Video games can be controversial in their nature, and sometimes one could argue that it is simply fiction or creative freedom, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t run afoul of governments in various countries. For example over in China, Blizzard had to make certain creative changes to games like World of Warcraft.
That being said over in Malaysia, it seems that the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has decided to block the entire country’s access to Valve’s Steam store following the company’s refusal to remove a controversial fighting game involving religious figures.
The game in question, Fight of Gods, is a pretty standard fighting game except that it features religious figures ranging from Jesus to Odin where they basically beat the crap out of each other. In a report by the country’s national news agency BERNAMA, Salleh Said Keruak, Malaysia’s Minister of Communication and Multimedia said that this was done to help maintain solidarity and harmony amongst the people in the country who are of different faiths.
“This action is necessary to protect the users and to prevent untoward incidents. (To ensure) solidarity, harmony and wellbeing of the multi-racial and multi-religious people in the country are the main objectives of the government. The government will not compromise with any action that can jeopardise these objectives.”
The game’s publisher PQube has since stated that they have not received any communications from Malaysian officials regarding the game, but it seems that they won’t be contesting it either. “We are disappointed that such freedom of choice is not given to everyone and in particular that the game has been forcibly removed from sale in Malaysia, although no direct communication has been received by us as to the reasons for this. Nevertheless we respect any rules and censorship imposed in any given territory.”
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