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Sony has been making a lot of controversial decisions recently, but the most recent should prove to be the most frustrating for a certain segment of the gaming population. The company just blocked the release of a game called “Omega Labyrinth Z” for the PlayStation 4 and Vita. It’s an adult anime game that featured dungeon crawling and scenes that touched a nerve among certain ratings bodies.
Provocative video games are not new, but games like "Omega" take it to a whole new level. It was given a PEGI 18 rating in Europe for its sexual themes. However, the Video Standards Council (VSC) in the U.K. refused to give a box certificate for the game’s release in the country, Eurogamer notes. This is due to certain explicit scenes in the game that depicted the undressing of its female characters.
The fact that these characters seem to look incredibly young didn’t help the game’s chances of approval. The sexual stimulation that they are subjected to in several scenarios only made things worse.
"The player touches certain points on a female character's body to arouse them," the VSC explained while referring to one of the game’s [mini-games]. "A successful action will activate a 'shame break' where parts of their clothing come off revealing more of their bodies.”
However, the main point of contention by the ratings body was the age of the characters in question.
"The game is explicit in its setting within a 'school' environment and the majority of the characters are young girls - one child is referred to as being a 'first-year' student and is seen holding a teddy bear. The game clearly promotes the sexualization of children via the sexual interaction between the game player and the female characters. The style of the game is such that it will attract an audience below the age of 18," the VSC notes.
The final nail in the coffin was Sony’s decision to step in and enact a ban on the game, blocking it from launching on any of its platforms. As a result, the developers have ceased all plans for a Western release of the game, Gematsu reports.
