Pretty sad news despite Singapore having the M18 classification.
While the classification is able to look the other way towards brief nudity and implied sex, the fact that the game allows you to collect pages of an actual Playboy magazine is a big no-no.
What compounds the ban on Mafia II is that all these pages would combine into an actual Playboy magazine in game. And if you recall, Playboy is not sold anywhere (legally) in Singapore.
This is how MDA classifies M18 titles:
Nudity
- Depiction of topless nudity or occasional full frontal nudity, if not exploitative. Nudity should not titillate or be the main feature of the game.
- Still or moving images which may be sexually titillating (but does not contain nudity), e.g. scantily-clad women shown in a manner that is sexually suggestive, if not excessive or gratuitous.
We compare this to titles that will not be given any rating ie Banned.
e) Depiction of sexual violence, including rape.
f) Content where the primary purpose is for the players to engage in sexual activity.
g) Detailed and frequent depiction of sexual activity, such as depictions of actual sexual intercourse including content which depicts explicit sexual activity where genitals may not be visible.
h) Exploitative and excessive depiction of nudity. This refers to male and female nudity where genitalia are clearly depicted. This would include content where the presentation of nudity is exploitative and nudity is a constant feature of the game.
It really depends on how much effort a publisher would like to contest the view points but I’m guessing the outcome would still be the same.
No sexy pictures please, we’re Singaporeans.
Contact the author of this post, Gerald Chan, at geraldchan@qisahn.com
