No Jericho edit for Germany

By Games Industry.biz Published 26 September, 2007

Codies refuses. Will be PC only.

Codemasters has refused to edit the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Clive Barker's Jericho for release in Germany, GamesIndustry.biz reports.

The decision comes after the German ratings board USK declined to give the game a rating in the region.

"Following a review by the USK ratings board, which declined to give an official rating, Codemasters has decided not to change the artistic vision of the renowned author and film-maker Clive Barker though cuts and extensive changes," said the company in a statement sent to GamesIndustry.biz.

"Codemasters respects Mr Barker's creative ideas, despite the German distribution and marketing consequences for the title.

"Therefore Codemasters will release only the PC version of Clive Barker's Jericho in its original form for adult gamers and Clive Barker fans," confirmed the company.

The game is due for release in Europe on 26th October, with a demo of the game due on Xbox Live tomorrow and on PlayStation Network next week.

GamesIndustry.biz also refuses to water down its content, consistently leaving news as hard fact.

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Comments (27) Latest comment 4 years ago

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

  • cathalzx #1 4 years ago

    1st....mbleugh

  • space_ace #2 4 years ago

    > Codemasters respects... creative ideas, despite the ... marketing consequences

    charity game publishing, that's a new one

  • Cloudane #3 4 years ago

    Bloody Germans.

    I remember watching a video on the net showing a showreel of German games with green blood and some daft editing to boot. I kind of respect the developers to say 'no' to cutting out the stuff to get it on the German market.

  • spliffhead #4 4 years ago

    It's a super gory game why bother editing indeed.

    I'm sure that most German's are smart enough to order it online if they want an uncut version, it's the magic of the EU after all.

  • homerramone #5 4 years ago

    If it was a clive barker movie they would just slap an 18 rating (or whatever the german version of it is)

  • peteb #6 4 years ago

    If it was a clive barker movie they would just slap an 18 rating (or whatever the german version of it is)

    this is what the german version of that is :D

    Well, not really, but most of the time!

  • rashes #7 4 years ago

    Any German gamers care to comment on this? Do most people there just order these games online anyway?

  • Wayne #8 4 years ago

    "charity game publishing, that's a new one"

    Don't be a pleb. It's a matter of weighing up the cost of extra development against the sales in a single country. And any germans who *do* want the game can probably import it anyway, so Codies won't lose sales.

  • rashes #9 4 years ago

    @Fruit_Salad

    Oh my god. Thats so funny and such an original angle for your humour.

  • killyourtv #10 4 years ago

    Jericho Returns - No Mercy October 2007

  • UncleLou #11 4 years ago

    Once again:

    "No rating" means advertising and displaying it openly in places minors can access isn't allowed. It's perfectly legal to sell and buy it for people over 18, however.

    The reason it won't get published on PS3 and 360 is because Sony and MS don't allow games without age rating on their systems.

  • ProtoformX #12 4 years ago

    Demo on Xbox Live tomorrow?! Awesome! Might prise me away from Halo 3 for a few minutes.

  • Fab4 #13 4 years ago

    I live on a border town in Holland, the place is always full of Germans buying stuff. I cant see it being that big a problem for them.

  • Skeletor #14 4 years ago

    I'm German. The game will still be (unofficially) available at small indepedent videogame shops but I guess most people order online from countries like Austria, Holland and Poland because it's cheaper.
    The only thing that can't be dealt with is that once downloadable content for it appears on XBL Microsoft will block all users with German IPs though nobody told them to do so. That's probably their way to show how pissed they are about the German system. I'm really glad they refused to edit it...hate butchered versions.

  • Grom #15 4 years ago

    I'm sure the fact that censoring Jericho would probably have involved changing every single character model, all the textures and half the level props in the game, had nothing to do with the decision :)

  • YourMessageHere #16 4 years ago

    Why is the USK so backward compared with basically every other country's ratings board? Isn't there any pressure to change this in Germany? Also, do films get the same ungentle gutting as games tend to?

  • UncleLou #17 4 years ago

    The USK isn't backwards, it's doing a pretty good job. The thing is: its pretty effective. Independent studies have shown that many, many kids and teenagers (unless they're internet junkies like we are) hardly know of games that get no rating, or get on "the list" respectively. And as an adult, I can buy them anyway, so I don't really mind. It's a system that is reasonably effective while only being a minor nuisance for me, as I can still buy everything legally either from smaller shops (big media chains often don't stock these games) or on the internet (from German online shops, mind - I don't need to import them).

