Ubisoft pulls MindQuiz for offensive language

by Alexander Sliwinski { Jun 29th 2007 at 10:45AM }

Ubisoft has pulled MindQuiz for its use of an "offending word" to people with disabilities. The BBC story never goes into what the word is, but apparently it was bad enough for Ubisoft to pull the Brain Age rip-off and spare not only the disabled, but the rest of gamedom from its offensive language and gameplay. The game was released in March of 2007 on the DS, but has been out on the PSP since October. Apparently the offensive term only shows up in the DS version.

The issue came to light after a woman who has two family members with cerebral palsy was playing the game and became offended, contacted a BBC radio show, and the ball got rolling from there. An Ubisoft spokesman said, "As soon as we were made aware of the issue we stopped distribution of the product and are now working with retailers to pull the game off the market." Looks like a word slipped by QA. We have no idea what the word is, but that's two British gaming scandals that took months to get themselves rolling. The fact that the issue didn't show up in the states makes us wonder if this is one of the Elebits to Eledees issues where the offending word is very region specific.

Update: Thanks to Darry for the image and clearing up the curiosity.

Tags: disabilities, mindquiz, offense, ubisoft

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

MAL @ Jun 29th 2007 10:49AM

Retard!?

CowboyGA @ Jun 29th 2007 10:49AM

Spastic - since the complaint was for CP

CowboyGA @ Jun 29th 2007 10:51AM

Gimp would be humorous, too.

quazi @ Jun 29th 2007 10:52AM

mongoloid?

extras ftw!

Daniel @ Jun 29th 2007 11:11AM

Cripple?

Kizzle @ Jun 29th 2007 11:12AM

I can't believe "useless and withering cripple" was approved. FOR SHAME.

Anonymous @ Jun 29th 2007 11:14AM

Anybody that gets offended because of one little word
is a retard anyways.

CowboyGA @ Jun 29th 2007 11:26AM

Defective-pants-crapper is may be hyphenated, but it really isn't one word.

Shagittarius @ Jun 29th 2007 11:36AM

I suspect it was retard...but unless backed up by definition how could you get offended by that?

Retard: to slow up especially by preventing or hindering advance or accomplishment

hapes @ Jun 29th 2007 11:39AM

@ #9 Shagittarius

I'm offended by your use of the word 'up!'

On a more serious note, people get offended by the stupidest stuff.

Shagittarius @ Jun 29th 2007 11:40AM

At any rate I really need to know what this word was so I can try and fit 'Wii' in it somewhere.

Hirsbrunner @ Jun 29th 2007 11:42AM

Doorstop

Ian @ Jun 29th 2007 11:53AM

Yep, given the CP reference, I'm guessing "Spastic" or "spaz."

Here in India, those with CP are actually called Spastics. I have a calendar sponsored by the "Spastic Society of Tamil Nadu." No, there's no Spastic-of-the-month centerfold...

Shagittarius @ Jun 29th 2007 11:57AM

Ubisoft is probably hoping everyone will run out and buy a copy of this retarded game.

Its sorta like the Rockstar AO marketing scheme.

sheppy @ Jun 29th 2007 12:01PM

I'd say the offensive content comes from a sequence where a comically animated black gangsta throws around his bling and malt liquor while asking players if "you be down like a kid with an extra chromosome, son?"

Will @ Jun 29th 2007 12:09PM

if I was rockstar right now I would totally start working on 'Crip Hunter'

I know I'd buy it! :D

Hater3000 @ Jun 29th 2007 1:01PM

Maybe the word was British.

TWiNKiE @ Jun 29th 2007 1:12PM

I can't stand stupid people. Apparently, not even the game could save her from her stupid. I hate you lady.

Darry @ Jun 29th 2007 1:35PM

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/1944/superspazmd3.jpg

Tuatara @ Jun 29th 2007 1:40PM

I second the "brainstorm" = "offensive word" comment. I still throw it around just to piss overly sensitive people. Fuck political correctness.

ZapDash @ Jun 29th 2007 2:01PM

If Brainstorm is the same as Thought Shower.

And Thought Shower is similar to Golden Shower.

And Golden Shower the same as Water Sports.

Is Brainstorm similar to Water Sports?

If you answered true, then you're thinking with the power of Wii.

ryan @ Jun 29th 2007 2:04PM

it was english

Hater3000 @ Jun 29th 2007 2:05PM

I love how you people defend this crappy game.The game is an awful Brain age knock off anyway,Ban it,burn it for what i care.

