Kotaku: Ban

Swiss Police Call for Ban on The Darkness II [Updated]

Brian Crecente — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 12:20:00 EDT

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A Swiss police association is calling for a ban on The Darkness II because the game includes moments of police being shot and killed, a Swiss newspaper reports. More »

A Country With No Late Night Online Gaming

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 06:30:00 EST

Starting March 3, those hoping to play online games between 10pm and 8am in Vietnam will need to find a workaround. The country's Ministry of Information and Communication has asked internet service providers to block access to online games. More »

Blizzard Prepares To Ban StarCraft II Cheaters

Mike Fahey — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 14:30:00 EDT

StarCraft II players using unauthorized hacks and modifications to get a leg up on the competition might want to give fair play a try, as a Blizzard statement indicates the end of the line is in sight for cheaters. More »

Years Later, Argentina Bans Rape Video Game

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 04:00:00 EDT

Argentina has banned controversial adult computer game Rapelay. Rape games have been banned in Japan. So what gives Argentina? More »

Rebellion Refuses To "Sanitise" AVP For Australian Release

Mike Fahey — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:20:00 EST

Responding Australia's refusal to classify upcoming shooter Aliens vs. Predator, developer Rebellion says it will not cut violent content for "territories where adults are not considered by their governments to be able to make their own entertainment choices." Ouch. More »

Scottish Hotel Bans Video Games

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:00:00 EST

Forget your PSP and DS at home! The oldest family-run hotel in Scotland, the Crieff Hydro, is asking guests not to bring video game hardware this holiday season in order to "restore traditional family values". More »

Major Nelson Weighs In On 360 Console Bans

Mike Fahey — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:20:00 EST

Microsoft's Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb discusses the recent string of Xbox Live piracy console bannings, delivering an important caveat to those purchasing used machines in the process. More »

Xbox Live Smashes Mass Banhammer on Pirates

Owen Good — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 01:30:00 EDT

"A small percentage" of Xbox Live users with modded consoles that allowed pirated games to play woke up to find an early treat in their Halloween bag: a banhammer. More »

Australian Silent Hill: Homecoming Ban Lifted

Mike Fahey — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:40:00 EST

One of many titles banned in Australia last year due to a rather wonky classification system, Konami's Silent Hill: Homecoming has now been granted a rating of MA15+, clearing it for launch. More »

Dead Space Ban: Fact or Fiction?

Maggie Greene — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Remember the recent news that Dead Space has been banned in China, Japan, and Germany? Well, GamePolitics isn't buying it, saying the news doesn't pass the 'smell test' for a variety of reasons. Dead Space cleared both Australia's 'notoriously censorious' OFLC and the UK's BBFC (the same commission that banned Manhunt 2); Germany perhaps makes sense, but "Japan? The home of Resident Evil?"; and, oh yeah, the lack of any word from EA on the issue: More »

A Call to Ban

Brian Crecente — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT

I woke this morning to find Kotaku at a crossroads, one peopled with a mob. It seems there's a decision to be made: Do we want Kotaku to be represented by the chatter of a thousand voices, people trying to be heard over one another, many not stopping to think before they talk. Or do we want to cull the crowd, reduce the noise so our many intelligent readers can still be heard over the roar and those who speak take the time to think, to read before doing so. More »

Chinese Government Cracking Down on Online Gaming

Maggie Greene — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 12:30:38 EST

Despite governmental efforts to the contrary (gaming addiction 'bootcamps,' time-limiting systems and the like), China's gaming population just refuses to be fenced in. The Chinese market is growing by leaps and bounds, which - unsurprisingly - is making the government just a wee bit skittish. Due to rampant piracy, lack of game ratings, and more illegal internet cafés than you can shake a stick at, the government is worried over reports of rising numbers of gaming addicts (and what they see as a related rise in juvenile crime). Will the fact that previous measures haven't exactly had the desired effects mean that the CCP is going to throw their hands up in defeat? Of course not: More »

Mass Effect Ban or Not, Singapore Authority "Get Creative"

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 07:00:38 EST

Just because Singapore is strict doesn't mean its dull and conservative. Take Mass Effect, for example. The country's Media Development Authority banned Mass Effect for alien lesbian sex, but then the MDA retracted its ban. See, they're open minded! But what kind of governing body is the MDA? Is it a bunch of stiff, dull Singaporeans in business suits. Yes. Yes, it is. However! They are stiff, dull folks who enjoy making rap videos about how creative they are. Click on the above 4 minute clip and listen closely. That sound you hear is our collective jaw hitting the floor. MDA Is So Cool [GameAxis, Thanks Aaron!] More »

Girl-on-Girl Gets Mass Effect Banned In Singapore

Mark Wilson — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 12:40:20 EST

You know all that female on quasi-female alien action in Mass Effect? Don't play dumb, pervs. We all know it's the hottest quasi-female alien scene since Total Recall (and before that, probably the original Star Trek). Anyway, according to GameAxis, that juicy content has gotten Bioware's game banned in Singapore. And as far as we're concerned, restricting mature audiences from enjoying the fruits of love's labor between two hot, anatomically-compatible humanoids is outright un-American. More »

Sony Bans PSP Homebrew Talk on Forums

Mark Wilson — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 15:40:24 EDT

SCEA has said no more posting about PSP homebrew on their forums.

