So there seems to be a bit of a stir in the gaming community when it comes to game boxart and what should and should not be censored.

There has been some discussion over the Evil Within cover art and whether it should even be displayed, while the recently released NA cover art of Guilty Gear Xrd has been censored due to some cleavage.

What is everyones thoughts on this? Personally I am against any censorship, what the creators choose to use should be allowed, within reason of course. Boxart should be there to attract me to the game and create an immediate impression on what the game may be like.

Didnt even know the guilty gear boxart was censored but difference is so small its hardly noticeable. Wish i could say the same for the blazblue box art

As long as a box art looks nice I really dont care what censorship the company has to undergo.

Americans will only buy kirby if he has angry eyes

Well Evil With In is already rated 18. Guilty Gear Xrd is rated for Teens(13+) by ESRB and B (12+)by CERO. They likely have stricter restrictions on bewbs in the EU which meant if the publisher wanted to reach the same target market in all regions, then they would need to adhere to those rules and cover up the cleavage. Painting on two each coloured lines on the box art did little to change the over look impression of the artwork. I stared at it for a long time without noticing the difference. If they did not do this they would likely not make the sales they forecasted – in the end it’s a small change to make for money.

The question here should then be are age restrictions in different regions too strict.

So because it's age restricted it's OK to display violent imagery on shelf's but not cleavage?

I don't understand why it's acceptable to have a realistic cover depicting a mans face being wrapped around barbed wire but it's not acceptable to have an obvious cartoon like character showing some cleavage. Surely then the Evil Within should have been displayed with it's reversible cover and not the other way around.

Also the thread isn't really about these 2 games in particular it's just examples.

It's amusing to see how we just accept violence but anything sexual is taboo.

because 'murrica

the land where video games are seen as sexist for showing an underboob
but nicki minaj is seen as a strong independent woman for [censored] herself out in music videos

@Dp
I am not agreeing with this censoring at all. I am just saying why they likely did this it. If the publishers wanted to give Evil With In a Teen rating then they would surely need to put a different cover on it (ignoring the content of the game here atm btw).

Catherine is rated M for 17+. The cover shows cleavage with a lady undressing and showing her bra. DOA 5 has cleavage and is rated 16+. I am sure there are more but those are the only 2 that come to mind right now.

If you are saying there is a double standard here then why does it not apply to these games? The only reason that is apparent is these have a higher rating

At first I figured box art was relative to the age-rating given to the game but if box art is presumably on display in most retail stores and in full view of any member of the public, I'm surprised there aren't more established rules for it?

What I'd like to see more of, tho I know this means more expense, is double-side box art for game cases. They could ensure all game box art is suitable for all-ages (sometimes it probably won't make a difference) but then on the reverse, have another version without censorship. This based on the assumption retailers aren't selling to underage buyers and therefore no risk of exposure.

The Bioshock Infinite and Last of Us reversible covers were outstanding compared to what was standard.

On a semi-related note (and based on the Evil Within cover above) - I wish they'd stop with crappy looking pre-order/first edition boxes with tacky labels on them (not worried about proper collector's editions) - Gee, thanks for changing a few lines of code or giving me a 100KB download and then ruining the box art to remind me we're so lucky...

If the covers are violating some ethical code, they should just slide a blank cover in the case over the original, just with the name on. Then when we buy it, we can just take that blank cover out.

@Lurch Reversible covers would also work!
Have the censored one on the inside. & after you buy it, you can swap it around it you want.

I think content that is relevant to the age group that the game is restricted for is acceptable. So if it's 18+, then sure put cleavage or whatever. BUT I do think then that these sorts of games should then be put above the eye level of say, a 6 year old, so then up on the higher shelves, and then family-friendly games lower down.

@Snow
That's the thing. Selling an adult game right next to a kiddy game is stupid. In Magazine stores the hard tack is usually on the top shelve, or wrapped in plastic. But I am also assuming that this may hurt sales. People might feel less inclined to reach for the top shelf. Also I think little johnny can easily persuade his parents that "hooka-hunt 2000" is a children's game if it's right next to Farmville HD.

Unfortunately, a lot of places that sell games have no idea what they are doing...

I have to agree with DP on the standards thing though. Allowing copious amounts of blood and bodily fluids, but censoring a beautiful pair of love-pillows is criminal

Well not necessarily the top shelf but on the eye level of a fully grown man is a lot higher up than that of a 6 year old lol

DarkPrince said ...

So because it's age restricted it's OK to display violent imagery on shelf's but not cleavage?

Even if we agree to the absurdity of it all, without more examples to talk about in regards to game art censoring (or lack there of) there is not really much to discuss.

i personally dont keep up with news on game cover changes so I cant really say myself. This talk on some forums about The Evil Within and GG is the only time I recall this situation. I think the point about these 2 games is a little overdone. the GG censoring is so minor at best that I doubt anyone truly cares.

Not top shelf, but obviously removed from the kiddy games. Could even lock it up in a glass case. If your not old enough or man enough to ask for "That one with the big juggs on the front", you should not be playing the game!
IMHO, an adult game can be a lot more damaging to a child than an adult magazine...

@Tebulot I absolutely agree, as magazines are not nearly as immersive as video games. I always maintain that age restrictions are there for a reason.

Not sure if they still do this, but I remember going to a magazine store and looking for gaming and PC mags and they would always put them next to or combined with the adult mag section. Top or bottom shelf – it didn’t matter, there was cleavage everywhere. So it would be embarrassing for me, a teenage girl at the time, and the men that were around that section. Nevermind that the trend with PC magazines is to have hot ladies on the cover.

Awkward times

Some stores don’t know what the hell they are doing with their shelf layouts

Weird thing about japan i've noticed when it comes to anything sex related they're pretty laid back when it comes to censoring but the moment there's any kind of violence thats where they draw the line. Actually their version of evil within got censored.

Corrosive said ...

Not sure if they still do this, but I remember going to a magazine store and looking for gaming and PC mags and they would always put them next to or combined with the adult mag section. Top or bottom shelf – it didn’t matter, there was cleavage everywhere. So it would be embarrassing for me, a teenage girl at the time, and the men that were around that section. Nevermind that the trend with PC magazines is to have hot ladies on the cover.

Awkward times

Some stores don’t know what the hell they are doing with their shelf layouts

Was awkward for Teenage boys to...
Trying to get your mum to buy a gaming mag with a half nekkid girl on the front was... difficult