Anyway an insult is an insult I guess but I dont think the game creators had people with mental disabilities in mind when they put that in the game.Is like when you say retard in the internet you dont really meant people with mental disabilities you just want to call someone stupid.

They should watch what they put in that sort of games,You never know who are you going to offend.They should change the text to "Its official,You Suck" instead.

Kizzle @ Jun 29th 2007 2:30PM

"They should change the text to "Its official,You Suck" instead."

They can't. Stealing Shao Khan's catchphrase is forbidden.

Mike @ Jun 29th 2007 2:35PM

The problem with "you suck" is that it has sexual connotations. It doesn't just mean "you aren't good at that." It also means "you perform fellatio" which is what makes it offensive. I would bet a lot of middle aged people might be offended if a game said their young children perform fellatio.

Sir Unimaginative @ Jun 29th 2007 2:53PM

The only thing I have to say is 'FUCK you, Ubisoft'.

No, I'm serious. The last thing this industry needs - not just right now but ever - is self-censorship. If it gives in to all of this PC 'can't be violent or provocative or anything' thinking and does it to itself, we as a community lose, and the potential of video games becoming formally recognised as an art form is more or less permanently curtailed.

Blee @ Jun 29th 2007 3:51PM

This current wave of over-sensitivity to videogames, including the banning of Manhunt 2 and the banning of a Burnout Dominator -ad-, is highly disconcerting. It seems like politicians, lobbyist groups, special interest groups and anyone with a chip on their shoulder are honing in on the videogame industry's present tendency to bend to the will of anyone who finds -any- thing even abstractly offensive, freedom of speech be damned.

This incident barely makes a blip on the radar when it comes to things that are -actually- offensive. The hypersensitive individuals who constantly claim offenses should be called out for their continual cries of wolf. But it seems like the vocal minority always overpowers the silent majority, all in the name of political correctness.

mattydread @ Jun 29th 2007 4:34PM

Now I have the urge to use the word 'spastic' inappropriately. Thanks lady!

sqwert @ Jun 29th 2007 8:09PM

http://cycopl.googlepages.com/mindquiz.jpg

I really don't see what's so offensive...

BlueNocturne @ Jun 29th 2007 9:29PM

Brain Age ripoff? This game was developed by Sega and the series has been around BEFORE Nintendo created Brain Age.

Kris @ Jun 29th 2007 11:01PM

I think the use of this term in a game is totally offensive, and it should get pulled. Imagine if the word was printed on the side of a cereal box or some other household product.

For you people citing "Special interest groups" responsible for this "censorship", try to imagine yourself as a minority. They are fighting to maintain some dignity and respect in a society that basically shuns and marginalizes them.

If videogames want to be taken seriously as art they should demonstrate a sensitivity to the issues facing society at large, not just the 18-30 able-bodied white male demographic.

Sir Unimaginative @ Jun 30th 2007 2:20AM

Ey, Kris? When was the last time you saw anything worthy of being called 'art' go out of its way to not step on anyone's toes?

Twinkie @ Jun 30th 2007 3:00PM

I can't stand stupid people. Apparently, not even the game could save her from her stupid.

Aldyn @ Jun 30th 2007 9:33PM

i didn't understand why "spastic" was offensive at first, but now i get it.

it's pretty much the same as if it said "0% - Extremely Retarded"

shMerker @ Jul 1st 2007 9:26AM

I find it difficult to believe most people even know that this word has any connection with cerebral palsy. Neither google nor dictionary.com mention it when trying to define spastic.

I wish people would go into more detail about what they mean by "offended". I've never been able to empathize with the sensitivity many people have to some labels. I suspect there are many like me. Are American white males simply born into a different world than everyone else? I can't think of one word someone could use that would make me angry on principal on my own behalf. I've been taught all my life to pay attention to thesse things, but to be totally honest, I really don't understand why.

spamulike05 @ Jul 2nd 2007 8:12AM

@ 32
"Imagine if the word was printed on the side of a cereal box or some other household product"

When I was a kid in th Uk w there was actually a genuine charity called "the spastics society", but over the years, somehow the term became offensive, so they changed their name.

It is similar to the use of the word "gay" which did not originally mean what it means today. I am not saying "gay" is necessarily an offensive word, just that the meaning has changed over time.

Now however, we also see the word "gay" used as a derogatory term, so maybe their will come a time when, just like the word "spastic", the word "gay" will become purely an offensive word, and gay and lesbian support groups will drop the term like the spastic society did.

I know I am going on a bit, but my point really is that language and it's useage changes very rapidly over relativley short periods of time, so it oftem surprises me just how offended people can get over what they percieve as inappropriate language.