Germany censoring the hell out of Call of Duty: Black Ops

Germany will soon be indulging in its third favorite pastime, after munching bratwurst and thrashing England in World Cups – overbearing videogame censorship! Next up on the cutting-room floor is Call of Duty: Black Ops, the latest entry in Activision’s phenomenally popular Call of Duty franchise.

According to developer Treyarch, German gamers will have their delicate eyes protected from the following:

– A scene where an enemy is shot in slow motion with copious amounts of gore has been toned down for the German release.
– A torture scene involving a prisoner has been completely eliminated from the German version.
– No explosions that lead to limb loss.
– Removal of what Germany deems ‘anti-constitutional symbols’.

I’d count that as fairly heavy-handed censorship – grown adults can, after all, judge what they wish to see on a screen – but I’ve saved the best until last: apparently, the track ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ by Mick Jagger will be excluded, because it directly references World War Two.

That’s fine and all, but the song can be legally played in its entirety on German radio! I’m not saying my enjoyment of Black Ops would be greatly diminished by a lack of Jagger, but if there’s ever any doubt that videogames get a raw deal compared to other mediums in Germany …

[Via CODFeed]