When it comes to censorship in gaming, different countries have different standards of what is appropriate and what is not. For example, what might be acceptable in the US may not be acceptable in places like Japan. However, it would appear that these rules aren’t as strict as we first thought, at least that’s what the General Manager of Electronic Arts Japan feels.
In a series of tweets, Shaun Noguchi, the general manager of EA Japan, points out that the Computer Entertainment Rating Organisation (CERO) has allowed the upcoming action title Stellar Blade to release uncensored – but outright banned Dead Space in Japan for featuring the same type of content. As for what type of content was featured, Shaun Noguchi goes into detail in one of his tweets, with the translation reading “The Stellar Blade demo was really fun and absolutely action packed. However, CERO, you denied our Dead Space a rating because it included cross-sections of severed body parts and internal organs, but here we have both cross-sections and insides on display passed off with a CERO D rating. I find this hard to accept.”
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the rating system, when a game receives a CERO D rating, it means that individuals who are 17 and older can purchase the game. If a game is given a Z rating, this means that the game can only be purchased by individuals who are 18 and older. Dead Space, despite featuring the same level of gore and violence as Stellar Blade, received no rating at all from CERO. When a game does not receive a rating, that means the game is not available for purchase in Japan.
It should be noted that while Stellar Blade is mentioned directly, Shaun Noguchi’s comments are not directed towards the game or its developers, SHIFT UP. His comments are instead directed towards CERO for the unfair rating. If there was any doubt about his good faith, he later tweets to encourage others to buy Stellar Blade.
