20 banned video games

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20 List items - Developed by:
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Gaming is of course great fun, but unfortunately it is not allowed everywhere.

  • Place 20
    Wolfenstein 3D (1992) / Wolfenstein (2009)
    Banned in Germany
    Both games contain Nazi super weapons and monsters. The games are illegal, due to the Nazi references.
  • Place 19
    The Sims (2000)
    Banned in Uzbekistan
    Many people think the Sims are living a normal life, but the Uzbek government thinks very differently about this.
  • Place 18
    Postal (1997) / Postal 2 (2003)
    Banned in New Zealand
    One of the most controversial video games ever made: it includes urinating in public, racial stereotyping and homophobia. Possessing and distributing it is punishable by law and is even punishable by imprisonment.

  • Place 17
    Pokémon: GO! (2016)
    Banned in Iran
    Since its launch in July 2016, this app has been extremely popular, even faster than the fidget spinner. Many people therefore walked around their neighborhood without looking around. However, Iran already took the app off the App Store in August 2016. What the penalty is for being caught using this app is not clear, but the police has the right to arrest any user and the death penalty is not a punishment for using this app.
  • Place 16
    Pokémon: Crystal (2000)
    Banned in Saudi Arabia
    This game will feature symbols of Freemasonry and Jewish practices and encourage children to gamble.
  • Place 15
    Mass Effect (2007)
    Banned in the United Arab Emirates
    Banned because you can have a lesbian relationship with a blue alien. It sounds bizarre, but for the same reason, this game has also been banned in Singapore for a long time.

  • Place 14
    Manhunt (2003) / Manhunt 2 (2007)
    Banned in Ireland
    There are many games that resemble violence, but this game contains ruthless and needless violence that is way over the top. In 2004, a 17-year-old boy was kidnapped, led into the woods and beaten with a hammer until he was finally killed. The parents of the then 18-year-old perpetrator claimed that he was obsessed with the game and wanted to imitate it. In New Zealand, the second part was also banned for a long time and the first part was initially banned almost everywhere and later allowed again, in South Korea, Italy and Malaysia there was even a prison sentence of up to a week. A milder version of both games was produced in 2013 for the PlayStation 3 in the United States and the United Kingdom.
  • Place 13
    Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction (2005) / Homefront (2011)
    Banned in South Korea
    The producer of both games had come up with an alternative future, in which Korea will become 1 country again in 2013. In 2027, the Korean government will invade the American states, so as a player you had to protect your homeland against the Koreans. There were even real characters in both games, such as Kim Jong-il and Kim Jong-un. In the Japanese version of these games, the figures do not exist and the final target is simply referred to as 'the leader of the north'.
  • Place 12
    Grand Theft Auto IV (2008)
    Banned in Thailand
    A teenage boy shot and killed a taxi driver. He himself has stated that he wanted to recreate the game in real life. After several murders had taken place, many people concluded it was because of this game. The Thai government banned the game.
  • Place 11
    Glorifying Graffiti Art (2013)
    Banned in Australia
    Immediately after the release of this game, it was banned because Australians are against vandalism.

  • Place 10
    Football Manager 2005 (2005)
    Banned in China
    In this game, Taiwan and Tibet are depicted as independent countries and not as a part of China. If a store is caught selling this game, the sellers risk a large fine.
  • Place 9
    Fallout 3 (2008) / Saints Row IV (2013)
    Banned in Australia
    According to the Australian government, these games will contain too many images of sexual violence, which means that you can, for example, beat people down with a huge dildo. These strange murder weapons prevented it from being sold anywhere in the country. However, a deal was eventually made with the government, the missions containing this charge were removed from the games and so, both were put back on the market.
  • Place 8
    EA Sports: MMA (2010)
    Banned in Denmark
    EA Sports takes martial arts very seriously, so the violence is slightly higher: for example, in addition to KO someone, the player can also immediately slap a knee in the face of the opponent or brutally break someone's arm. But this violence is not the reason for the ban. This game also promotes energy drinks and in Denmark, this is illegal. This ban will remain permanent, because Electronic Arts itself decided not to change anything in the game.
  • Place 7
    Dead Rising 3 (2013)
    Banned in Germany
    The enemies are zombies and the German government doesn't like this fact.
  • Place 6
    Command & Conquer: Renegade (2002) / Command & Conquer: Generals (2003)
    Banned in China
    The goal in both games is to destroy China.
  • Place 5
    Carmageddon (1997)
    Banned in Germany
    This is a racing game whose goal is to kill pedestrians. For a long time, this game was only available in the UK before a major overhaul took place. In Brazil, Australia and the USA, the game has also been banned for a long time. The creators decided to replace the living pedestrians with zombies to reduce the violence. It is now allowed worldwide, but in Germany they have decided that the ban is permanent, again because zombies are targeted in the game.

  • Place 4
    Bully (2006) / Canis Canem Edit (2008)
    Banned in Brazil
    These games are set in a school where the goal is to bully everyone in this English-styled boarding school. Brazilian parents thought this was dirty, unpleasant and pathetic, the government agreed and banned both games.
  • Place 3
    Battlefield 3 (2011)
    Banned in Iran
    Although it was never released in this country, it is still banned. The game simulates an attack by US forces on a fictional Iranian terrorist group. In any case, war scenes could frighten residents of Iran.
  • Place 2
    All video games containing violence
    Banned in Colombia
    Ferranti, Atari and Nintendo are one of the few game companies that don't have games with realistic extreme violence in them. According to the Colombians, violent games encourage people to commit crimes. Other countries think that this system is counterproductive, research even shows that laggy games are the perpetrators of crimes.
  • Place 1
    All video games
    Banned in Greece
    Since 2002, gaming in public has been banned. This came about through a blanket ban on gambling in the country. For example, using a Game Boy in Greece can result in a prison sentence of 12 months.

Comments (2)

autorenew

42 days ago
Wow, I play video games for a living and I didn't even know about these •○•
77 days ago
sheesh greece is harsh. cool list!