Despite the fact that the Wii generally has a family-friendly image, Capcom’s upcoming rail shooter Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles is clearly not intended for kids. According to the German ratings board, the violence depicted in the game is so graphic that it is unsuitable for a general release in Germany. Recently, the board refused to submit a rating for the game, which essentially prevents German retailers from selling the title whatsoever.
This, of course, is all following the controversial decision to ban Rockstar’s ultra-violent Manhunt 2 from hitting store shelves within the United Kingdom, despite the fact that the edited version of the game was given a Mature (17+) rating by North America’s ESRB. The German board’s refusal to give a rating to The Umbrella Chronicles makes this the second time this year that a violent Wii title has been banned in some way within Europe.
How do you feel about this decision, readers? Does it anger you that European officials are cracking down on violent games, or should this censorship be taken a step even further?
