Heavy Rain banned in United Arab Emirates

Heavy Rain has been officially banned in the United Arab Emirates. The news comes courtesy of Kotaku, which confirmed a report on the ban from website Middle East Gamers. In its official response, Sony confirmed that the game had been banned by the country's National Media Council. Sony's statement goes on to make note that the game received an 18+ rating from Europe's PEGI, given that it was crafted as a "a genuinely adult experience" and "deals with strong content including blood and nudity." The statement adds that the game is "not intentionally controversial or sensationalist" and its content is in line with "a mainstream Hollywood thriller."

Sony's statement gives no official explanation of the ban, though the aforementioned adult content probably has something to do with it. If the NMC ban of Darksiders earlier this year is any indication, it seems likely that the game fell victim to the usual NMC criteria that the its contents "contradict with the UAE's customs and traditions."