistent with decisions made before they became the "official" rating institution. The USK has to deny a rating if they consider a game endangering for the youth according to the established standards. More harmless games receive an "18" (aka "KJ"). The BPjM, an independent branch of the Department of the Interior, can only decide about the fate of games without a USK-rating. Possible verdicts are:
(a) not dangerous for the youth -> now the USK can give this game an "18"; example: God of War. Games with compensating elements can be rounded up to this verdict, for example Counterstrike.
(b) dangerous but not to the extend defined in certain paragraphs covering all media (Nazi symbols, child pornography, snuff, very extreme violence, etc.), for example C&C Generals (Glorification of war, throwing nukes on civilists), many shooters, Crusader. -> The infamous "Index" or "Liste A". Selling to adults is still allowed, but advertizing at all in places accessible for minors, which means commercial death.
(c) the cases listed in the bracket under (b). The BPjM will hand over the survey to the prosecution and recommend the game be confiscated. Prosecution and court routinely follow this advice. -> "Confiscated" aka "Liste B". Possession and personal use, as in "I" but neither "you" nor "we" still allowed. Everything else might even be a crime! Latest example: Dead Rising.

A tricky detail, to the good or bad:
There is no negative list of things to avoid. Every game is evaluated on its own. Positive aspects like teamplay, communication, strategic requirements, non-violent alternatives, quests, etc. may compensate for questionable ideology, reflexive killing, excessive violence and maybe even much of it. But of course you can never be sure …

"Partial Nudity" :( "Violence" :(
Should be "Nudity" and "Sexual Violence"
as seen here:
http://www.esrb.org/ratings/ratings_guide.jsp

Porn movies are rated X, not sold by any big retailers, and are restricted from kids being able to easily get at them.

A game could be rated AO, released and sold digitally and through other channels in order to preserve full content. It just wouldn't be carried by the major retailers.

Prime Junta
"that's industry self-regulation at its finest"

Sounds like we agree but maybe each are referring to different origins, maybe it's a matter of perspective or I didn't word it accurately, but the regulatory body that over sees the rating system are government lackeys and shills, if that’s any clearer.

Examples of these appointments running offices capable of pressing charges would be FCC and an example of a similar board would be the motion picture industry rating board, which are for the most part plants and was exposed in a documentary this year or last.

The current government is supporting the suppression of speech and individual rights by appointing people who m are willing violate constitutional protections and not prosecuting violators.

Back on topic.
I do hope we can find out more about the possible cut content, as I would like to see something official, as well.

Iirc, Mature as it's said to rated here in the US is equilivant to an R rating in moives which allows frontal nudity and sexual scenes.

Yep, and because of that they can do pretty much whatever they like and need no advertising. You just have to click the adult section on any major retailers web-site to find porn. I'm not going to link em here but I bet most if not all online major retails sell vast amounts.

From what I saw isn't it just a pair of drawn tits in this game? It's more comedy then sex.

Should have rated it Immature from what I've seen ^^.

sounds like they are using it as hype to me. If they merely wanted to inform I think they would just give it.

couldn't agree more. but that's usually the case. I mean, how many adults actually watch the shows on Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim"?

again..meh.

Well, if it was hype, I would expect something more than a forum post. I'd say it's information for those in the community who wanted to know. If it was pr hype, you'd surely see a little more flamboyant bunch of press releases.

Removing the naughty postcards is something I have no problem with though, as it is indeed a bit immature and detracts from me taking the "adult themes" idea seriously. However, I could just as easily have ignored it, so the censorship is unnecessary,really. :)

Exactly my reaction (and first indication that all may not be as well as they
sound with this game) when I first read about it a couple of months back…
(they first announced the content cuts for NA in early summer I think)

Hype? Come on. It's a straight-up forum post with no embellishment other than saying German players will be happy they don't have green blood. And as far as I can see - they are.

"naughty postcards"
I just have to ask, wth are naughty postcards?

EU slang for sex? jiggly bits?
If a female wants to show me her "naughty postcards" should I smile or run? :p

I even tried to goggle fu it, but only gives me real naughty postcards. :)

Postcards with 'naughty' pictures.

Finally a game where my damn barbarian character can act like a barbarian…

Well there's hype and there's hype. Anything that promotes something is hype, it doesn't necessarily have to be the overblown, stuff it down your throat kind of hype like in Oblivion or the movie Armageddon for it to be called that.

So maybe there's two misunderstandings here. One with the definition of hype (not necessarily a bad thing) and

I see "Great news, you get ..(an) uncensored game" that 16 year olds can buy and you see "Great news..no green blood."

Exactly what it says. Apparently, if you manage to bed a wench, you get a naughty postcard. Like, if she's a milkmaid, she's pouring milk on her mammaries.

(Yep, that was a bit of an uh… what? moment when I first read about it.)

Can you begin to imagine what will happen on some boards!! Little tweenies will be offering to swap/sell them. "I'll trade 2 milkmaids for one bar wench!!"

Corwin, I don't know how to break this to you gently, but… there *are* pictures of entirely naked women available for free on the Internet. The tweenies don't even have to trade them, since they can make perfect copies. ;)

Egad! Someone is messing with my clean, pure internet?!?!

Next you'll tell me there are message boards that seem to function entirely for people to flame each other.

Shh. One thing at a time. I've heard he has a dicky ticker.

I might never recover!! I was referring to 'game' based postcards, not general ones!!

I'll bet that gogamer.com will sell the import version for America. They usually sell import versions of censored games.