Prototype, Wolfenstein and censorship.

[Rushin]

I just bought a copy of Prototype, when I was perusing the menu screen I found a trailer for the new Wolfenstein game, I watched and a little while in I noticed something all the Swastikas on the Nazi flags were blurred out. Now being a gamer and most importantly a human being I have learned to hate Nazis and everything they stand for, but in a game where you play a man who slices civilians in half with large blades I think its odd. I don't know who censored the trailer but I think that of all the things to remove it's kind of weird especially in a M rated game. What are you thoughts?

 

[Legion]

I wouldn't say it's hypocrisy.

It's one thing to show excessive, unrealistic violence and another to seemingly promote a Fascist regime responsible for persecution of several cultures.

That being said, it does seem rather odd that they'd censor out a symbol on a flag of all things.

 

[Gerazzi]

That's a little hypocritical.
Was there any blood/gore in the teaser?

 

[Rushin]

That's a little hypocritical.
Was there any blood/gore in the teaser?

The trailer featured rooms splattered with blood and dead bodies

 

[Lazarus Long]

Where do you live? Are they still censoring swastikas in Germany?

 

[Nargleblarg]

Where do you live? Are they still censoring swastikas in Germany?

Strange I watched the same trailer yesterday on the prototype disk and the swastikas weren't censored but im in america though.

 

[TxMxRonin]

There's a trailer for the new Wolfenstein with the Wolfenstein 3D download on PSN/XBL and it's not censored at all.

 

[Fenring]

I'm guessing they just made the game like that so they don't have to change anything when it gets shipped to Germany. Just like how most games show the Iron Cross instead.

 

[Lazarus Long]

Where do you live? Are they still censoring swastikas in Germany?

Good point, that. I think they do. And if you mention Nazism they come to your house and pummel you with fairly sharp sticks.

Now that's just inefficient. Sharp sticks are not for pummelly activities, but stabbitty ones.

 

[Therumancer]

I won't go on about modern day Germany since that could lead to some long running discussions.

As far as the censoring of Swatstikas goes, if it did happen it wouldn't be the first time. I seem to remember a big deal being made about how "Lego Indiana Jones" was not going to have any Swatstikas involved in it despite fighting the Nazis.

For whatever reason it's part of the current censorship pressure. Don't allow people to kill children, no fairly graphic sex, and increasing pressure over violence. Removing things like Swatstikas from games set during World War II is becoming par for the course. We'll have to see what happens when the game gets here. Personally I don't really care that much about yet another Wolfenstein game (the FPS was itself based on an old game from like the C64 done by a guy called Silas Warner... if I have the name right), but I do care about the censorship issues.

Truthfully there are numerous war games (board games, and I believe a few war simulation PC games) that allow you to play as the Nazis and pretty much conquer the world, and when you get down to it that's a bit "worse" than simply showing a Swatstika, not that I care about either. "OMG, your playing Axis and Allies and someone actually takes on the role of the Axis powers and has the potential to win the game *GASPS* ".

 

[Rushin]

I live in America, not in Germany

 

[Hazy]

Its like TV in America. You can show excessive blood and violence, but the second there is any nudity.. No Go.

 

[RebelRising]

I don't know about the rest of the world, but Germany's been on a major guilt trip ever since WWII, and censoring anything related to Nazism of Hitler in that country is largely part of that.

 

[Altorin]

maybe you're going blind.

 

[tsb247]

Are they still censoring swastikas in Germany?

I believe so. I doubt they will ever stop.

 

[tsb247]

I live in America, not in Germany

They didn't make it just for you sunshine.

I believe he said that to make the point that there is not point to the censorship since he does not live in Germany. He never implied that it was made specifically for Americans. There's no need for the attitude.

 

[TsunamiWombat]

The swastikas are censored out in the EU version so they can sell the game in Germany which forbids direct reference to the Nazi's or Nazi symbology. This in the EU version the enemy will not be Nazi's but facsits who kinda sorta maybe definatly resemble Nazi's.