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Rome's mayor demands Rule of Rose ban
Apparently Rome's mayor doesn't think there's any more room on the market for another mediocre horror game; that, or Rule of Rose's erotic themes bugged him too. Either way, Mayor Walter Veltroni is outraged, declaring "There is no way that a violent video game should be sold and distributed in our country." O RLY?Veltroni's beef has grown from a concern about shielding children from mature content. "There is no need for massive doses of horror to entertain our children," he argues. We agree; so slap on the Italian equivalent of an M-rating and move on.[Via GameSpot]
"Erotic" themes too much for Sony in America
Rule-of-rose: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Rule. Of. Rose.Alright, so it's not quite Lolita but Sony's Rule of Rose has its own controversy. The Japanese game is being published by Sony in Japan while they've opted to pass on publishing the title in the States. The reason: the game's erotic undertones involving prepubescent girls. Yeah ... err, but that's just what it appears to be! In an interview with Gamasutra, the game's director Shuji Ishikawa explained his motivations and why they thinks there's nothing inappropriate with the content:"Right, the erotic aspect you mentioned earlier isn't supposed to be the main theme. There are definitely erotic parts to it, and some things that might make people uncomfortable, but it's not the focus. It shouldn't be a problem. It's about intimate relationships between all people, not just children, not just girls. There will be people who don't understand it, but others will."And it won't be toned down for the west."Publishing rights in the U.S. are being handled by Atlus who, it appears, have no problem with the content. When asked why they wouldn't be publishing the title in the States, Sony producer Yuya Takayama replied, "How shall I say this...well, when Sony looked at the game, they felt it wasn't really in sync with their corporate image. Their personal pride wanted it to be a bit tamer, if it were to have the Sony name in the U.S. I personally appealed to them that it wasn't that kind of game, but it didn't quite work out for me."Gamers can be relieved that -- unlike many Japanese games whose themes and topics are considered either inappropriate or untranslatable -- Rule of Rose will be coming to the States despite our often puritanical inhibitions. However, you can be sure this isn't the last we've heard of this "controversy."[Thanks, cringer8](Update: embedded trailer after the break for additional context. Great comments!)
