MadWorld spoils "family fun image" of Wii

By Robert Purchese Published 12 August, 2008

UK pressure group gets hot and bothered.

SEGA Wii game MadWorld will "spoil the family fun image" of the console, according to Mediawatch-UK, a British organisation that campaigns for decency in television, games and films.

"I hope the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) will view this with concern and decide it should not be granted a classification," John Beyer, director of Mediawatch-UK, told the Mail Online.

"What the rest of world does is up to them. We need to ensure that modern and civilised values take priority rather than killing and maiming people.

"It seems a shame that the game's manufacturer have decided to exclusively release this game on the Wii," said Beyer. "I believe it will spoil the family fun image of the Wii."

MadWorld is a gory and stylised action game painted in black and white, which is based on a game-show concept where you kill people with chainsaws (like The Running Man) or throw human darts; "more Itchy and Scratchy than Bundy and Gacy," said Ellie in her preview.

We expect MadWorld will carry an 18 rating when the BBFC does its job, and hope the game provides much needed variety to the floods of casual mini-game-games on the console.

"Mad World will be suitably age-rated through the appropriate legal channels and thus only available to an audience above the age rating it is given," Nintendo pointed out.

MadWorld is due exclusively on Wii early in 2009.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (57) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • asphaltcowboy #1 4 years ago

    Surely Nintendo is free to dictate the Wii's image as they see fit? Who the heck is this guy?

  • Floppy #2 4 years ago

    This might ruin the 'family fun image'? Ah, diddums. Families aren't contract-bound to buy little Timmy every game released for the Wii.

  • secombe #3 4 years ago

    As Nintendo have pointed out, BBFC 18 cert, job done.

    No different to having Toy Story and Pulp Fiction in your DVD collection.
    Edited by 1 at 12/08/08 @ 16:00

  • Der_tolle_Emil #4 4 years ago

    secombe: Well said. Wii Sports and the other minigame collections won't get any more family-unfriendly just because you can get Mad World for the same console as well.

  • japfes #5 4 years ago

    The fact that this article comes from the "Mail" say's it all!

  • Beats12 #6 4 years ago

    Can I just say how surprised I am at the mail actually allowing common-sense, non-reactionary comments for the 'article'. Usually, the Mail thought police work to ensure that nothing ruins their reactionary and scaremongering articles...

  • RexRunti #7 4 years ago

    The Wii has spoilt the loner adolescent killing simulator image of consoles, therefore should be banned.

  • mcmonkeyplc #8 4 years ago

    Fuck off! The Wii needs this game more than I need a drink!

  • Hamflank #9 4 years ago

    Two months after release of Madworld, ask 100 Wii-owning mothers if they know a game called MadWorld. I'd guess about 5 percent may have read something about it in a newspaper, the other 95 percent won't know what you are talking about.

    The 'family fun image' is just safe and sound.

  • RexRunti #10 4 years ago

    What platform was No More Heroes exclusivley on? You know the one where you play a foul mouthed assasin who's essentially just doing it for kicks.

  • Monkey_Puncher #11 4 years ago

    I agree, might as well put it on 360 instead....

  • RexRunti #12 4 years ago

    To be honest given the highly stylised look of Mad World I could see it ending up as a 15.

  • nickthegun #13 4 years ago

    This article represents the current state of gaming.

  • aldo_14 #14 4 years ago

    Fortunately, it'd won't spoilt the 'bunch of idiotic twerps unable to hack it in the real world' image of Mediawatch UK.

  • the_dudefather #15 4 years ago

    I enjoyed strangling people in the godfather for wii

    you moved the remote and nunchuck like you were ACTUALLY strangling them

    it was loads of fun

  • actionfitz #16 4 years ago

    "Mediawatch-UK, a British organisation that campaigns for decency in television, games and films."

    Mediawatch-UK can $*** my C**k.
    They want it to be denied classification presumably to protect the impressionable over 18's who would otherwise be able to play it once its rated by the BBFC?
    -.-
    morons.

  • Xerx3s #17 4 years ago

    Telling adults that they can't do something just because you think it's wrong is civilised.

    If I was as small-minded as they are I would have to say something about that.

  • madgerald Verified Studio Head of PR & Marketing, Colossal Games LTD #18 4 years ago

    I'm really pleased to be working on this title :)

  • penhalion #19 4 years ago

    @Xerx3s

    Telling adults that they can't do something just because you think it's wrong is civilised.

    Your statement is a little too broad in it's scope...or did you really think murder, rape, theft etc. etc should be allowed just because the person comitting it is over 18?

