Not all countries are as free as others. With restrictions and laws regarding sexuality being so varied around the world, it seems that games that are lauded for being inclusive might actually get excluded from the market. India is the latest example.
According to Kotaku, India won’t be able to explore the world of Thedas with the rest of us. At least, not unless they pirate their copies. It’s not that India banned the sale of the game, but rather that the decision was made by EA:
In order to avoid a breach of local content laws, EA has withdrawn Dragon Age: Inquisition from sale in India and the game is no longer available for pre-order. Customers who pre-ordered the game will be contacted directly and will be fully refunded.
The decision here is in relation to local obscenity laws, but not specific to same gender romance.
Kotaku points out the penal code in India is extraordinarily vague – it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what would be perceived as obscene. However, it seems safe to assume that the homosexual opportunities in Dragon Age could be problem considering that games like GTA V and other major releases with content that could be seen as obscene haven’t been pulled from the shelves. But then again, other games that came in before restoration of India’s homosexual laws are still available, such as The Last of Us and Mass Effect, both of which have some homosexual references.
We aren’t 100% sure what’s going on, but with these kinds of clampdowns, it does certainly seem linked to legislation against homosexuality. Russia has similar rules, prompting a much higher rating for The Sims 4 in Russia than in other countries. I wonder if Dragon Age: Inquisition has flown in under the radar, or if they will also be putting some extra stipulations on distribution of the game. This iteration in the Dragon Age franchise has the most realistic romance options to date from a Bioware game. Remember, these are simply options – you don’t have to seduce your comrades in arms, but for those who wish to do so, it will be a more pleasurable experience. As per the ESRB rating:
The game includes some sexual material: a female character briefly depicted in front of a man’s torso (fellatio is implied); characters depicted topless or with exposed buttocks while lying in bed or after sex; some dialogue referencing sex/sexuality (e.g., “’I will bring myself sexual pleasure later, while thinking about this with great respect’” and “The way your t*ts bounce when I pin your arms and take you on the side of the bed…”). The words “f**k,” “sh*t,” and “a*shole” appear in dialogue.
I’m not entirely sure which part of the game is viewed as obscene. It’s rated M for Mature anyway, which means that only adults should be playing it. Could India and Russia find the material unsuitable for people of any age?
Last Updated: November 18, 2014
Hammersteyn
November 19, 2014 at 07:52
Unless two guys or two women bang then Russia will probably ban it. The really are against same sex relationships.
Alien Emperor Trevor
November 19, 2014 at 08:06
Well they have to think about the children safety and protecting them from gay propaganda, or something like that. That’s how people like that stay in power, making dumb people afraid of a minority & then promising to protect them.
Hammersteyn
November 19, 2014 at 08:14
Like they do in America?
Alien Emperor Trevor
November 19, 2014 at 08:16
FREEDOM! Are you free or are you…
RinceThis
November 19, 2014 at 08:30
DOM! 0_O
Lonewolf
November 19, 2014 at 08:48
FREEDOM for torrent users..:p
CAE9872
November 19, 2014 at 09:55
There was a programme on TV hosted by Stephen Fry in which he explores parts of the world against same-sex relationships. Man it was scary the people he met and their “beliefs” – specifically the politicians lobbying for changes to laws to ban such relationships. It was unbelievable!
tanarur
November 19, 2014 at 11:16
If it’s unbelievable, maybe you shouldn’t believe it. Not taking a stand either way myself, but I don’t think Fry can be considered an impartial reporter on the issue (and I have no problem with Fry per se, I have always enjoyed his work). Anyone can make a biased report that shows their ideological opponants to be idiotic troglodytes, it isn’t very hard to find idiots and reprehensible people on every side of this issue, as in any others.
CAE9872
November 19, 2014 at 11:27
Agreed – you miss my point though. He interviews them on camera on their reasoning, etc and their responses is what is unbelievable…or should that be “unbelievable” in the sense that we live in 21st Century and you realise that well actually we don’t.
Not the entire world is tolerant of various issues be that individual or cultural.
Heck I lecture students who seem more homophobic, etc than the traditionally older person who is more set in their ways perhaps? I found it very interesting though and although I agree Fry has a vested interest he didn’t come across as “preachy” and “why I am right.” It was more a fact finding type programme as to why Russia, for example, is going “backwards” on the matter.
RinceThis
November 19, 2014 at 08:30
Can send a prob to Mars, but can’t probe another… No, wait what? Either way, a sad thing to happen.
Koko
November 19, 2014 at 08:56
Does anyone know how to contact EA except for their horrendous online chat support that kept me watching a “waiting time approximately 5 minutes” screen for 2 hours before I gave up? My Dragon Age pre-order from August is still not showing under my games in Origin. The response on their facebook was to call the local support, which we of course don’t have anymore.
Willem Swanepoel
November 19, 2014 at 08:57
So Russia and India will spike in the piracy charts and then later the year they bitch about those countries for high piracy …
LOGIC!
I feel sorry for them, you cannot play a multiplayer game when it is cracked and I have seen the multiplayer for DA:I, it looks really fun to play. So right after you have spent 100s of hours playing the single player game you will spend another 100 in the multi …
tanarur
November 19, 2014 at 11:20
While I have no particular problem with the content myself, I do find it interesting to note that it seems the most restrictive romance choices available are those of heterosexual male characters. Why would that be?
vicky john
November 19, 2014 at 13:51
=D
rollingmol
November 19, 2014 at 17:22
If i’m a game designer I’d just make a option to turn it of (language or whatever) Gamers like choices and the countries where it is banned just leave the banned parts of… manique plenty more sales less drama for all.