Microsoft has confirmed that
Gears of War 2 will be "
banned" in Germany and won't release in Japan. Per standard operating procedures in these situations, the title was refused a rating in Germany, which means it cannot be sold in the country. The news isn't exactly shocking considering the original
Gears of War was also verboten in Deutchland.
The Germany ban was expected, but lack of Japanese release is a little surprising. It could have been the violence was just too over-the-top for the ratings board there -- even with the game's
optional gore and language filter.
Update: We're not exactly clear on the Japan situation.
We've contacted Microsoft to find out if the game was refused classification or wasn't even submitted for a rating. Microsoft responded to our request stating: "We have no announcements to make about
Gears of War 2 releasing in Japan at this time."
[Via
X3F]
{ Oct 22nd 2008 at 7:00PM } 
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Stridery @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:06PM
Mmmmm gore.....
Po Panda @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:08PM
They allow Germans to play video games? They have fun over there?...
theturtle363 @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:45PM
you get the Germans too happy over the sight of blood, even digital, and there'll be hell to pay
meist3r @ Oct 23rd 2008 4:49AM
Germany here: Would import the game from Austria ... they don't seem to have that big of a problem with excessive violence. Don't own a 360 though so I don't give a crap. Historic reference/Hogan's Heros joke anyone?
Poisoned Al @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:30AM
I thought you would know better then to trust things from Austria.
Travis @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:09PM
is this some "To Be Determined" punishment carried over from WWII?
Hyams @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:09PM
Why not just make the optional filter a compulsory filter?
WRE @ Oct 22nd 2008 9:22PM
What if flowers came out of the Locust instead of blood? What if the lancer had a back massager on the end instead of a chainsaw? Could everyone enjoy it then?
J @ Oct 22nd 2008 9:58PM
LOL WRE. I get it!!
Jawmuncher @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:18PM
I was just wondering when a game gets banned in germany does it get banned from the U.S. bases as well?
007craft @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:21PM
the game is banned from SALE in germany, not from playing. So you can still import it. Unless US bases have video game shops, Im pretty sure you they wont be buying the game locally.
KingOfGods @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:22PM
US bases and embassy are considered US soil
Jawmuncher @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:25PM
Thanks for the help guys. It's just been something i've wondered about for awhile.
yeahtheydo @ Oct 22nd 2008 9:03PM
Yeah, they sell video games on base at the exchange (AAFES)
Brodo @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:27PM
The Japan Ban isnt surprising at all since its not like they would make a gory shooter! I mean they didnt make Resident Evil 4 or anything like that, that would be absurd!
Jimiisama @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:57PM
The Japanese version of Resident Evil 4 was actually mildly censored.
Zeus.:God @ Oct 22nd 2008 8:54PM
It's because the Xbox 360 is selling better than the PS3 over there!
MAN THE HARPOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONS!!!
Eric @ Oct 22nd 2008 9:52PM
We're talking about the land of pixelated porn here. Is this really that big of a surprise?
Sam Zebian @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:29PM
alright I understand why Germany banned this (they banned the first gears too) and if you don't know why, listen to one of major nelson's podcasts, he interviews this guy about the games there. He says they don't care for nudity, but they dislike excessive violence, which is why they ban games like manhunt 2.
On the other hand, Japan, I am surprised at their rating board for banning gears. There are much more violent, albeit a little less gory, games out there (GTA for example), yet they still make ti through..... Maybe these guys are getting a little something something from Sony?? Who knows...
Heyyou27 @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:44PM
I don't think it has anything to do with the context of the violence as much as it is about the amount of gore in Gears of War 2. You can take your tin-foil hat off as Sony had nothing to do with the banning of this game. I'm also pretty sure what you are suggesting would be ILLEGAL and why would Sony even waste the resources to do this? The original only sold about 30,000 copies in Japan, so it's not a major threat over there. Here in the U.S. though, the numbers should be MUCH greater.
PSN: johnnynumber5 @ Oct 22nd 2008 10:53PM
Sam -
Please tell me you were joking about Sony paying to have the game banned. The original Gears was a huge flop in Japan so why the F would Sony care about it being sold there?
You got some splainin to do ...
Charlie_Six @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:18PM
I find the violence in GTA to be too cartoony and unrealistic to take seriously, and I've never seen a human body get cut in half and have its entrails spill around. You can kill cops though..
Gears organs DO spill out of people's bodies. You can kick people's body parts around the floor. Can't kill cops here though.
Poisoned Al @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:44AM
WTF? Sony have actually said they want the 360 to do well in Japan. Remember that Sony make a lot more then just games consoles (shock!) and they said themselves that ANYTHING that pushes HD technology is good for them.
The Wii on the other hand...
&rew @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:31PM
Getting banned in Japan? Holy crap, you've piqued my interest in this game. But still, how violent is that game to be banned in a cesspool of smut like Japan. Germany I can understand, because in Europe, being mildly rude is bannable.