  • corposant #20 4 years ago

    John Meyer, director of Mediawatch-UK was talking to the Mail Online. Has this bloke seen what else is available online? If he had any idea about the filth that exists online he might think twice about having his organisation associated with such a depraved thing as the Internet. For shame!

  • Tomo #21 4 years ago

    This will do wonders for sales.

  • xagarath #22 4 years ago

    Let's hope this doesn't lead to publisher censorship of the Rule of Rose/No More Heroes type again
    Damn idiot UK tabloids

  • Rirekon #23 4 years ago

    Free Publicity Go!

  • MattyD #24 4 years ago

    BAAAAWWWWWWW

    I don't give a shit, I'll be importing it from the US anyway.

  • afghan_jones #25 4 years ago

    Fuck these twats and fuck the 'family fun image'.

    anything that makes the Wii a bit more of an actual games console and less of a lifestyle accessory can only be a good thing.

    Fucking Wii.

  • themerlin13 #26 4 years ago

    What's that Mediawatch?
    How dare we voice our own god dam opinions on a Mother Fucking website your children might read!!

    What's next? Toilet vending machines should not sell condoms as it ruins the "fun family image" of taking a SHIT!!!

  • PhantomLimb #27 4 years ago

    I'm appalled violent films exist as they mean no children should ever go to the cinema. Wait, what?

  • Jesterr #28 4 years ago

    This is, frankly, utterly ridiculous.

    How is it, exactly, the responsibility of the BBFC to maintain Nintendo's product image? If Nintendo are prepared to have MadWorld reflect on them and it doesn't contravene any UK censorship laws there's nothing at all to stop the BBFC certifying it, 18 most likely, and letting it go on sale. Morons.

  • Arcadiian #29 4 years ago

    Why is a 'pressure group' worrying about me? I can worry about myself. Bugger off.

  • bdc #30 4 years ago

    Do they not realize it's a games console, not a family toy for little children?

  • smelly #31 4 years ago

    >This guy is a cunt and should go fuck his mum.

    +1

  • wonk #32 4 years ago

    From the Mediawatch website:

    "Founded in the 1960s by the late, Mary Whitehouse CBE, when there were just two TV channels and at a time when standards of good taste and decency were being overthrown by some broadcasters..."

    In other words, out of touch in 1960s, wandering blind in the 21st Century.

  • illusiondance #33 4 years ago

    precisely azmol1.
    Perhaps our concerned friends at the MediaWatch campaign can retroactively ban these older (more realistic) violent games listed.
    Save us from ourselves! Because we cant understand current age clasification, help! what does a Huge red '18' mean please?
    will my gran like it?

  • TriggerHippie #34 4 years ago

    Mary Whitehouse. Says it all.

  • The_Inquisitor #35 4 years ago

    The BBFC's role is to give age minimum ratings, not cater to one groups opinion about what is right and wrong for the country. These people sound like they'd rather be living a dictatorship state without free choice with the way they are going on.

  • tiddles #36 4 years ago

    I am absolutely disgusted.

    The sub-editing on that article is terrible - "repatoire" and "clammering"?

  • ColdShoulder #37 4 years ago

    This is great news for the hardcore/mature crowd, lets hope more ignorant critics follow suit and we'll have a successful third party adult content game on Wii.

  • justsomeone #38 4 years ago

    the wii is a toy for children and arrested-development adults. can we stop talking about the silly thing here on EG? otherwise we'll need to have a v-tech section too.

  • secombe #39 4 years ago

    Mary Whitehouse and the Daily Mail joing forces to "ban this sick filth", awesome. I posted this with the Youtube trailer for Madworld on another forum in May...

    "Can't wait till the Daily Mail sees this, "SICK FILTH COMES TO FAMILY CONSOLE""

    ... it's just too easy.

    The irony is, MediaWatch and the Daily Mail have probably done more to boost sales of ultra-violent games than any specialist press or other media outlets.
    Edited by 2 at 12/08/08 @ 23:12

  • Kami #40 4 years ago

    wonk, it's a little unfair - Mary Whitehouse, for all her zeal, actually did some good. We would not have the systems in place now for content if she hadn't interjected into the media fray - what we have now at 9pm was actually being broadcast at 5-6pm back then, when people were settling down to dinner with their families. If anything, she was much needed to raise such issues, and had it not been her, it would have been someone else. The systems we have in place now are as a result of her work. She didn't clean up TV and media, but her work means we have many of the organisations and failsafes we have now .

