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AvPvGermany? Sega Won't Be Selling Game To Germans
If you're looking forward to Sega's upcoming Aliens vs Predator game and you happen to live in Germany, you'd better find something else to look forward to. Sega Europe has announced that it won't be releasing the game in that country, citing difficulties in getting the game rated without cutting content it deems necessary. Here's the official word from Sega:
"SEGA Europe Ltd. is the publisher for the upcoming first person shooter Aliens vs. Predator which is set for release in Q1 2010 for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
"Aliens vs. Predator will not be released in Germany as it has not been awarded an age rating for the German market. SEGA Europe Ltd. has taken the decision that the game could not be released in Germany without significant cuts that would harm the gameplay experience."
"Aliens vs. Predator has been developed to be consistent with the existing content in the Aliens and Predator universes. The gameplay and graphical and narrative style befit the mature themes and content of the Aliens and Predator franchises. The content of Aliens vs. Predator will be comparable to other entertainment products such as films, DVDs and television shows which have been intended for a mature audience and are rated accordingly."
"Outside of Germany, Aliens vs. Predator is expected to be awarded an 18 rating, and as such will only be legally sold to people who are 18 or older. SEGA Europe Ltd. takes its responsibility as an interactive entertainment publisher very seriously and works closely with age-rating bodies around the world to ensure that the content it releases is accurately age-rated and appropriately marketed to its intended audience."
It's no secret that many developers have had to make concessions to accommodate Germany's game restrictions, from turning characters into robots, removing ragdoll effects, and even replacing gore and gibs with random objects. It's interesting that Sega has decided that it would rather miss out on sales than bother with creating a truncated version of the game for a single market. What do you think? Is Sega's refusal to compromise something that should encourage developers to take stronger stands against censorship? Does it ultimately matter?
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