    The cries of outrage you'll hear are mostly from a) minors who can't get a specific game they want or b) people who have no idea what they're talking about.

    A far bigger problem are some publishers. Valve obviously can't be arsed to get legal advice and hence self-censor some games over Steam where it wouldn't be necessery at all.

    Mind, I am not saying it's a perfect system, but 99% of what you read about "German censorship", especially on foreign sites, is complete bullshit.
    Edited by 1 at 26/09/07 @ 17:32

  • Royal Fool #18 4 years ago

    Codemasters most likely never expected to get the game past the USK in the first place, so this is just a neat PR move to "maintain the integrity of the game's vision" or whatever.

  • 4thVariety #19 4 years ago

    PC is the only platform for titles such as this in Germany anyway. Besides, every half decent video game store will supply you with a copy from Austria or France. Just like with Gears of War (which could be ordered directly at MS), Dead Rising, or any game that was not "officially" sold. When push comes to shove the USK rating won't stop nobody. It will be tough for 14-16 year olds though.

    Even more weird is that the demo at games convention got an 18 rating and that was purely violence and bloodshed.

  • Skeletor #20 4 years ago

    @4thVariety

    Ratings for a convetion are not the same as ratings for retail. Guess the main problem for the USK are games that consist of mindless and bloody shooting/slashing only...for hours. A demo is just a tiny fraction of the whole product. You spend a couple of minutes with it and that's it. Besides, the USK is well aware of the economic importance of the Games Convention just as they are aware of the fact that a refused rating won't stop any adult from getting it;-)

    @JSPOOLE

    Jealous? Believe me, there are lots of good reasons why the GC is held in central Europe and not on an Island. Very good and reliable logistics and means of transportation are two of them.

  • dllord #21 4 years ago

    @Skeletor. Oh dear, I can't see Germany getting Ninja Gaiden 2 if this is anything to go by!

  • Freek #22 4 years ago

    If no rating simply means adults only, change the thing to an 18 rating.
    Problem solved. Only adults can buy it and the consoles can get releases aswell and no more hyped up stories in the media.

  • Skeletor #23 4 years ago

    @JSPOOLE

    Geez, there seems to be a ban on brains where you come from;-)
    Playing Gears or Jericho is totally legal here believe me, did anyone say something else?
    You guys should really check out the definition of the term "censorship" in a dictionary. Only because the ratings board refuses to rate something doesn't make it automatically an act of censorship.
    Most of you simply don't understand that in Germany, contrary to the UK, you can publish any game/ movie WITHOUT a rating. If Microsoft chooses not to publish unrated stuff...well, that's their choice. Sure, having an USK rating helps because it means bigger profits but there is NO LAW saying "no release without rating".
    Jericho will be released officially unrated for the PC, the console versions can be bought as imports. Where's the problem?

    @dllord
    No problem, if they refuse to rate it I'll get the Austrian/EU version...or the UK one.
    Edited by 1 at 26/09/07 @ 22:50

  • UncleLou #24 4 years ago

    JSPOOLE, do you actually try to understand anything what more informed people here write, or are you just spouting any random nonsense that goes through your mind at that moment?

  • UncleLou #25 4 years ago

    If no rating simply means adults only, change the thing to an 18 rating.
    Problem solved. Only adults can buy it and the consoles can get releases aswell and no more hyped up stories in the media.

    There's a difference between an 18 rating and no rating. The latter means it can be put on the index (after which it is still perfectly legal to buy it, there are just strict advertising etc. restricitions). It only becomes illegal if a game gets downright banned, like Manhunt in the UK, which rarely ever happens.

  • 3william56 #26 4 years ago

    Yesm there is rectal cancer, but a bit much for death wishes for a censorship decision. Get on the decaf, boy, it's only a videogame, which will be freely available by import or storming over the border in a panzer tank and buying one. Or so my Gran says. ;)

    So no loss to codies, the Germans, or you. Calm down.

  • Gurrah #27 4 years ago

    @JSPOOLE: Smart move man, you just discredited yourself to the fullest and showed all of us that you completely ran out of arguments. WW references in a censorship discussion smooooooooooth. Keep on reading 'The sun' m8.

    To my fellow german gamers - I have nothing to add. I can play everything I want - the USK never really stood in my way of getting a specific game.