Why was the game rule of rose banned in the UK?

Question

Someone asked me to buy it for them only to be told by the shocked assistant that it was a banned game....!

Answer 1

The game involved preteen girls, and there is some sexual innuendo. I think that covers it. :)

Answer 2

Rule of Rose is a psychological horror game for the PlayStation 2. Its plot involves a young girl named Jennifer, in 1930s England, who ends up being trapped in a world ruled by young girls who have established a class hierarchy called the Red Crayon Aristocrats.

At E3 2006 Atlus announced that they would be releasing Rule of Rose in the United States[2], following Sony's decision to pass on a US release.[3] This was on the grounds of the game's erotic undertones involving a cast of female minors. The developers have disagreed with this, saying that the sexual themes are not the main focus and are only a small part of the game.

Release of this game raised major controversies in Poland, where the conservative Ministry of Education raised questions concerning its appropriateness for minors (it's rated 16+) because of the themes of child violence and sexuality. The Ministry informed the official prosecutor's office of possible crime.[4]

European Union justice minister Franco Frattini attacked the game as "obscene" and wrote to governments urging tighter controls on games which "glorify violence, sometimes extreme violence". [5]

According to news site The Register, Frattini received a letter from Viviane Reding, commissioner for the information society and media, who criticises Frattinis actions: "It is...very unfortunate that my services were not pre-consulted before your letter to the Ministers of Interior was sent out," Redding writes, reminding him of the commission backed self-regulating ratings system called PEGI that has operated across the EU since 2003.

The PEGI system of classification, according to the Reding letter, offers "informed adult choice" without censoring content. "This is in line with the Commission's view that measures taken to protect minors and human dignity must be carefully balanced with the fundamental right to freedom of expression as laid down in the Charter on Fundamental Rights of the European Union," writes Reding to Frattini.[6]

The publisher has chosen to cancel the release of the game in the UK following complaints by Frattini and other EU officials, and "largely misleading"[7] commentary from the UK press.[8]It will however be released in the rest of Europe. Note that review copies of the title had already shipped to UK journalists when this was announced. The UK body which had granted the title its 16+ PEGI rating (the Video Standards Council) responded to the press and Frattini's comments thus:
“I have no idea where the suggestion of in-game sadomasochism has come from, nor children being buried underground. These are things that have been completely made up. [...] We’re not worried about our integrity being called into question, because Mr Frattini’s quotes are nonsense.[9]”


I'm sure you can probably get the game delivered to you from the EU where it was release in early November. A simple google search and paying a little extra for P&P and you may still get it before Christmas.

Oh and tell your friend that he/she is a freak for wanting to buy it :)

Answer 3

There's stuff about small kids and knives, also, that doesn't sit well.

Answer 4

It was also a crap game.

Answer 5

NOT VERY GOOD PLUS KIDS WITH KNIFES THINK WAS RASIST TOO