Censorship
Ongoing coverage on Censorship.
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Pricing and censorship complaints be damned: Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen sold over 4 million units in six weeks
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen have sold over 4 million units combined globally within six weeks of their release on Game Boy Advance. Despite controversies regarding pricing and a profanity filter, the remakes have achieved significant commercial success. The article also notes the strong sales of the new title Pokémon Pokopia on Nintendo Switch.
Facing Chinese censorship, sci-fi RPG shows 50 million users its most depraved content through stick figure drawings
The dating sim Love and Deepspace, developed by Infold Games, is navigating Chinese censorship by using stick figure drawings and abstract text animations to depict its adult content. While international versions feature more explicit animations, the game's approach to mature themes and catering to female players is highlighted as a significant step forward in the industry. The article discusses how the game balances its erotic elements with typical gacha mechanics and house decorating features.
Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream Won't Judge You If You're Horny
The latest Tomodachi Life's lax text filtering allows players to engage in discussions about sexual topics, reflecting a complex online environment of both permissiveness and restriction. Despite Nintendo's family-friendly image, the game's design, particularly its lack of easy sharing features, creates a private space where players can explore humor and intimacy without immediate external judgment.
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced Producer Says Game's Reveal Was 'Toned Down' After Complaints That Ubisoft Had Removed Blood
Ubisoft has addressed fan concerns regarding the limited blood effects shown in the recent reveal of Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced. The company acknowledged that the game's presentation was adjusted following earlier complaints about the removal of blood.
Turkiye passes legislation to tighten its grip on Steam and other gaming platforms, but it's social media companies…
Turkiye's parliament has approved new legislation that will impose stricter regulations on gaming platforms like Steam and Epic Games Store. The bill, part of a broader push to protect children, includes requirements for age ratings, parental tools, and data sharing with authorities. While platforms face penalties for non-compliance, they will not be banned outright, though social media companies face more severe consequences.
Russia regularly censors manga covering entire pages with black bars
Manga in Russia is being censored with black bars covering entire pages, a practice that has recently gained international attention. Russian authorities justify this censorship as protecting youth from "LGBT propaganda," a justification that human rights organizations argue restricts freedom of expression and sets dangerous legal precedents.
'I was ignored:' BAFTA criticised after pulling indie game trailer from awards ceremony
BAFTA has been criticized after pulling a trailer for the upcoming autobiographical narrative game, The Quiet Things, from its recent awards ceremony. Developer Alyx Jones claims the trailer was removed at the last minute despite revisions requested by BAFTA, with Jones stating she was ignored when offering further changes. BAFTA stated the decision was made due to potentially triggering themes and the inability to provide sufficient warnings to guests.
BAFTA pulls game trailer over 'themes that may be a trigger' even after developer revision
BAFTA pulled the trailer for Silver Script Games' upcoming title, The Quiet Things, from its awards show due to sensitive themes, despite developer Alyx Jones's revisions. Jones stated the game deals with trauma, abuse, and survival, and expressed pain at the decision, noting BAFTA cited insufficient time for content warnings.
Russian Censorship Sim ‘Носковраздор’ Lets You Block Digital Services
The new PC game 'Носковраздор' simulates the role of a network operator tasked with blocking digital services and restricting internet access, drawing controversy for its premise. Developed by a Russian team, the game explores themes of censorship and digital policy, prompting discussions about government overreach and digital freedom. Its simulation mechanics focus on administrative control and strategic restriction, leaving ethical interpretations to the player.
Bunny Garden Producer: Making games with “very restrained expression wouldn’t make anyone happy”
Yujiro Usuda, producer at qureate, discussed the challenges of creating risque games like Bunny Garden 2, emphasizing that overly restrained expression would displease players. He also touched upon how character design can impact age ratings, potentially restricting game sales. The company aims to continue creating games for a mature audience while exploring contemporary methods of expression.
Google Removes Doki Doki Literature Club from Play Store Without Explanation
Google has removed the critically acclaimed indie game Doki Doki Literature Club from the Google Play Store without providing a specific explanation to developer Team Salvato, citing a Terms of Service violation. The removal has sparked community backlash, with many criticizing the lack of human review and transparency in the decision-making process, especially given the game's themes of digital manipulation and loss of agency.
Never too late for censorship: Doki Doki Literature Club gets deplatformed by Google Play a decade after release
Doki Doki Literature Club has been removed from Google Play approximately a decade after its initial release due to its depiction of sensitive themes like suicide and self-harm. Creator Dan Salvato and publisher Serenity Forge are working to have the game reinstated, noting its availability on other platforms and its artistic merit in addressing dark subject matter.
Doki Doki Literature Club Removed From Google Play Store After Already Being There For Months
Doki Doki Literature Club has been removed from the Google Play Store, with developer Serenity Forge citing a violation of the storefront's terms of service regarding sensitive themes. The game remains available on other platforms like iOS and Nintendo Switch, and Serenity Forge is exploring alternative Android distribution methods. This removal is discussed in the context of broader industry trends concerning content moderation and censorship of mature themes.
Russia closes loophole to fully block payments for Apple services
Russia has closed a loophole that previously allowed citizens to pay for Apple digital services, including the App Store. Starting April 1, 2026, these payments will be fully blocked, a move reportedly aimed at preventing users from purchasing VPN applications. This action is part of a broader government effort to increase online censorship and control information access.
Adult games may be an unintended beneficiary as FTC pressure payment providers like Visa and Mastercard not to debank Trump supporters, but I doubt it
The US Federal Trade Commission has sent letters to major payment providers like Visa and Mastercard, urging them not to deny services based on political or religious views. This action, intended to prevent discrimination against Trump supporters, could inadvertently benefit the adult games industry by discouraging payment processors from bowing to pressure that previously led to content delistings on platforms like Itch.io and Valve.
Dispatch Coming to Xbox Play Anywhere: Find Out More About This Unique, Beloved Adventure
Developer AdHoc released a censored version of the adventure game Dispatch for PlayStation 5 in Japan due to CERO rating guidelines, while an uncensored version was available globally. For the Nintendo Switch versions, only the censored Japanese version was released. This decision has led to backlash, with AdHoc now stating they are working with Nintendo to address the issue, potentially leading to an uncensored version for international markets.
Don't worry, Dispatch isn't going to be censored on Xbox
AdHoc has confirmed that its game Dispatch will not be censored on Xbox Series X/S, PC, or Xbox Cloud, unlike its Nintendo Switch version. The Xbox version will be identical to the original PC and PlayStation releases. The studio is also considering a second season for the successful title.
Final Fantasy XIV Developers Refuse to Censor Popular Photo Mode, Triggering Rating Change in Japan
The Japanese rating for Final Fantasy XIV is changing from CERO C to CERO D due to developers refusing to censor the game's popular photo mode. This change reflects a shift in content standards for the title.
Final Fantasy XIV Developers Refuse to Censor Popular Photo Mode, Triggering Rating Change in Japan
Square Enix developers for Final Fantasy XIV have decided against censoring the game's popular photo mode, which has led to a rating change in Japan. The decision comes as the English voice actor for the character G'raha Tia, Jonathan Bailey, was named sexiest man alive.
GTA Wiki editors cite "a reportedly pro-AI CEO," "terrible" ads, and restrictive censorship as they…
The GTA Wiki has migrated away from Fandom hosting due to editor protests against aggressive advertising, restrictive censorship, and the company's reportedly pro-AI CEO. This move follows a trend of other video game community wikis leaving Fandom over similar policy concerns.
