Time: 02:03:45 CET 17:03:45 PST 20:03:45 EST 09:03:45 Seoul 08:03:45 Beijing
NEWS
Starcraft 2 rated 18+ for South Korean players
After the enforcement of the online gaming curfew in South Korea for the players under the age of 18, an 18+ rating gets awarded to Starcraft 2.
By Calinescu 'Dynasty' Dan-Gabriel
Apr 19, 2010 10:47
After the enforcement of the online gaming curfew in South Korea for the players under the age of 18, an 18+ rating gets awarded to Starcraft 2.Recently, it was announced that the South Korean government has enforced an online gaming curfew that prevents underage players from playing a series of online game titles, after a preset hour (such as midnight, 1 am or 2 am).
If this wasn't enough, the South Korean Game Rating Board has reviewed Starcraft 2 to be unsuitable for the underage players, as it contains a high level of violence, instigation to drugs consumption and foul language.
According to the Korean laws, Blizzard has a 30 day window in which to file an appeal, since the same Board has issued a 15+ rating in a previous review.
Because of that, we may see a reaction from Blizzard regarding this problem in the next couple of weeks.
As a prediction, at least the Korean version of the game will be released way later, maybe even next year, if Blizzard will ultimately accept or be forced to make the appropriate changes to the game client, in order to suit better the Board's requirements.
A Blizzard Korean spokeswoman said:
Anyway, the 'violence' in the game is pretty obvious since it's a real time strategy game. Let's say the foul language is in some terran units speech lines.
However, we can't seem to understand how they came up with the 'drugs' thing.
Is there something we don't know?
SOURCE: incgamers.com
If this wasn't enough, the South Korean Game Rating Board has reviewed Starcraft 2 to be unsuitable for the underage players, as it contains a high level of violence, instigation to drugs consumption and foul language.
According to the Korean laws, Blizzard has a 30 day window in which to file an appeal, since the same Board has issued a 15+ rating in a previous review.
Because of that, we may see a reaction from Blizzard regarding this problem in the next couple of weeks.
As a prediction, at least the Korean version of the game will be released way later, maybe even next year, if Blizzard will ultimately accept or be forced to make the appropriate changes to the game client, in order to suit better the Board's requirements.
A Blizzard Korean spokeswoman said:
"We have nothing to say at this point.We are discussing our official position on the matter as well as what would be the right reaction."
Anyway, the 'violence' in the game is pretty obvious since it's a real time strategy game. Let's say the foul language is in some terran units speech lines.
However, we can't seem to understand how they came up with the 'drugs' thing.
Is there something we don't know?
SOURCE: incgamers.com
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Over a year back, people were already suggesting that KeSPA were trying to get the Korean government to do this because of feud between them and Blizzard. With initiatives such as no-LAN and paid tournament server hosting Blizzard have clearly shown that they want to be in control and benefit from the the espots scene. Meanwhile, organizations such as KeSPA have helped cultivate esports in Korea and want to continue running things and try to fight Blizzard's attempt to establish a monopoly. I suppose this move is either a means of either putting pressure on Blizzard or just trying to punish them, seeing that this might end up having significant economical consequence for them.
it's is Blizzard vs. KeSPA at the moment. Who will win? Blizzard is almighty all over the world, except in Korea. But 50% of all SC1 copy's were sold in Korea. So its not a country to ignore.
Maybe it's the stim packs marines use?
Google ftw.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Asian_age_reckoning
Personaly i think this is way over the line. Its a parent's job to impose a midnight curfew for the kids, not some organisation. Besides that, all over the world there are movies with critical displays of all forms of corrution, drug consumption, and high level violence scenes, yet, nobody does anything about them.
Let's face it. A gamer would never go and inject himself with drugs and say that he used stim packs,and right after that, he would shoot people. lol.
Kespa, as any other organisation, is looking for profit and it feels threatened financialy by blizzard's strategy to internalize.
it's a shame that blizzard want's to take all the $$ from esports, and leave kespa with some shit money and the other way around.
they should get to some conclusion, coz in the end isn't that all about players ?
oh wait. PC's +18 in korea.
lol.
People should be able to decide themselfes what they do in life, even its progaming
korea and gaming are going sick ways.
In europe we dont have our own kespa yet we do have competitive starcraft.
Lets hope it sorts out and that this ridiculous censorship of the game goes away as well. Of all places, it seems very strange for Korea to be the place where this is happening, since it's basically one of the national sports of the country and is treated as such by the government.
Kespa wins ;)
srsly... there are so many things in TV etc which are for +18 people but noone delte this breaks or so..