    However, I think it is true that MediaWatch UK is grossly out-of-date and out of touch today, and has relatively few teeth to really bite hard into the fray. There are organisations and failsafes in place which have far more power to tackle such issues, and as weve seen the past few years - do tackle issues raised, quite well. MediaWatch UK is an independant organisation, and whilst of course they have a right to have a voice - they have no power to enforce their voice. They are not consulted at any stage in the process - again, because we have organisations and measures in place who arre more efffective and impartial.

    It's just a small pressure group trying to sound big and important but ultimately having no real powers to do anything. What these people say will have very little impact, if any, on the processes used by the BBFC and TV channels already. Just look at the adorable crazy people, laugh a moment and move on with your life. They're not worth the energy it's taken to make this post. *wink*

  • Mattb90 #41 4 years ago

    It should be remembered that "mediawatch-uk" is just the modern name for the "National Viewers' and Listeners' Association" - i.e. the organisation founded by Mary Whitehouse back in the 60s to fight "indecency" on the BBC in particular. This is simply gaming receiving the Whitehouse treatment 30-40 years on.

  • secombe #42 4 years ago

    What I don't understand is the ratings issue. Obviously this game is going to get a BBFC 18 certificate, something reserved only for the most violent/sexual films these days.

    These people are calling for the industry to be regulated better, and the obvious system appears to be the BBFC age rating. All games like this ARE getting BBFC ratings anyway. So what are they saying, that the BBFC system doesn't work? If so, how is a new system going to be any better? At least those red circles are instantly recognisable and virtually everyone knows what they mean.

  • zzyzx #43 4 years ago

    Champagne corks popping at Platinum Studios in 5 . . . 4 . . . 3 . . . 2 . . .

  • MGG #44 4 years ago

    So, small group of right-wing nutters complain about a game to the right-wing, fascist supporting trash mag the Daily (Hate) Mail and this is news?

    What next, reporting blogs as news? Oh, wait.....

  • DB2k #45 4 years ago

    Are we sure John Beyer doesn't actualyl write for the mail online rather than jsut being interviewed? He sounds like a prize uber cock.

    I hope he keeps it up tho so the games sells millions. Dickwad.

  • spammage #46 4 years ago

    You lot were scared of the casuals!! Look out, the morality nutjobs are here to spoil your Wii gaming.

    Seriously guys, this is pure media spin and you are falling for it, Sega will have had a PR firm controlling this from the kick off, it is the basic Rockstar model of propagating column inches in the tabloids for FREE by way of "negative" publicity, as we all know ANY publicity is good publicity.

  • Zomoniac #47 4 years ago

    On the off-chance that John Beyer's children read this:

    Fucking cunting fuck cunt shit arsebadger, I like to shoot people in the face and then stab them in the chest and then rub my willy on them. I think you should do the same.


    Irresponsible twat letting his kids read uncensored internet. Now his children will be vulgar mass-murdering sex offenders. Bet he feels stupid now.

    (I realise this is a long shot.)

  • michaelius #48 4 years ago

    Stop the freaking censorship.

    I want to decide MYSELF what is acceptable in game I'AM playing.

  • Quint2020 #49 4 years ago

    Loool, saw this in the Metro on the way to work this morning.

    I just shook my head closed the paper and resumed Chains of Olympus.

  • septimus #50 4 years ago

    Would be better on the PS3 or 360 anyway.... it would mean I don't have to plug my door stop in to play it.

  • Redeye #51 4 years ago

    Mediawatch can suck a fart out of my arse.

  • mikeck #52 4 years ago

    "Mediawatch can suck a fart out of my arse. "

    Brilliant. Best comment I've read on EG for a while :p

  • Ranger101 #53 4 years ago

    Aww this comment had so much potential as I was reading it:

    "Loool, saw this in the Metro on the way to work this morning.
    I just shook my head closed the paper and resumed Chains of Olympus. "

    It should've been:

    "Loool, saw this in the Metro on the way to work this morning.
    I just shook my head, closed the paper, and resumed fucking little Annie in the arse with a chainsaw".

  • Azazel #54 4 years ago

    Why don't they just rename themselves to 'Overwatch' and get it done with the little Mary Whitehouse loving Nazis.

  • rgame1 #55 4 years ago

    The Wii was intended from the begining of its life as a console for everyone. Kids, adults, non gamers, casuals etc.

    So fu c you.

  • actionfitz #56 4 years ago

    "Loool, saw this in the Metro on the way to work this morning.
    I just shook my head, closed the paper, and resumed fucking little Annie in the arse with a chainsaw".

    lol nasty.

  • Zomoniac #57 4 years ago

    Loool, saw this in the Metro on the way to work this morning.

    A couple of good retaliation letters in this morning's Metro.