South Park - Censoring

Myrthos

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Rock Paper Shotgun have an article on censoring of South park: The Stick of Truth for consoles, but with none for the PC version.

Some of the censored scenes include:

  • A mini-game in which the doctor is performing an abortion on the player.
  • A mini-game in which the player is performing an abortion on the character Randy.
  • Five anal probing scenes involving someone actively being probed. The scenes play out as normal before and after the active probing sequences.
Apparently PC gamers are considered to be more mature and able to handle this type of content.

More information.
 
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Who said PC gamers aren't the most hardcore of all.
Here is the proof.
Argument settled.
 
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abortion, blasphemy, violence as casual.. they need to start putting those in school
 
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I don't see a point of censoring anything anywhere at all. Instead of paying some people to put "peep" they could just glue a foul language warning on the box and that's it. Two benefits would come from it: less costs and everyone happy.
 
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Apparently PC gamers are considered to be more mature and able to handle this type of content.
Microsoft/Sony have ultimate say over what can and can't be in the games sold for their systems, and they're likely the ones blocking it. Nobody has control over what someone can or can't put in a PC game, so no issues there.
 
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Well, Steam could probably deny selling a game due to its content if they wanted to. That would be a real killer for most PC titles. Still, they're not likely to do that, as it might give people a reason to visit other shops.
 
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Microsoft/Sony have ultimate say over what can and can't be in the games sold for their systems, and they're likely the ones blocking it. Nobody has control over what someone can or can't put in a PC game, so no issues there.
I think it is a bit more complicated. Microsoft and Sony do have a say in what they want or want not to be released on their consoles, but the rating committees in the countries decide on the rating of the game or even if it is accepted at all.
Censoring normally happens because the publisher is trying to get a specific rating and the game is unable to achieve that in certain countries. That is also applicable to PC games. There were PC games in the past that were censored in certain parts of the world too. Australia comes to mind as one of those areas.
 
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I bet money that it will be censored in several Euro countries. I'd be really amazed if I'm wrong in thinking that, assuming it does sell overseas. And I mean for the PC.
 
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I'm against any kind of censoring in games. But I still wonder whether I want to see those scenes.
 
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Well, they definitely captured the South Park vibe, complete with censorship controversy.
 
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Interestingly this could have the effect of significantly boosting sales in Europe by way of the Streisand Effect. That is if the news of the censorship, along with writers noting the oddly uncensored PC version, drives people who might otherwise not have bought it at all to buy it in order to see what the fuss is all about.


It is unlikely but there's always the small chance that Ubisoft calculated that the game wold not sell well on consoles in the EU anyways and is betting that they can drive more sales on the PC version through the controversy than they would lose on the consoles anyways. That would be a very risky marketting decision and the blowback if it was found out could be significant, so I doubt that's the case. But hey, maybe marketting people have cunning plans every now and then.
 
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Anal probing. How creative and cutting edge. Are the designers 16-years-old and designing for the 14-year-old demographic? I'm no prude, but this is just dumb. Yeah, I know, if I don't like it, don't buy it. Trust me; I won't for many reasons.
 
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Obsidian and anal probes seems kinda logical to me….South Park is just icing.

:D :D :D
 
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Anal probing. How creative and cutting edge. Are the designers 16-years-old and designing for the 14-year-old demographic? I'm no prude, but this is just dumb. Yeah, I know, if I don't like it, don't buy it. Trust me; I won't for many reasons.

Yeah, this game is obviously beneath someone as refined and sophisticated as you. ;)
 
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Sounds like an ordinary south park episode which is probably the experience they were trying to capture :)
 
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South Park is a blight on humanity with it's vile content. In a better world it would be forbidden!
 
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No RPG shall be complete without scenes of anal probing and abortion.

Maybe these should be included as criteria in the (final?) definition of a RPG.
 
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