Omega Labyrinth Z becomes first game banned in UK in ten years
PlayStation 4 anime title ‘promotes sexualisation of children’, says Video Standards Council
Japanese anime game Omega Labyrinth Z has been banned from sale in the UK, with watchdogs warning that it “clearly promotes the sexualisation of children”.
The Video Standards Council (VSC) says the PlayStation 4 title allows players to “sexually arouse the female characters by touching their intimate areas” and “to fondle the girls’ breasts”.
The animation-style game is set in an all-girls school, where players are tasked with completing a number of challenges to find a hidden artefact, says the BBC.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But many of the challenges and mini-games featured sexual themes, featuring girls who appear to be underaged, the broadcaster reports.
The VSC argues that the game would be likely to have a “strong appeal to non-adult players” and could “significantly harm” the social development of young gamers.
These findings have led to Omega Labyrinth Z being denied classification in the UK, which means the game’s distributer, PQube, cannot sell physical copies of the title, says TheSixthAxis.
The game has also been refused classification in Australia and Germany, but it is expected to launch in the US for players aged 17 or older.
According to Kotaku, it is the first gaming title to be banned in the UK since 2008, when the Rockstar’s Manhunt 2, where players take control of a serial killer, was prohibited from sale.
PQube revealed on Twitter that various avenues of appeal have failed.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Band Aid 40: time to change the tune?
In the Spotlight Band Aid's massively popular 1984 hit raised around £8m for famine relief in Ethiopia and the charity has generated over £140m in total
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
Starmer vs the farmers: who will win?
Today's Big Question As farmers and rural groups descend on Westminster to protest at tax changes, parallels have been drawn with the miners' strike 40 years ago
By The Week UK Published
-
How secure are royal palaces?
The Explainer Royal family's safety is back in the spotlight after the latest security breach at Windsor
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Netflix's epic quest into gaming
Under the radar The streaming giant's entry into the video game industry has been a slow burn, but that could change soon.
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Pong at 50: the video game that ‘changed the world’
Under the Radar Atari’s breakthrough invention remains a ‘touchstone’ in the history of gaming
By Julia O'Driscoll Published
-
How cybercriminals are hacking into the heart of the US economy
Speed Read Ransomware attacks have become a global epidemic, with more than $18.6bn paid in ransoms in 2020
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Language-learning apps speak the right lingo for UK subscribers
Speed Read Locked-down Brits turn to online lessons as a new hobby and way to upskill
By Mike Starling Published
-
Brexit-hobbled Britain ‘still tech powerhouse of Europe’
Speed Read New research shows that UK start-ups have won more funding than France and Germany combined over past year
By Mike Starling Published
-
Playing Cupid during Covid: Tinder reveals Britain’s top chat-up lines of the year
Speed Read Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Dominic Cummings among most talked-about celebs on the dating app
By Joe Evans Last updated
-
Brits sending one less email a day would cut carbon emissions by 16,000 tonnes
Speed Read UK research suggests unnecessary online chatter increases climate change
By Joe Evans Published
-
Reach for the Moon: Nokia and Nasa to build 4G lunar network
Speed Read Deal is part of the US space agency’s plan to establish human settlements on the lunar surface
By Mike Starling Last updated