Crap-Detector: EA announces Dead Space is banned in several countries
There’s been a lot of noise recently surrounding Dead Space, that survival-horror shooter by EA, and it has something to do with the game being allegedly banned in several countries at once. According to EA community manager Ben Swanson, “Dead Space will be banned in Germany, China, and Japan.”
Interestingly, it’s not quite an open and shut case. GamePolitics somehow managed to smell something foul. Their reasons?
- “Germany, perhaps. They’ve been tough on game violence of late. But Japan? The home of Resident Evil?
- Does EA even distribute console games in China (due to piracy concerns)?
- No announcements from the individual censorship bodies of the three nations?
- All three bans come in simultaneously?
- Also of note, Australia’s notoriously censorious OFLC cleared Dead Space with MA15+
- And the BBFC, which banned Manhunt 2 in the U.K., cleared Dead Space with 18
- No official press release from EA on the alleged bans?”
What’s even more fascinating is that a GamePolitics reader, presumably from Germany, commented that Dead Space has not been banned in the country. According to the reader, products can’t be banned in Germany until they’re actually available. Since Dead Space is shipping on October 24 in Europe, there’s no way it can be banned in Germany just yet.
It’s not just GamePolitics saying that the game wasn’t really banned. Even Videogaming247 revealed that a German-language report by Eurogamer.de says otherwise.
So why the deception? Evidently, any publicity is good publicity for EA’s PR. When gamers find out that a certain game is banned because of its violence, the temptation of getting said violent game seems too great to resist. Makes sense? Apparently so.
Please EA, spare us the crap. If Dead Space is truly banned, then say so. If it’s not banned, then shut up.
Image of Dead Space is brought to us by EA, unfortunately.