&rew @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:36PM
Crap the guy above me said the same basic thing, with more words.
theturtle363 @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:43PM
yeah but I read yours instead, because you had less words
WRE @ Oct 22nd 2008 9:24PM
Me too! Fuck words!
jimmygotsmack @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:02PM
In a country where you can buy rape porn games, they banned Gears 2? What the hell?
A quick look at somethingawful articles will give you names like "rape lay" and "battle raper 2". What did they do exactly?
PhydeWice @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:05PM
I find it hysterical that GoW2 is banned in Japan. That's where they've made some of the most effed up movies ever. They've made Battle Royale, Sweet Home, Ichi the Killer, and Suicide Club. Go watch those and you'll see what I mean.
TheE3Guy @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:32PM
I don't understand the Japanese. They're all goody goody with their JRPGs and ban games like Gears of War, then they turn around and make super violent games like RE5 and everything is just peachy. It doesn't make sense to me.
theturtle363 @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:44PM
it's because RE5 is marketed for the west
Bryan @ Oct 22nd 2008 9:30PM
They're obviously racist. I mean, who would ban an overly gory and completely badass American game like GoW2?
PSN: johnnynumber5 @ Oct 22nd 2008 10:55PM
more xenophobic than racist.
naxe @ Oct 23rd 2008 1:18PM
then they wonder why people snap and dismember eachother.. shoot eachother over a parking space.. I know Video games dont make you want to go and kill. But they sure let to see what it might be like... its called Desensitizing.
Gears is @ay. Steroid laden morons using a chainsaw/gun. Controlled by a 12-16 year old's.
Yes ive played.....NO I wasnt Impressed.
Coldbrand @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:39PM
Child fucking and shooting yourself in the head OK!
CHAINSAW OH GOD NO, BAN IT! GAIJIN IS PIG DISGUSTING!
J @ Oct 23rd 2008 12:18AM
... how do you know about this?
I'm just imagining you hanging out with your friends, and someone introduces the topic. "Hey Japan is okay with child fucking!" And you're like, "no way!" And you're friend is like "want proof?!" And you're like "yes..."
J @ Oct 23rd 2008 12:19AM
What do you google?
Kyattsuai @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:39PM
Regarding all the Resident Evil arguments, let it be known that Japan got a much less... er... head-removingly violent version of the 4th game. They also have the lame version of No More Heroes.
Heyyou27 @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:47PM
Most people didn't pay attention at the launch of Resident Evil 4 obviously. Capcom removed the more violent death sequences due to the more strict rating system there. Expect them to do the same thing with Resident Evil 5.
waterwampa @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:47PM
Does anyone know of any websites that list the different games that have been banned throughout the years?
I knew this happens... but... it's still surprising... sort of...
swmarc @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:55PM
I prefer Japanese tentical rape anyways.
Mutagenaric @ Oct 22nd 2008 8:10PM
Maybe they can make a reaver-tentacle rape version for Japan?
Nate @ Oct 22nd 2008 9:57PM
ban? There is only one criteria for banning in japan: the realistic visual representation of human genitalia. Similarly, all these claims of censorship are producer decisions based on desired rating or perceived audience reception.
If you want gow2 in japan you can pick it up in akiba on the day of release in full-gore, and full English. There just isn't enough market to make it worth the localization trouble
Titanium_Orchid @ Oct 22nd 2008 8:12PM
It seems that both countries have not given a rating to Gears 2, preventing it from being sold and in effect, creating a ban; which is why the article above has the term "ban" in quotes.
Also, the Z rating assigned to Gears 1 only prohibits the sale of the game to a certain age group.
Evan @ Oct 22nd 2008 8:38PM
The Japanese apathy for Gears of War was so bad that IdolMaster - a game released for the 360 where you train adolescent pop singers - outsold the first Gears of War in Japan! Releasing Gears 2 in Japan would be a guaranteed flop, akin to releasing a schoolgirl dating sim in the U.S. Perhaps Microsoft has finally worked into its thick skull that they can't sell American-style games to the Japanese, and simply decided that it's not worth porting and releasing Gears 2 in Japan.
Vcize @ Oct 22nd 2008 9:52PM
Are you sure? I thought I had heard that sales of the first Gears were pretty good in Japan given it's highly western gameplay.
Of course, I heard it from Joystiq posters, so YMMV.
Mr Khan @ Oct 22nd 2008 10:16PM
I seem to recall the same thing as Vcize
Evan @ Oct 22nd 2008 10:24PM
VGChartz ranks Gears of War at 17th among 360 games in Japan with 66K units sold. Compare that to U.S. where Gears is the 4th best selling 360 game with 3.4M units.
Even if you account for the smaller number of 360s sold in Japan, the 17th rank indicates that the Japanese are not buying 360s for games like Gears of War.
Vcize @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:15PM
17th? That's pretty dang good for a shooter in a market that doesn't care about shooters. Better than I thought by far.
By comparison, the 17th best selling game in the U.S. is Bioshock, which definitely had an impact over here. So basically Gears sold as well in Japan as Bioshock did here, that's pretty dang good.
Deprincer @ Oct 22nd 2008 8:43PM
stupid