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Clive Barker's Jericho will not be edited for USK

Published on 27th September 2007 by Joe Martin

Clive Barker is famous for writing gory horror such as the Hellraiser series, a tradition which Jericho follow in.

Clive Barker is all about the technology news these days. Just yesterday we let you know that the well known authors new game, Clive Barker's Jericho, had been denied classification in Germany, heavily limiting sales for the game.

Now, we bring you the news that the game will not be edited for the German market and that Codemasters does not plan to appeal the decision.

The USK, Germany's rating body for media, originally refused to classify the game because of the excessive gore and bloody presentation of the game. Without classification, the game cannot be sold to under 18s and cannot be advertised at all, something which deters many stores from stocking the game.

"Following a review by the USK ratings board, which declined to give an official rating, Codemasters has decided not to change the artistic vision of the renowned author and film-maker Clive Barker though cuts and extensive changes," Said Codemasters in a statement to GI.biz today.

"Codemasters respects Mr Barker's creative ideas, despite the German distribution and marketing consequences for the title.

"Therefore Codemasters will release only the PC version of Clive Barker's Jericho in its original form for adult gamers and Clive Barker fans," Said a spokesperson.

The game, which is due out on October 26th and with an Xbox Live Demo and PlayStation Network demo available over the next few days, has been shown to use graphic violence and a constant dark atmosphere.

Barker, who gained mainstream success after penning the Hellraiser novels and subsequent films, has emerged as a figurehead for serious gamers recently and has waged a one-man war against the popular opinion that games do not count as an artform.

Has media censoring gone too far or are governments right to protect us from violent images? Discuss the matter in the forums, if you dare.

7 Comments

Discuss in the forums Reply

Jack_Pepsi 27th September 2007, 11:47

There loss. I wonder if they sell/rent Hellraiser and the a-like over there in Germany?!

Silly buggers.

f00dl3 27th September 2007, 12:30

Censorship is the first step to government dictatorship and communism. I appreciate that Germany is not being overrun by communists as America is right now.

Cobalt 27th September 2007, 12:37

All extreme forms of government use censorship to try and control public opinion, not merely communists. Facist governments use it to an equal degree.

Considering the general political outlook in the USA at the moment, your assertion that it is "being overrun by communists" is quite untrue. It could even be shown that capitalism has never been stronger than it is now.

Aterius Gmork 27th September 2007, 12:55

As a German I can only say that reasons for such censorship might be the fear of some politicians that such games make people underage violent, running around in their schools killing people. It is easy to blame computer games, easier than blaming the parents failure anyway. Older people, who never actually played a game ever appart from Solitaire, do appreciate this movement.

Great games in the past have ben crippled in the past, such as all Quake and UT games, in Quake IV not less than 90% of the textures have been replaced. However, that does not mean that communism or facism is growing in Germany. ;)

Redbeaver 27th September 2007, 13:54

good job Codemaster!! stand up for ur rights :) (and opinions!)

Spacecowboy92 27th September 2007, 15:32

I think ratings should be more of a recomendation than a restriction.

will. 27th September 2007, 15:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spacecowboy92
I think ratings should be more of a recomendation than a restriction.

No...

Then my little brothers would have the option of playing manhunt. They shouldn't be allowed to play manhunt. It will scare them and kids at that age are very very impressionable. I know that parents should be the ones that decide if they would let their kids play a game, but in reality, kids deceive and trick parents/grandparents/minders. I remember getting my granny to buy me GTA 2 for example. She didn't know any better and the staff in the store didn't bat and eyelid.