Shortest Ban in History: Singapore Clears Mass Effect for Sale
Shortest Ban in History: Singapore Clears Mass Effect for Sale
November 16, 2007
It seems like just yesterday that GamePolitics reported that new Xbox 360 release Mass Effect had been banned in Singapore over a rather mild lesbian sex scene.Actually, it was the day before yesterday.
But, as reported by Today Online, the game with the sexy, blue alien has now been green-lighted in Singapore:
After fanning the ire of the video gaming community with the ban of Mass Effect, the authorities have done a U-turn by rating the highly-anticipated futuristic space adventure by Microsoft and allowing its sale in Singapore.
In a statement on Friday, the Media Development Authority (MDA) said the game had been reviewed by the Board of Film Censors (BFC) and is now rated M18. The decision comes ahead of its planned implementation of a classification system for video games.
Singapore currently has no rating systed in place for games. Prior to its reversal of course, Singapore was also the only country in the world to have banned Mass Effect. Germaine Ong of Singapore-based gaming mag Gameaxis told Today Online:
The ratings system is a long time coming but any step now is a positive one...
This is significant because gamers would have obtained the game anyway, through parallel importers or illegal means. Now, gamers and parents are able to make a decision on which games are suitable rather than have the games prescribed to them by the authorities.
Ian Tan, a Southeast Asian Xbox 360 exec added:
We welcome the MDA's decision to allow Mass Effect for sale in Singapore with an M18 rating. We will continue to work with the MDA to promote responsible gaming here.
USA Today has more.
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Posted 07/04/09 at 09:24pm
PHX Corp: For those that want to know what i watching it's called man vs cartoon(a.k.a fixing Wile E. coyote's Mistakes one trap at a time by EMERTEC)
PHX Corp: For those that want to know what i watching it's called man vs cartoon(a.k.a fixing Wile E. coyote's Mistakes one trap at a time by EMERTEC)
Posted 07/04/09 at 08:20pm
GoodRobotUs: Went out for my Mum's 65th Birthday, which is the only relevance 4/7 has in the UK for me ;)
GoodRobotUs: Went out for my Mum's 65th Birthday, which is the only relevance 4/7 has in the UK for me ;)
Posted 07/04/09 at 08:18pm
Andrew Eisen: Beach + fireworks + root beer + strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, whipped topping, and pound cake = my Fourth of July!
Andrew Eisen: Beach + fireworks + root beer + strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, whipped topping, and pound cake = my Fourth of July!
Posted 07/04/09 at 07:58pm
GoodRobotUs: Which seems to be the only point Jack proved, that some people find some games offensive. i.e. Nothing.
GoodRobotUs: Which seems to be the only point Jack proved, that some people find some games offensive. i.e. Nothing.
Posted 07/04/09 at 07:57pm
GoodRobotUs: The discussion was supposed to be whether games were dangerous not 'Do you find some games offensive'...
GoodRobotUs: The discussion was supposed to be whether games were dangerous not 'Do you find some games offensive'...
Posted 07/04/09 at 07:55pm
GoodRobotUs: Some agreed, some didn't, but it was their choice to make, not the governments.
GoodRobotUs: Some agreed, some didn't, but it was their choice to make, not the governments.
Posted 07/04/09 at 07:55pm
GoodRobotUs: By asking the audience their opinion, he more or less proved that it's a matter of personal choice
GoodRobotUs: By asking the audience their opinion, he more or less proved that it's a matter of personal choice
Posted 07/04/09 at 07:55pm
GoodRobotUs: Meh, he ended proving Mark's point for him
GoodRobotUs: Meh, he ended proving Mark's point for him
Posted 07/04/09 at 07:26pm
Erik: Jack if you are reading this you are a LIAR. There is no legal weight to the MPAA's ratings.
Erik: Jack if you are reading this you are a LIAR. There is no legal weight to the MPAA's ratings.
Posted 07/04/09 at 07:24pm
JDKJ: I still think my buddy the midget who rides a unicycle backwards while juggling four bowling pins would have been a much bigger hit with that crowd. And he can make up statistics and misinterpret studies, too.
JDKJ: I still think my buddy the midget who rides a unicycle backwards while juggling four bowling pins would have been a much bigger hit with that crowd. And he can make up statistics and misinterpret studies, too.
Posted 07/04/09 at 06:33pm
Alyric: Of course, Mark falls into the common trap about Columbine, which had nothing to do with bullying, etc. See: http://slate.msn.com/id/2099203/?GT1=3256 for a more thorough explanation.
Alyric: Of course, Mark falls into the common trap about Columbine, which had nothing to do with bullying, etc. See: http://slate.msn.com/id/2099203/?GT1=3256 for a more thorough explanation.
