The Video Standards Council has refused to give a rating to PQube’s Omega Labyrinth Z, stating they found the game “promotes the sexualisation of children.”
Without the rating it is illegal to sell a physical copy of the game in the UK, but as the VSC has refused the certification it is unlikely the game will be available digitally either. Australia and Germany have also refused to classify the game, but it will be available in the good, honest, christian country of The United States of America.
Here is a portion of the VSC’s findings:
The game is explicit in its setting within a “school” environment and the majority of the characters are young girls – one child is referred to as being a “first year” student and is seen holding a teddy bear. The game clearly promotes the sexualisation of children via the sexual interaction between the game player and the female characters. The style of the game is such that it will attract an audience below the age of 18.
There is a serious danger that impressionable people, i.e. children and young people viewing the game would conclude that the sexual activity represented normal sexual behaviour. There is a constant theme of sexual innuendo and activity throughout the game that suggests behaviour likely to normalise sexual activity towards children. As a means of reward gained by successfully navigating the game, the player has the means to sexually stimulate the female characters by using either a hand held remote device or touch screen software.
The VSC Rating Board believes this content in a game, which would have strong appeal to non-adult players, is an issue which would be unacceptable to the majority of UK consumers and, more importantly, has the potential to be significantly harmful in terms of the social and moral development of younger people in particular.
The game includes a mini-game where you fondle breasts and and another where you can directly control breasts using the touch-pad.
Starman
It doesn’t look much different to a lot of other questionable Japanese games.
Zomba1
As someone who is avidly against most forms of censorship. This is fine. These Weeb games get more and more unsettling by the year.
tactical20
Bizarre how this aspect of Japanese ‘culture’ is generally tolerated in the West.
Andrewww
I’m fine with this type of censorship of extreme contents, sounds really quite bad.
I’m just a bit confused that, in comparison, all those games that show us that committing mass murder is a completely fine and socially acceptable way of problem solution, are generally accepted, at least by the gamers. And the fact those games don’t actually make you a mass murderer, would also apply to that type of game, I guess.