Singapore - Irate gamers criticized Singapore's censors
Thursday for banning a highly anticipated space adventure game
containing a sex scene between a human woman and a female alien.
The game, called Mass Effect, is the first from Microsoft to be
prohibited in the city-state. It was to be launched next week.
Microsoft submitted Mass Effect last week to the Media Development
Authority (MDA) as part of the routine procedure to get games
distributed.
'We respect MDA's decision,' a company spokesman said.
The scene triggering the ban depicts the human-alien duo in
suggestive positions and ends with the alien saying, 'By the Gods,
that was incredible, Commander.'
Homosexual scenes in other media such as films are rarely allowed
and shown only if they do not promote a gay lifestyle.
Germaine Ong, deputy editor of a local website, told The Straits
Times that she has received many complaints from gamers.
'Banning the game because of one scene has caused a huge backlash
from gamers, and I don't think it is worth it,' she was quoted as
saying.
'People will just try to buy it from overseas sites or download
from illegal sites, which is a step backward for us.'
Two other games were banned in the past, one for nudity and the
other for excessive violence and religiously offensive expletives.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
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