Posted 07/04/09 at 06:32pm
PHX Corp: Read this http://www.destructoid.com/sgc-09-liveblogging-the-jack-thompson-debate-138502.phtml#ext
PHX Corp: Read this http://www.destructoid.com/sgc-09-liveblogging-the-jack-thompson-debate-138502.phtml#ext
Posted 07/04/09 at 05:54pm
PHX Corp: JT is afraid of such ban then advocates it That's what i call a total Hypocrite
PHX Corp: JT is afraid of such ban then advocates it That's what i call a total Hypocrite
Posted 07/04/09 at 05:50pm
PHX Corp: AE: JT is a -Bleeping- Jackass
PHX Corp: AE: JT is a -Bleeping- Jackass
Posted 07/04/09 at 05:07pm
Andrew Eisen: JT "knew it would be a good audience." Not what he said on Tuesday.
Andrew Eisen: JT "knew it would be a good audience." Not what he said on Tuesday.
Posted 07/04/09 at 05:01pm
Andrew Eisen: VG cause violent behavior. VG companies influence behavior to get sales. Yeah, that makes sense. (To be fair, the Twitter feed makes deciphering JT's point pretty tough.)
Andrew Eisen: VG cause violent behavior. VG companies influence behavior to get sales. Yeah, that makes sense. (To be fair, the Twitter feed makes deciphering JT's point pretty tough.)
Posted 07/04/09 at 04:52pm
Andrew Eisen: Yes, it's been proposed but as far as I know it has not been passed. Big difference.
Andrew Eisen: Yes, it's been proposed but as far as I know it has not been passed. Big difference.
Posted 07/04/09 at 04:50pm
Cheater87: http://www.gamezine.co.uk/news/formats/xbox360/all-violent-video-games-be-banned-in-germany-$1301757.htm
Cheater87: http://www.gamezine.co.uk/news/formats/xbox360/all-violent-video-games-be-banned-in-germany-$1301757.htm
Posted 07/04/09 at 04:49pm
Andrew Eisen: Far as I know, Germany has not banned all violent video games.
Andrew Eisen: Far as I know, Germany has not banned all violent video games.
Posted 07/04/09 at 04:44pm
Cheater87: Jack wants the US to follow Germany's total video game ban.
Cheater87: Jack wants the US to follow Germany's total video game ban.
Copyright © 2007 ECA. All rights reserved.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Comments
Bravo.
No need to ban any game now just make it 18+ (wishful thinking)
You've flipped the translator to "English to Zippy", haven't you?
:D
Nightwng2000
NW2K Software
"Ah crap, this is really making us look bad, and probably isn't going to do much anyways. Does anyone actually have a problem with the game?"
"No, doesn't sound like it'd be any worse than an M18 movie. The only problem is that we don't have a rating system for games."
"Fine, then just run it past the film guys. Preferably before we become more of a laughing stock in the tech niche over this."
"We'll get right on that."
"rather mild" is an exaggeration. You don't see shit. Just them getting close and then a hand.
I'm still laughing that they actually banned it at all for this.
"In my home country of Khazakastan, they take the homosexuals to jail and finish them."
"...YEE-HAW, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET DONE HERE."
I do not care if the game had a hardcore lesbian bondage scene that lasts over three hours: no goverment, retailer, liscensing agreement, religious group, or parenting organization has the right to censor or ban it from adult consumers.
There are some contexts where sex and extreme violence are tasteful and needed elements of game design.
Here here dude.
And hey, thanks for not attacking religion again, your comments are much more enjoyable to read with this kind of content.
And if it did have that, er, scene you mentioned, it'd likely have AO and not be out here either, however, that is where the AO rating is again, useful only as a banhammer
Still doesn't help the fact that Microsoft sent me back my 360, only to have it die again in under 24 hours.
And i so looked forward to mass effect, too.
That's the exact problem with the ESRB/Retailer side censorship currently screwing over any implementation of adult content. I'm sorry, but in a 75+ hour RPG marketed around adults like Masseffect, it is absolutely absurd that there are not sexual and violent elements comprable to those we see in R movies.
You can tell that most of the garbage on the market has been toned down. I don't talk about religion here, because I am not sure about the motivating force behind the Singapore goverment.
Another problem is that you're assuming other nations have free speach laws. Unfortunately they don't, as evidenced by some governments taking steps to ban games that they don't like. I'm not saying that its right, that's just the way it is and only the people of those countries can take steps to change things.
can't say I don't agree with you, then again, the movie industry is deeper entrenched as is the comic and TV industries. I think it just needs time.
And the reason we get on your case about religious bashing is, you are kind of an ass about it and tend to bring it up where it isn't relevant. Just tone it down a bit as what most of us can ask I suppose.
As far as I am aware, Singapore is a Secular State.
"That’s the exact problem with the ESRB/Retailer side censorship currently screwing over any implementation of adult content."
You of all people should know who's really responsible for that. It's the big 3's fault, they're the ones who made AO a ban, not the ESRB/retailers.
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/28032.html
Well, a trailer saying something about it anyway.
To be fair, when the ERSB doesn't like a game, they slap an AO on it because they know it'll never be released.
Yes, but the slap's power is provided by the big three's policies.
Maybe, maybe not. But they wouldn't be able to do that if it weren't for the companies.