Homebrew applications void the warranty of the PSP®(PlayStation®Portable) system, and an official area to discuss such activities cannot be provided by SCEA. Any postings that are clearly homebrew-related, such as those providing instructions on downgrading firmware updates, will be removed from this board.

But is it really any surprise? More »

Wonder Why Germany Bans Games?

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 08:40:05 EDT

Sure, Germans love banning games. But, why? German fella 3r0t1c n3rd over at game blog Destructoid does a great job explaining the situation. Let's dive right on in: More »

Rockstar Appeals Manhunt 2 Ban

Mark Wilson — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 12:40:11 EDT

After nearly six weeks of silence since UK's Manhunt 2 ban, Rockstar has filed for a hearing with the Videogame Appeals Committee, an entity with the power to overturn the existing ruling by the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification). More »

Former ESPLA Boss Talks Banning

Kim Phu — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 15:40:00 EDT

The boss who formerly headed up the the ESPLA in the UK has voiced his concerns on the BBFC Manhunt banning. The ex-director general of the UK games regulator, Roger Bennett, has started questioning whether or not the firm understands the long-term repercussions of the ruling, and believes that the government and the BBFC have become "heavily influenced by anti-game prejudice". More »

Insiders Say Manhunt 2 Australia Not Likely

Kim Phu — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 13:40:00 EDT

Australia may be the next country to ban the sale Manhunt 2. The original Manhunt game was released in the country back in 2003 with an MA15+ classification, but after the UK's decision to ban the sequel, it seems that insiders at the Federal Government's Attorney Generals Department are starting to think about Manhunt 2's future in the land down under. According to the report at Smarthouse: More »

PACHTER WATCH: T2's Costly Manhunt Problems

Mike Fahey — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 10:20:39 EDT

Yesterday was a really bad day for Take Two. First Manhunt 2 is banned completely in the UK and Ireland. Then they reveal that the ESRB has given the dubious distinction of being one of very few non-porn games to recieve an AO rating (GTA San Andreas ironically being one of the others). And now industry analyst extraordinaire Michael "Master P" Pachter is spelling out doom for the franchise and financial trouble for the company over the game. More »

Blizzard Bans Entire Guild For Cheating

Michael McWhertor — Sat, 04 Nov 2006 12:20:04 EST

After the Overrated guild—their name, not my opinion—decided to install wall hacks to make the raid to Temple of Ahn'Qiraj boss C'Thun a little bit easier, Blizz decided to issue some bans. So they banned the whole guild. More »

Multi-Tap: A Week In Comments

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 15:22:42 EDT

Castle Crashers... HORRIFICALLY RACIST! More »

No Gears for Germany!

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 06:22:49 EDT

First, Dead Rising gets "nixed" by Germany's rating board, the Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle, and next up on its chopping block: Gears of War. The USK has decided not to rate the chainsaw-gun-shooting game. Instead of making the necessary changes to get approval for sale, Microsoft has decided not to publish the game in Deutschland. So, we call all safely say this USK pretty much sucks, huh? Brian Ashcraft More »

Multi-Tap: A Week In Comments

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 14:23:30 EDT

Here It Is, The PS3 Remote More »

Australian Ratings Board Explains Reservoir Dog Whacking

brownlee — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 10:40:18 EDT

So, hey, exactly why was the Reservoir Dogs game banned in Australia? The Office of Film and Literature Classification has clarified their initial statement, pointing out specific moments of sick, wanton violence. More »

E3's Random Half-Naked Woman: The Video

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 14:22:17 EDT

Remember this Wonder Woman? She was tossed out of E3 for wearing bikini briefs. She claimed she was wearing proper shorts, and who's to argue with Wonder Woman? Apparently, Staples Center security as the lass was promptly thrown out on her bottom. More »

FFXI Hits Farmers With the Ban Stick

lsmith — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 08:40:44 EST

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Making the move that almost every MMO known to humankind needs to make, Square Enix and PlayOnline pulled out a heavy dose of the ban stick in their MMORPG Final Fantasy XI, according to a press release. The release makes it sound like a Shield-esque strike team effort, though instead of guns and drugs, think Game Masters poring over "Gil" (FFXI's currency) records and banning the bejesus out of some Gil farmers. More »