http://www.mcvuk.com/news/36531/Russia- ... -from-sale

I reckon the real reason is that some Russian PC gamers got miffed with all the issues like no dedicated servers and thought used this as an excuse to shaft them of profits in Russia.

The airport level shows a complete lack of judgment and taste on the part of Infinity Ward and I'm pleased to see Russia take this stand. What I find galling as a PC gamer is how they can go through all the effort of creating a level worthy of a ban in one of the largest countries on the planet, yet they couldn't make a bit of an effort for the PC users.

Government shouldn't censor computer games.

Part of me agrees, but the way IW handled this - they made it an optional part of the game - it didn't need to be there at all, so why put it in? If they had a level that re-enacted the London bombings, or September 11th I'm sure there would be far more objections. After all the fuss from the "hot coffee" saga surrounding GTA, this is far worse.

Germany censors a lot of games/bans them because they break laws otherwise, like Wolfenstein breaking laws against use of Nazi stuff.

If a country doesn't ban it the certification board will deny it a rating or ban it completely.

I don't agree with Germany censoring computer games either. Banning the use of Nazi symbols will neither change what Hitler did nor prevent "far-right" groups from operating.

If people don't like the content of games, they won't buy them. I have also yet to hear of a computer game that was denied a rating by the BBFC. In fact most games bypass the BBFC altogether and opt for the European-backed PEGI system.

Actually bypassing some games from the BBFC would have been breaking the law until recently

PEGI was an advisory body, BBFC was law when it comes to sale of games to minors.

Some games get a BBFC rating when they don't need it as advertisement for the game being violent etc. Of course games like MW2 still had to be submitted to BBFC due to the time scale of getting a rating and the release date, hence the 18

Apparently PEGI is now legally enforceable for the age ratings, but it doesn't scream "Play me!" like an 18 rated BBFC game with a big red logo on it, many smaller chains still get the boxes with the BBFC ratings when possible so it's clearer for parents (and also good advertising material) even when the game may have a less restrictive PEGI rating.

Not all games require BBFC classification though, Fin. It's entirely dependant on content.

I know, I said bypassing SOME games, if a game didn't have a BBFC rating anyone could buy it, and it being optional for games not in the cutscene etc group, hence using it to get a rating to boost sales as in "ooh its an 18, must be gory"

Actually if you want to get really technical the BBFC has been acting in an ultra vires manner since 1984, as the Video Recordings Act 1984 was not implemented properly and is therefore unenforceable. Until this issue is corrected, the BBFC is powerless to take action against any individual or legal entity in the United Kingdom for breaching the provisions of the Act.

Most video games were actually exempt from classification anyway. The Byron Review originally recommended thus:



http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7316700.stm

A public consultation was then conducted by DCMS (Department for Culture, Media and Sport). The government responded to the consultation and indicated that it prefers the "Enhanced PEGI System", namely -



http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/public ... sclass.doc

The BBFC in future will either have a very minor role, or none at all.

When I see a big red 18 logo on a game it grabs my attention, and is normally my kind of game than the others.

They don't censor computer games, as such - although they do have an age rating.

They censor the displaying of National Socialist paraphenalia and the glorifying of National Socialism. Any book, film, TV program, website, computer game etc. which prominently displays National Socialist symbols is automatically banned - unless it is a historical piece (documentary or film, such as Der Untergang). Anything which glorifies National Socialism or the National Socialist party and Hitler is also automatically banned.

In addition, German games cannot include blood or dead bodies - the German version of CS, for example, doesn't have any spurting blood or corpses laying on the ground.

Its the equivilent of closing yuour eyes, covering your ears and going NANANANANANANAAN because that will stop the far right and glorifying national socialism.