UAE bans acclaimed video game
PlayStation 3 title Heavy Rain won’t be released in the country
Quantic Dream's Heavy Rain has been banned in the United Arab Emirates.
Heavy Rain, a highly-anticipated PlayStation 3 title, has been banned in the United Arab Emirates.
The game developed by Quantic Dream garnered rave reviews internationally for its fresh new gameplay where players are immersed into a well-crafted interactive movie, taking control of four different characters in the hunt to find a serial killer.
Sony Gulf had planned a special media event for Heavy Rain's launch in the UAE, which has now been cancelled with the news that the game has been banned by the government and won't be going on sale.
"The UAE's National Media Council (NMC) has banned Heavy Rain game on PlayStation 3. The Heavy Rain game has an 18+ PEGI rating and has been conceived from the earliest stages as a genuinely adult experience. This means that it deals with strong content including blood and nudity, but treats this content in a mature and sensitive manner. The game is not intentionally controversial or sensationalist, and all the themes and content are consistent with what consumers would expect to see in a mainstream Hollywood thriller," stated May El Husseiny, marketing manager at PlayStation Division, Sony Gulf FZE.
An official trailer for the game can be viewed by clicking on the Videos tab above or here.
It's the latest casualty after THQ's Darksiders was banned from going on sale in the country earlier this year. Gulf gamers were also left disappointed as Electronic Arts (EA) decided to pre-emptively call off the sale of Dante's Inferno in the Middle East to avoid offending cultural sensibilities.
Record-breaking Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 went on sale in UAE stores in November last year, avoiding the fate of its predecessor which was banned in the GCC but sold more than 13 million copies around the world.
skinlab
@Patriot: Quantic Dream is not an American production house, they're French, ergo your logic is invalid. Aside from that, the game doesn't go out of its way to insult Islam; as a matter of fact, it doesn't even mention said religion (or any other) at any part of the game, obviously except when you're in a graveyard. Long story short, the game was banned for having 'virtual' blood and nudity, not for offending any or a certain culture. You see much worse just by watching MBC Action or any of the Showtime movies... Note: I am Arab, the difference between us is that I can differentiate when someone aims to insult and when someone aims to entertain.
Heavy Rain purchased
I bought the game and after 9 hours of continuous playing I'm done with it wonder why it's banned...I never saw anything that would hurt the traditions of this country or its culture or beliefs....Point to notice is that I'm from here so I would know when something would be offensive and this game is clearly not...BTW u can get this game anywhere just don't go lookin for it @ Virgin Megastore ;)
Patriot
Banning HR(heavy rain) is a great thing. Lot of scenes show violence and also seduction. We are protecting the future gen of our country from becoming radicals. The imposing of American values on Islam is a grave crime. Our society is about Freedom of expression, thought. But the game makers didn't realise the sentiments of our people in our part of the world. To make a truly Global game, a collective Globalized sentimented game has to come in store.