Although many PlayStation users the world over will be excitedly getting lost in Halloween: The Game this week, that doesn’t include those in Japan.
Sadly, hot on the heels of controversy in Australia and New Zealand, we’ve learned that Halloween: The Game has been banned from the PlayStation store in Japan.
The news was confirmed by the game’s official social media accounts, stating they have been refused a certificate by the Computer Entertainment Rating Organization.
As per an official statement, developers IllFonic said that the refusal came due to the game’s inclusion of “visceral violence and nudity.” IllFonic concluded that measures to comply with the CERO’s standards would “significantly compromise the worldview of the original film, and would also prevent us from providing the gameplay experience that players expect.”
Consequently, the September 9th release of Halloween: The Game has been pulled from Japan’s PlayStation Store. Any fans that pre-ordered the title are entitled to a refund, but this will have to be dealt with via the PlayStation Network.
IllFonic have also reiterated that the Steam and Xbox releases will go ahead, as only the PlayStation release was refused a certificate.
So, there have been quite a few unexpected bumps in the road for Halloween: The Game. However, it seems unlikely that it will impact the game’s success too much.
We’re undeniably curious to know those first week sales figures, and will tell all as soon as we can!
